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On August 29, 1949, after the 144th Division of the 48th Army of the Fourth Field Army of the Chinese People's Liberation Army liberated Ningdu, it was ordered to encircle and annihilate the enemy at Cuiwei Peak northwest of Ningdu. Cuiwei Peak is located 5 kilometers northwest of Ningdu City. It is easy to defend but difficult to attack. About 2,000 Kuomintang armed forces were entrenched here, attempting to resist stubbornly.

Cuiwei Peak

On August 30, our army launched an attack on the enemy on Cuiwei Peak. After more than 20 days of hard fighting, by September 23, this group of enemy troops was finally wiped out. In this battle, more than 1,960 enemies were killed. This battle was praised by the Central China Military Region as an example of a tough battle in the fight against bandits.

After the founding of New China, literary and art workers made a movie called "Cuigang Red Flag" based on the battle of our army to capture Cuiwei Peak. This was the first film shot after the founding of the People's Republic of China that reflected our army's anti-bandit operations, and it introduced the situation of the 48th Army's anti-bandit operations in southern Jiangxi to the people of the whole country.

"Red Flag on Cuigang" tells such a story:

In the Jiangxi Soviet Area in 1934, Jiang Mengzi bid farewell to his newlywed wife Xiang Wuer and followed the main force of the Red Army on the Long March. After the Red Army left, Xiao Zhenkui, the head of the "Anti-Communist Group", took the opportunity to return to the countryside and launched a white terror. Jiang Mengzi's father, the chairman of the township Soviet Jiang Chunwang, and his sister were killed at the same time. Xiang Wuer, who was pregnant, gave birth to a son, Xiaohong, on the way to escape. After that, Xiang Wuer was forced to work as a wet nurse in the home of the local tyrant Feng Zhigu to make a living.

Red Flag on Cuigang

In the summer of 1949, the People's Liberation Army entered Jiangxi. Xiang Wuer and his mother and some people were taken hostage by Xiao Zhenkui to Cuigang Mountain. Jiang Mengzi, who had become the division commander of the People's Liberation Army, led his troops to the foot of the mountain to suppress bandits. Xiao Hong, who had grown up, found the army and asked to join the army. He recognized Jiang Mengzi and his son and volunteered to lead the troops to the mountain. In the end, our army wiped out the enemy and Xiang Wuer's family was reunited. On the lush Cuigang Mountain, bright red flags fluttered in the wind.

After its release in 1951, "The Red Flag at Cuigang" received many praises, but also attracted some sharp criticism. Critics believed that the film did not show the "struggle of the people in the old Soviet area" after the Red Army left, and that Xiang Wu'er also lacked "typicality". She was a "female image waiting for victory" rather than a "hero with a combative character."

The controversy over "Red Flags on Cuigang" soon attracted the attention of Zhou Enlai. After watching the film, he was very moved and specifically pointed out that Xiang Wuer remained strong and unyielding under such severe white terror, waiting for the return of the Red Army. How could this not be a heroic image? Later, Zhou Enlai also said to the film's lead actress Yu Lan: "Chairman Mao and I watched it three times together. The Chairman praised it very much and told the cadres not to forget the people of the old Soviet area."

Zhou Enlai

After Zhou Enlai issued instructions, the controversy over "Red Flag Over the Green Hill" finally subsided. In 1951, "Red Flag Over the Green Hill" won the Photography Award at the 6th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. This was also the first time that a Chinese film was praised by the world film community.

In 1953, a Chinese film delegation took "The Red Flag Over the Cuigang" to an Eastern European country to participate in an international film festival. After watching "The Red Flag Over the Cuigang", judges from various countries felt that the film was rich in content and elegant in style. They unanimously nominated "The Red Flag Over the Cuigang" to win the grand prize of this film festival.

But surprisingly, the leaders of the Chinese delegation resolutely refused to accept the award. They also explained in detail to the organizing committee why "Red Flag on the Green Hill" was not worthy of the grand prize. The organizing committee was very surprised by the Chinese delegation's behavior, because no delegation from any country would actively refuse to accept an award. In the end, "Red Flag on the Green Hill" regrettably missed the grand prize.

Stills from "Red Flag on Cuigang"

After Zhou Enlai learned about this, he got angry, which was unusual. He severely criticized the leaders of the film department at that time, saying: "This is a kind of national inferiority complex! This is totally unlike the representatives of the liberated people of New China!"

Screenwriter Yue Ye, who attended the meeting at the time, later recalled:

As far as I can remember, I only saw him really angry once. I seemed to hear the raging waves rolling in his heart, which had always been able to support a boat, and his lively and amiable face became extremely stern.

After Zhou Enlai lost his temper, he immediately calmed down and apologized to everyone, saying, "Please forgive me for losing my temper. I am also a human being. I also have human feelings and desires!"

Zhou Enlai then analyzed the merits of "Red Flag on Cuigang" with everyone. He said: "The authenticity of this film is irrefutable, and its achievements are huge. Of course, objectively and calmly analyzing it, it may have some shortcomings in art, but are all the award-winning works at previous international film festivals so perfect?"

Stills from "Red Flag on Cuigang"

Everyone was convinced after hearing this, but unfortunately, "The Red Flag on Cuigang" will never be able to make up for what history has owed it.