In early summer, with a gentle breeze sweeping across the countryside, the stage lights suddenly illuminated the square in front of Wenchang Pavilion at the Red Zhucun Tourist Area in Linshu County, Shandong Province. Against a backdrop depicting swirling snow and wartime hardship, the “Old Village Chief” trembled as he raised a bowl of dumplings and said through tears, “The people of Zhucun must always remember: without the Communist Party, there would be no Zhucun; without the Eighth Route Army, there would be no people of Zhucun!”
As thunderous drums echoed through the venue, the actors on stage knelt and shouted in unison, “The first bowl of dumplings every year is offered to honor the martyrs and commemorate their loyal souls!”
This deeply moving scene comes from The First Bowl of Dumplings, a stage play written and performed by Zhucun villagers themselves. The bowl of dumplings on stage serves as a bridge through time, transporting the audience back to a New Year’s Eve amid the flames of war.
On January 24, 1944, Lunar New Year’s Eve, more than 500 Japanese troops and puppet soldiers launched a surprise attack on Zhucun in a retaliatory “mopping-up” operation. The sudden gunfire awakened the villagers and alerted the Eighth Company of the Fourth Regiment of the Binhai Military District of the Eighth Route Army, stationed on the eastern bank of the Shu River.
Without hesitation, Company Commander Yan Sijia ordered his soldiers to cover the evacuation of villagers while personally leading troops into battle. After more than six hours of fierce fighting, the enemy was repelled and Zhucun was saved. However, 24 young soldiers of the Eighth Company sacrificed their lives.
On the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, grief-stricken villagers gathered in the woodland where the battle had just ended and spontaneously brought out the first bowl of dumplings from their homes to honor the fallen soldiers. Since then, the tradition of “offering the first bowl of dumplings to the martyrs” has become an unshakable New Year custom in Zhucun, carried on without interruption for 83 years.
“When drinking water, never forget those who dug the well. The people of Zhucun must never forget the Eighth Route Army.” Wang Feng, a villager who portrays the “Old Village Chief” in the play, recalls hearing these words repeatedly from his grandmother during childhood.
To preserve this red legacy, the villagers brought their history to the stage. To date, The First Bowl of Dumplings has been performed more than 400 times.
The village has also established a comprehensive cultural and educational complex featuring the Zhucun Anti-Japanese Battle Memorial Hall, the Yimeng Frontline Support Museum, the Shu River Management Museum, and other facilities known collectively as the “Five Halls, Four Zones, and Three Bases.” Visitors can immerse themselves in interactive educational programs, push wartime supply wheelbarrows, grind tofu by hand, and experience the Yimeng Spirit characterized by unity between the Party and the people, deep bonds between the military and civilians, mutual support, and shared sacrifice.
The development of shops, homestays, and performance-related jobs within the tourist area has also enabled more villagers to benefit from cultural tourism. “Since the scenic area began operating, it has created more than 150 jobs and increased villagers’ annual income by an average of 3,500 yuan per person,” said Wang Jiqin, Secretary of the Zhucun Party Branch. Today, the Zhucun Scenic Area welcomes approximately 800,000 visitors each year.
As night deepens, performances continue in front of Wenchang Pavilion. On stage, the steaming bowl of dumplings symbolizes eternal gratitude. Off stage, the people of Zhucun are enjoying increasingly prosperous lives. The heartfelt vow carried forward for 83 years continues to inspire a new and moving chapter in Zhucun’s journey toward comprehensive rural revitalization.
