The Eighth Route Army and New Fourth Army Offices in Shanghai

The Eighth Route Army and New Fourth Army Offices in Shanghai

The Eighth Route Army and New Fourth Army Offices in Shanghai are a Shanghai Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Unit and a classic red tourism site.

No. 21, Lane 504, Middle Yan’an Road (formerly Dufu Li, Foch Road), from August to November 1937, was the site of the Eighth Route Army Office in Shanghai. This is an old-style Shikumen building with two floors facing south, where the east side room on the ground floor served as a meeting room, the east side room on the second floor as a bedroom, and the rear building as dormitories for radio operators and code clerks. A telephone was mounted on the wall at the stairway corner. Around 1960, the historical site was confirmed through recollections and site investigations by Meng Jin, Liu Shaowen, Zhang Jien, and Li Kenong, as well as interviews with nearby residents. On September 7, 1962, the site was designated as a Shanghai Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Unit by the Shanghai Municipal People's Government. It is now a residential property.

Deepen work in uniting patriotic figures from all sectors

After the outbreak of the full-scale War of Resistance in July 1937, a united front against Japan was formed between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party. According to their agreement, the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army was reorganized into the Eighth Route Army of the National Revolutionary Army. In August, the Eighth Route Army Office in Shanghai (abbreviated as “the Eighth Office”) was established, with leaders including Li Kenong and Pan Hannian, under the direct leadership of Zhou Enlai. In November, after the fall of Shanghai, the office relocated to No. 274, Sabosai Road (now Danshui Road), going underground and led by Liu Shaowen until its disbandment at the end of 1939. As a public activity organization established by the Chinese Communist Party in Shanghai, the Eighth Office significantly promoted the development and strengthening of the Anti-Japanese National United Front.

The Eighth Office maintained close ties with notable figures such as Soong Ching-ling, Shen Junru, Zou Taofen, and Guo Moruo. After the fall of Shanghai, it arranged for the evacuation of these prominent individuals. It also engaged extensively with other patriotic and progressive figures from various social sectors and leaders of anti-Japanese salvation organizations. Through Sunday dinner gatherings, it informed business and industrial elites and other upper-class groups about the policies of the Communist Party and the achievements of the Eighth and New Fourth Armies, enhancing mutual understanding and establishing Shanghai as a crucial hub for national anti-Japanese salvation efforts.

Actively promote the anti-Japanese situation and organize various support activities

The Eighth Office placed great emphasis on propaganda work. It published periodicals such as “Interior Communications,” “National Public Discourse,” and “Documents” to publicize the anti-Japanese situation and encourage people from all walks of life to join the resistance. It also persuaded the Kuomintang to jointly fund the establishment of the “Salvation Daily,” published under the name of the Shanghai Cultural Salvation Association, recommending Guo Moruo to serve as its editor-in-chief, which played a significant role during the war. Additionally, it assisted the Jiangsu Provincial Committee of the Chinese Communist Party in publishing “Translation News” (later renamed “Daily Translation News”), which became a clarion call for the anti-Japanese struggle.

The Eighth Office also actively dispatched cadres, raised funds and materials, and organized various activities to support the anti-Japanese resistance. It sent He Kexi to work with the Meishi Di unit in Jiangyin, which later developed into the Jiangnan Anti-Japanese Volunteer Army. In October 1937, it wrote to the Shanghai Anti-Enemy Relief Association requesting gas masks, and the association agreed to provide 1,000 gas masks imported from the Netherlands. In the second half of 1938, campaigns such as “Save to Donate,” “Appeal for Winter Clothing,” and “Save to Rescue” were carried out under the name of the Salvation Associations. In 1939, charity sales and performances were organized to provide financial and material support to the New Fourth Army.

Excel in intelligence work and carry out rescue and negotiation efforts

From public to covert operations, the radio station established by the Eighth Office maintained constant aerial communication with the Central Committee of the Communist Party in Yan’an. It promptly reported the situation of the struggle in Shanghai to the Central Committee, providing reliable information for decision-making, while also receiving important directives from the Central Committee regarding work in Shanghai. This played a major role in the operations in Shanghai and the entire occupied areas. The Eighth Office also carried out extensive efforts in rescuing arrested comrades and conducted numerous negotiations with the Kuomintang regarding the release of political prisoners. Many Communist cadres, upon their release from prison, would report to the Eighth Office as their first action, and through arrangements, they returned to revolutionary work.

The former site of the Eighth Route Army Office in Shanghai at No. 21, Dufu Li, was rented by Li Kenong when he came to Shanghai in March of the 26th year of the Republic of China (1937). At that time, the Red Army Office in Shanghai was secretly established here and was publicly referred to as “Li’s Residence.” Before and after the Red Army was reorganized into the Eighth Route Army, the Central Committee of the Communist Party decided that Li Kenong, Pan Hannian, and Liu Shaowen would prepare for the establishment of the Eighth Route Army Office in Shanghai based on the original Red Army Office and the CCP Shanghai Office. After the August 13th Incident, Li Kenong went to Nanjing to establish the Eighth Route Army Office. No. 21, Dufu Li, then became the official and public site of the Eighth Route Army Office in Shanghai. The ground floor served as a meeting room; the upper floor initially housed the bedroom of Li Kenong and his wife Zhao Rui, and later Liu Shaowen’s bedroom; the rear building was the dormitory of radio and code operator Zhu Zhiliang. All rooms were furnished to resemble a family residence.

Around 1960, the historical site was confirmed through recollections and site investigations by Meng Jin, Liu Shaowen, Zhang Jien, and Li Kenong, as well as interviews with nearby residents. The site is currently used as a residence, and the building remains in good condition.

Designated as a Shanghai Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Unit on September 7, 1962.