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Hong Xiuquan (1814-1864), the leader of the uprising, was born in a farmer's family in Huaxian County in Guangdong Province. He developed and solidified the organization called Baishangdi (to worship the God) Society. They carried out a variety of activities against the imperialism and feudalism in the form of religion. On January 11, 1851, the thirtieth birthday of Hong Xiuquan, the society gathered at Jintian Village. Hong Xiuquan announced the commencement of the armed uprising there. He named his kingdom as the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. The revolutionary movement of the farmers started in a grand scale.

The uprising army established the leading organization at the home of Wei Changhui, an important leader in the early days of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. At Wei Changhui's home, they also made the iron weapons secretly. The headquarters of the uprising army was established at the Xiniuling Campsite to the west of Jintian Village. In front of the campsite was the drill ground, and on the north of it was Xiniutan Pond, where the weapons were hidden. The command post of Taiping Army was located at the Sanjie Temple at Xinyu, 4 kilometers to the south of Jintian Village, where Hong Xiuquan commanded the War of Breakout at Xinyu. The historical data of the uprising is displayed in the temple.