Former Site of the Barracks at Beidaying

Former Site of the Barracks at Beidaying

The Former Site of the Barracks at Beidaying is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Beidaying was the site where the initial clash between Chinese and Japanese forces broke out. Located in a settlement about three miles north of Fengtian (now Shenyang), it served as the garrison for the Northeast Army. At the time, there were approximately three battalions of Japanese troops stationed near Fengtian. In Manchuria, the total strength of our forces then was equivalent to two-thirds of a regular division.

There were also six battalions of the Railway Guard that were often stationed there. According to an investigation conducted at the end of July in 1930 (Showa 5), the Japanese population in Fengtian was over 26,000. As frankly admitted in the extra edition reports, even before the incident—in July 1930—the Japanese in Fengtian had conducted in-depth surveys of Beidaying. Although it was a military facility, due to its strategic importance, the Japanese Special Service Agency in Fengtian obtained military intelligence about Beidaying by all possible means, resorting to various unscrupulous methods. Some Japanese officers also visited the barracks under the pretext of “mutual visits” to secretly observe the actual conditions inside.

The existing ruins consist of three barrack buildings, which have been listed as immovable cultural relics in Shenyang. However, another important site is the former Beidaying Ammunition Depot. Originally owned by Shenyang Dongji Group, it is now managed by the Shenyang Land Reserve Center and has been idle for about three years. Before June 2014, it was well-preserved, but in July 2014, the site was severely damaged by human activity. As an important historical relic of the September 18th Incident, heritage conservation volunteers believe the government should step in to protect this significant site from further destruction. The former ammunition depot comprised more than ten brick-and-stone vaulted warehouses enclosed by earthen walls, all built with blue bricks, though some sections made of red bricks suggest modifications made during the puppet Manchukuo period.

On October 7, 2019, the Former Site of the Barracks at Beidaying was included in the eighth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Further Reading:

· Eighth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units