Former Site of the New Fourth Army Southern Jiangsu Command Headquarters

Former Site of the New Fourth Army Southern Jiangsu Command Headquarters

The Former Site of the New Fourth Army Southern Jiangsu Command Headquarters is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction, a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level, a Classic Red Tourism Destination, and a Patriotic Education Base.

The Memorial Hall of the New Fourth Army Southern Jiangsu Command Headquarters is located at the former site of the command. Situated in Shuixi Village, Qianma Town, Liyang City, this historical site lies 2 kilometers west of the Nanjing–Hangzhou Expressway and 20 kilometers south of downtown Liyang. It holds significant importance in both Chinese revolutionary and military history.

The command headquarters of the New Fourth Army’s Southern Jiangsu forces. In August 1939, Zhang Dingcheng, commander of the New Fourth Army’s 2nd Column, had already gone to Yan’an. The New Fourth Army High Command decided that the 1st and 2nd Columns would be unified under the command of Chen Yi, and established the New Fourth Army Southern Jiangsu Command as a new organizational structure to lead the two columns. On November 7, the Southern Jiangsu Command was publicly inaugurated in Shuixi Village, Liyang, with Chen Yi as commander, Su Yu as deputy commander, Luo Zhongyi as chief of staff, Liu Yan as political director, and Zhong Qiguang as deputy political director. The command oversaw the 2nd Regiment, New 6th Regiment, 4th Regiment, Advance Column, and local armed forces, totaling over 14,000 personnel. On November 14, the headquarters and 2nd Battalion of the 4th Regiment formed the Su-Wan Detachment, which crossed the Yangtze River northward. In February 1940, they merged with the 3rd Regiment of the Advance Column, which had crossed earlier, retaining the name Su-Wan Detachment. In May, the Southern Jiangsu Command re-established the 3rd and 4th Regiments. In July 1940, the Southern Jiangsu Command led the 2nd Regiment and New 6th Regiment across the Yangtze River into Northern Jiangsu, where it was renamed the New Fourth Army Northern Jiangsu Command. The 2nd Column, under the leadership of Commander Luo Zhongyi and Deputy Commander Liao Haitao, remained in the Maoshan region to continue the anti-Japanese struggle, still operating under the name Southern Jiangsu Command externally. It commanded the New 3rd Regiment, New 4th Regiment, and local armed forces from various counties, totaling around 3,000 personnel, and later formed the Independent 1st and 2nd Regiments. After the Southern Anhui Incident in January 1941, the 2nd Column was reorganized as the 16th Brigade of the New Fourth Army’s 6th Division.

In November 1939, the New Fourth Army Southern Jiangsu Command was established in Shuixi Village. The proletarian revolutionaries Chen Yi and Su Yu earnestly implemented the Party Central Committee’s strategic guideline of “consolidating southward, fighting eastward, and developing northward.” They strategized and fought battles that covered vast distances, establishing the Maoshan Anti-Japanese Base Area. The soldiers of the New Fourth Army and the local people shared a profound bond, enduring hardships together. Every tree and blade of grass in Shuixi Village witnessed the flames of battle against the Japanese invaders, and locals still fondly recount the romantic revolutionary love story of Chen Yi and Zhang Qian. In April 1982, the Jiangsu Provincial People’s Government designated the former site as a provincial cultural relics protection unit. In October of the same year, General Su Yu inscribed a dedication for the “Former Site of the New Fourth Army Southern Jiangsu Command Headquarters.” In November 1984, the restoration of the former site was completed and it was officially opened to the public. Part of General Su Yu’s ashes were interred here.

In the summer of 1938, the 1st and 2nd Columns of the New Fourth Army advanced into the enemy’s rear in Southern Jiangsu, launching guerrilla warfare against the Japanese. The following November, the New Fourth Army Southern Jiangsu Command was established in Shuixi Village to unify the command of the 1st and 2nd Columns and local anti-Japanese forces, consolidating and developing the Southern Jiangsu Anti-Japanese Base Area.

The former site of the New Fourth Army Southern Jiangsu Command Headquarters was originally the Li Family Ancestral Hall, built during the Ming Dynasty. The entire ancestral hall has three courtyards and four wing rooms, with carved windows along the corridors, painted beams, and upturned eaves. After restoration, it regained its historical appearance. Five other historical sites, including the Political Department’s battlefield service troupe, are all brick-and-wood residential buildings. The site covers an area of 6,000 square meters, with a construction area of 2,645 square meters.

In the memorial hall’s main hall stands a bronze statue of Chen Yi, commander of the Southern Jiangsu Command, and Su Yu, his deputy. On a purple curtain is inlaid an inscription by Li Yimang, former secretary-general of the New Fourth Army and member of the Central Advisory Commission: “Mighty in Southern Jiangsu, Glorious for the Nation.” The exhibition hall displays photos, artifacts, charts, electronic models, and other exhibits that depict the combat journey of the New Fourth Army’s Southern Jiangsu forces under the leadership of Chen Yi, Zhang Dingcheng, and Su Yu as they ventured deep into the enemy’s rear in Southern Jiangsu and established and developed the Maoshan-centered Anti-Japanese Base Area. On either side of the hall are preserved the offices and bedrooms of Chen Yi and Su Yu. After Su Yu’s passing, his wife and children scattered some of his ashes in the courtyard of the hall, in accordance with his wishes.

On the left side of the memorial hall is the Generals’ Pavilion, which showcases the life stories of 76 New Fourth Army generals who were awarded the rank of major general or higher after the founding of the People’s Republic of China. The first floor displays the life achievements of Marshal Chen Yi and General Su Yu, along with over 80 precious photos from various historical periods, reflecting their glorious and heroic lives. The second floor introduces the lives of four generals, eight lieutenant generals, and 62 major generals, with exhibits including telescopes, briefcases, and other items used by the generals, as well as war trophies and medals.

Exiting the “Generals’ Pavilion,” passing the hexagonal pavilion, and descending the steps leads to the “Stele Corridor.” Built beside a pond, it features black tiles and upturned eaves, small yet exquisite, with an elegant and classic style. The corridor walls are inlaid with inscriptions and calligraphy works by 52 veterans of the New Fourth Army.

In May 2013, the State Council (State Council Document [2013] No. 13) announced the Former Site of the New Fourth Army Southern Jiangsu Command Headquarters as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level.

Shuixi Village: Shuixi Village houses the Memorial Hall of the New Fourth Army Southern Jiangsu Command Headquarters. … More details about Shuixi Village++

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Third Batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· China National Third-Class Museum

· Seventh Batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level