–Mao Zedong, May 1965
Tall trees pierce the sky, for miles around,
Up soars this sacred peak in southern ground.
Revisiting old haunts – what do I see?
Pavilions new rise where none used to be.
At Five Wells Tablet, on Huangyangjie Pass,
Cars speed and leap as if they cut through grass.
This land is fair as a painted scroll;
Once it was but a sea of green, untold.
Thirty-eight years – gone in a finger’s snap,
The world’s transformed, as heaven swapped its map.
I still recall those days of war and flame,
When death brushed close, as fresh as yesterday’s claim.
Only great passion fills my breast still;
Bright moon hangs high, o’er all the distant hill.
Great winds and storms roll mighty and profound;
One crow of dawn – all evil’s smoke is drowned.
Note
Mao Zedong returned to Jinggang Mountain (the “cradle of the Chinese revolution”) after 38 years (since 1927, when he established the first rural revolutionary base). This poem (paired with Shui Diao Ge Tou – Returning to Jinggang Mountain) expresses:
- Nostalgia for revolutionary struggles
- Wonder at Jinggang’s modern transformation
- Revolutionary optimism and triumph over adversity
- Confidence in China’s socialist future
Nian Nu Jiao (Charm of a Maiden Singer)
- Classic ci (song lyric) form originating in the Tang Dynasty
- Bold, heroic tone; suitable for grand, reflective themes
Jinggang Mountain
The “cradle of the Chinese revolution.” In 1927, Mao Zedong led revolutionary forces here to establish the first rural revolutionary base, pioneering the path of “surrounding cities from the countryside.”
Thirty-eight years
The span from 1927 (first arrival) to 1965 (return), when Mao revisited and composed this poem.
Huangyangjie
A strategic mountain pass; site of the decisive 1928 Battle of Huangyangjie, a symbol of revolutionary heroism and survival against odds.
Five Wells Tablet
A monument commemorating the core revolutionary settlement area (“Five Wells”) on Jinggang Mountain.
Gone in a single finger’s snap
Classical Chinese idiom meaning time passes extremely swiftly.
As heaven turned its map
Metaphor for earthshaking, radical transformation of society and nation.
Bright moon hangs high
Traditional symbol of lofty purity, enduring spirit, and unshakable idealism.
Great winds and storms
Metaphor for revolutionary momentum, mighty historical forces, and political upheaval.
One rooster’s crow
Alludes to “hearing the rooster and rising” – symbol of new era, liberation, and the triumph of light over darkness.
All evil’s smoke disband
All evils, reactionary forces, and old demons vanish completely, like smoke in the wind.
《念奴娇-井冈山》
参天万木，千百里，飞上南天奇岳。
故地重来何所见，多了楼台亭阁。
五井碑前，黄洋界上，车子飞如跃。
江山如画，古代曾云海绿。
弹指三十八年，人间变了，似天渊翻覆。
犹记当时烽火里，九死一生如昨。
独有豪情，天际悬明月，风雷磅礴。
一声鸡唱，万怪烟消云落。
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