Former Site of the New Fourth Army Headquarters in Tingchigang

Former Site of the New Fourth Army Headquarters in Tingchigang

The Former Site of the New Fourth Army Headquarters in Tingchigang is a Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit and a classic red tourism destination.

Situated in Tingchigang Village, Chenji Town, Funing County, this site witnessed the battle and life of veteran proletarian revolutionaries such as Chen Yi, Huang Kecheng, Zeng Shan, Zhang Aiping, and Hong Xuezhi, as well as renowned cultural figures like Zou Taofen, Fan Changjiang, He Luting, A Ying, Xue Muxiao, and Sun Yefang. It was once the command center for politics, military, culture, and economy across six central China provinces and cities. Now, it is a key cultural relics protection unit in Jiangsu Province, as well as a moral education and patriotic education base for party members, cadres, and primary and secondary school students in Yancheng City. In addition to its prominent red branding, the site also features a natural lake covering approximately 200 acres, with winding shores and lush reeds—making it an excellent resource for developing military experience programs and breaking the monotonous pattern of red tourism.

On September 5, 1941, the New Fourth Army Headquarters moved to Tingchigang and remained there until December 26, 1942, when it evacuated to avoid the second “major mopping-up” operation launched by Japanese puppet troops in the Yancheng–Funing area and relocated to Huanghuatang in Huainan. At that time, Acting Army Commander Chen Yi and Chief of Staff Lai Chuanzhu were often stationed in Tingchigang. On October 27, 1942, during the first Yancheng–Funing District People’s Congress, Chen Yi, together with Huang Yuan, Fan Changjiang, A Ying, and Peng Kang, proposed the establishment of the “Huhai Art and Literature Society.” On November 1 of the same year, the Huhai Art and Literature Society was officially founded in Tingchigang. The core of the memorial hall is a traditional Chinese courtyard, mainly consisting of 16 exhibition rooms for texts and images, as well as a watchtower, with the exhibition divided into seven sections.

Further Reading:

· Eighth Batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units