Former Site of the New Fourth Army Headquarters in Huanghuatang

Former Site of the New Fourth Army Headquarters in Huanghuatang

The former site of the New Fourth Army Headquarters in Huanghuatang is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction, a key cultural relics protection unit of China, a classic red tourism destination, and a patriotic education base.

The former site of the New Fourth Army Headquarters in Huanghuatang is located southeast of Xuyi County, Jiangsu Province. It is a key cultural relics protection unit and a patriotic education base in Jiangsu Province. During the ten-year struggle of the New Fourth Army, the army headquarters and the Central Committee’s Central China Bureau wrote a glorious two-year-and-eight-month chapter here. At the critical stage when the nationwide War of Resistance against Japan shifted from stalemate to ——, proletarian revolutionaries of the older generation such as ——, Chen Yi, Zhang Yunyi, Rao Shushi, Luo Binghui, Lai Chuanzhu, and Zeng Shan strategized here, commanding the anti-Japanese efforts in Central China until victory in the war. The army headquarters memorial consists of the original site, former residences, exhibition halls, and gardens. The museum houses a large number of historical photos and artifacts, with a unique layout, lifelike sculptures, and modern multimedia elements including sound, light, and electricity to showcase the arduous years of the Central China resistance and recreate the heroic image of the revolutionary predecessors. Currently, the exhibition rooms have collected dozens of artifacts and over 200 photos left by the New Fourth Army, truthfully reflecting the historical aspects of their combat, rectification, production, and daily life.

Huanghuatang was once just an obscure small village, but it wrote a brilliant chapter in the grand history of the Chinese revolution. From early January 1943 to the end of February 1945, during the critical phase when the nationwide War of Resistance against Japan shifted from the stalemate stage to ——, the New Fourth Army headquarters was relocated to Huanghuatang. Under extremely harsh conditions, the headquarters strategized and commanded the resistance, crushing the “mopping-up” and “pacification” campaigns of the Japanese puppet troops and the frictions and offensives of the —— diehards. They established eight anti-Japanese bases in the enemy’s rear across five provinces—Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhejiang, Hubei, and Henan—driving a sharp wedge into the heart of Japanese-occupied territory and making Central China the main battlefield of the resistance. Together with the Eighth Route Army, the New Fourth Army made tremendous contributions to the overall victory of the War of Resistance, at great sacrifice.

Memorial Square

Stepping into the spacious, bright, and grassy memorial square, visitors are greeted by a majestic monument resembling the shape of a “—— bayonet.” Beneath the silver-gray monument, the screen wall leading to the memorial hall is inlaid with eleven golden, flowing characters reading “Huanghuatang New Fourth Army Headquarters Memorial” inscribed by General Zhang Aiping, former —— Minister. Next to the plaque is a large blue “N4A” logo sign of the New Fourth Army.

The exhibition hall of the memorial is a building with a round front and a square back. In front of the main hall, the circular pavilion-style structure serves as the entrance corridor to the exhibition hall and also as the welcoming area. The ceiling is surrounded by 60 green bamboo poles, each 10 cm in diameter, symbolizing that the memorial, built on the 60th anniversary of the New Fourth Army headquarters in Huanghuatang, will carry forward fine traditions and forever retain its revolutionary vitality.

Memorial Hall Lobby

Facing visitors is a large rectangular red “screen” inscribed with five golden characters “The Iron New Fourth Army,” written by ——, Chairman of the Central Military Commission. Behind the screen stand two magnificent and lifelike bronze sculptures. One depicts Chen Yi, Rao Shushi, Zhang Yunyi, Lai Chuanzhu, and Zeng Shan strategizing in a thatched hut in Huanghuatang, commanding battles and determining victories from afar. The other shows New Fourth Army soldiers fighting fiercely in the smoke-filled battlefield, resisting the enemy with their blood. These two sculptures not only display strength and beauty but also serve as a microcosm of the leadership collective and the fighting force of the New Fourth Army during the Huanghuatang period, reflecting their indomitable and heroic spirit in China’s revolution and the war for national liberation.

The New Fourth Army Headquarters Exhibition Hall has four exhibit areas that showcase the history of the formation and development of the New Fourth Army, with a special focus on the military, political, economic, and cultural aspects during the time the headquarters was stationed in Huanghuatang. This offers visitors insight into the living history of this red “Iron Army,” a heroic and tragic history of the War of Resistance, and a history of national liberation.

On October 7, 2019, the former site of the New Fourth Army Headquarters in Huanghuatang was included in the eighth batch of key cultural relics protection units of China.

Transportation: Take a minibus from Xuyi Bus Station to Huanghuatang

Huanghuatang Village: Huanghuatang Village is located 3 kilometers southwest of Huanghuatang Town. … Huanghuatang Village detailed information++

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Eighth Batch of Key Cultural Relics Protection Units of China