Laoling Tunnel Battle Site

Laoling Tunnel Battle Site

The Laoling Tunnel Battle Site is a classic red tourism attraction.

The Laoling Tunnel Battle Site is located 2.5 kilometers south of Laoling Village in Shihu Town, Tonghua County, and 13 kilometers from Gongyi Village, where the town government is situated. The Tongyu-Jian Railway’s Laoling Tunnel and its crossing, which were once raided by the First Route Army of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army, are still in use today as part of an important railway transportation line. Additionally, remnants of the watchtowers that the Japanese puppet regime used to guard the Laoling Tunnel during that period are preserved here.

In early 1938, the First Route Army of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army returned from Liaoning to the territory of Ji’an. Joining forces with a detachment of the Second Division of the First Route Army that was continuing the fight in the region, they targeted the Tonghua–Ji’an Railway under construction by the Japanese puppet authorities, launching a sabotage operation that lasted more than three months, dealing a significant blow to the enemy. On the afternoon of March 13 of the same year at 3 PM, Yang Jingyu led over 500 troops from the direct units of the First Route Army to secretly arrive at the 11th Gully in Shihu, launching a surprise attack on the ongoing tunnel construction site. One unit of the Anti-Japanese United Army quickly surrounded the logging site, rescuing the lumberjacks. Some soldiers disguised themselves as workers, blended into the labor force, and successfully entered the work zone, swiftly taking out the Japanese sentries and storming the heavily guarded office of the East Asia Civil Engineering Company, where they shot and killed the tunnel site supervisors Yamada Yasumatsu and Eida Toshichiro, along with Japanese guards who put up resistance. Meanwhile, another unit attacked the power plant at the 11th Gully tunnel construction site, destroying the enemy's power generation equipment. A third unit raided the supply warehouse at the 12th Gully. Japanese patrol squad members such as Urushiba Chiyomatsu and Inui Asamatsu were killed, while the remaining puppet troops fled in panic. Subsequently, some soldiers, guided by laborers, planted explosives at the construction site, blowing up all the tunnels, warehouses, and offices built by the Japanese. This battle resulted in the deaths of seven Japanese and puppet troops, the capture of five, and the rescue of over 500 laborers. Twelve buildings, three vehicles, and a large amount of construction materials were destroyed. The Japanese reported losses exceeding 200,000 yen. On the way back from the Laoling Tunnel work zone, the Anti-Japanese United Army encountered over 120 pursuing Japanese troops from the Kakuda Unit and another battalion. After fierce fighting in areas such as the 17th Gully southwest of the Laoling Tunnel project, they successfully returned to their base in the Jidong Chacha area.

Formed in March 1938 and put into use in May 1983. The site has been well preserved and utilized, but there is no commemorative marker. (Provided by the Party School of the Tonghua County Committee of the CPC)

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