On November 8, 2023, the author traveled through the east bank of the Yellow River and arrived at the boundary of Haw Par Kou, located at the intersection of Jingyuan and **.
This area is not vast, and the prosperity is not in the middle, and there is hardly anything to see. I came by car, and the tranquility and desolation along the way made it extraordinarily peaceful.
Haw Par Pass, also known as Hebaokou, was once a key ferry port on the ancient Silk Road, and it was also one of the four official ferries of Jingyuan in the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is worth mentioning that from October 24 to 30, 1936, the Red Fourth Front Army successfully crossed the Yellow River here, which became a high-profile historical node at that time.
In the vicinity of Hejing Village, Wulan Township, Jingyuan County, Hubaokou is located here, about 5 kilometers away from the county seat. At that time, more than 21,800 people of the Red Army, led by Chen Changhao and others, broke through the tight defense line of the Kuomintang and successfully crossed the Yellow River.
This magnificent scene has become a remarkable moment in Jingyuan's history.
The Haw Par Mouth Ferry Port was included in the "Qing Dynasty" for its strategic position. Kangxi. Jingyuan County Chronicles", it has become a border defense strategy that has been highly valued in history.
It is worth mentioning that the name of Haw Par Kou did not begin when the Red Army crossed the river, but only became known after the Red Army crossed the river.
Perhaps it was because many Red Army comrades at that time could not understand the local dialect and mistranslated the original "tiger gang cut" into the homophonic "tiger and leopard mouth".
This kind of naming, which was born out of mistake, has also become a part of history.
Before the Red Army could cross the river, it was necessary to have boats.
And the task of making ships fell to the 30th Army of the Red Army. At that time, the environment in Daluzi Baicigou was very suitable for shipbuilding, so the Red Army secretly began shipbuilding work using the local elm and willow trees.
When local residents learned that the Red Army needed ships, they sacrificed their trees, and even carpenters and blacksmiths took the initiative to participate in the shipbuilding process.
In Daluzi, a wartime "shipyard" was quickly established. The common people recalled that the Red Army's shipbuilding team worked day and night and built 16 ships in just eight days, including 7 large boats that could accommodate 100 people and 15 small boats that could accommodate more than 20 people.
The Red Army's river crossing at Haw Par Pass took place mainly before dusk and sunrise. The Yellow River's turbulent currents and bumpy boats make the whole process extremely dangerous.
Boatmen and sailors fought to ferry, while soldiers risked their lives to swim across the river.
On the evening of October 24, 1936, the 263rd Regiment of the Red Army successfully crossed the Yellow River, broke the blockade of the Kuomintang, and successfully landed.
The heroic struggle of the Red Army made this river witness an epic magnificence.
The geographical conditions of the Haw Par Mouth ferry provided great convenience for the Red Army to cross the river.
This action also became the prelude to the Red Army's westward crossing of the Yellow River, marking their journey to the Qilian Mountains. Soon after, the Red Army achieved victory at Hoeryong, forming a strategic posture across both sides of the Yellow River, laying the foundation for the subsequent struggle.
In the end, this once calm water became the starting point of the Red Army's bloody journey to the west of the river, leaving a tragic mark.
The imprint of this history is still quietly told in the mouth of the tiger and leopard.