Chairman Mao in the 1960s revisiting the Jinggang Mountains, the scene of his early success. Colour lithograph, 1977, after Quan Shanshi and Luo Gongliu.

The painting shows Chairman Mao visiting the Jinggang Mountains. The Jinggang Mountains (Jinggangshan), in Jiangxi Province, are in the middle of the Luoxiao Mountains, the mountainous region between Jiangxi and Hunan Provinces. Jinggangshan is regarded as the birthplace of the Red Army and of China's revolution. Jinggangshan was the first rural base with the a large mass of revolutionary population. In 1927, Mao Zedong brought the troops from the Autumn Harvest Uprising (Qiu shou qi yi) and advanced towards Jinggang Mountains for a foothold. In 1928, troops from the Nanchang Uprising (Nanchang qi yi) led by Zhu De joined forces with Mao Zedong at Jinggangshan. "A single spark can set the prairie ablaze" ("Xing xing zhi huo ke yi liao yuan"). Jinggangshan was the "single spark" that eventually spread revolutionary flames all over China. The Communist Party there had devised a successful revolutionary tactic: "Use the country to besiege the city, use arms to seize power" ("Nong cun bao wei cheng shi, wu zhuang duo qu zheng quan"). When Chairman Mao visits Jinggang Mountains this time, it is now a peaceful and pleasant place. As shown in the painting, the Chairman is delightedly chatting with local farmers, soldiers and young pioneers about the past, the changes and their present lives. He is portrayed as taking a keen interest in the conditions of the people in the old revolutionary area. The Jinggang Mountains subsequently became a place of pilgrimage for Red Guards and people interested in the history of the revolution