'Ruijin' (,
pinyin: Ruìjīn) is a
county-level city of
Ganzhou in the mountains bordering
Fujian Province in south-eastern
Jiangxi. It is most famous as one of the earliest centers of Chinese communist activity. After being forced out of
Jinggangshan in the late 1920's by the
Guomindang, the Communists fled here, taking advantage of Ruijin's relative isolation in the rugged mountains along Jiangxi's border with Fujian. In 1931, under
Mao Zedong's leadership, the
Chinese Soviet Republic was established here. By 1934, they had again been surrounded by
Chiang Kai-shek's forces. It is from here that the famed "
Long March" began.
Ruijin is a popular tourist destination for both its natural scenery and its "Red" heritage. It is a pilgrimage for surviving
Maoists from China and around the globe.