Xin'an Brigade Revolutionary History Exhibition Hall

Xin'an Brigade Revolutionary History Exhibition Hall

The Xin'an Brigade Revolutionary History Exhibition Hall is a classic red tourism destination and a patriotic education base.

In Xianxi Street, Chuzhou District, the historic and cultural city of Huai'an, there lies Xin'an Primary School—the cradle of the world-renowned "Xin'an Brigade." The grand and solemn building of the "Xin'an Brigade Revolutionary History Exhibition Hall" stands within the school campus. It vividly recounts the glorious history of the Xin'an Brigade to all who come to visit and learn.

The Xin'an Brigade was a children's (art and education) group led by the Chinese Communist Party. On October 10, 1935, it was founded at Xin'an Primary School in Hexia Town, Huai'an. At that time, fourteen members, under the guidance of their advisor (the school principal) Wang Dazhi and following the teachings of the people’s educator Tao Xingzhi, as well as the last will of Dr. Sun Yat-sen—"arouse the people and fight the national crisis"—and the CCP’s call to resist Japan and save the nation, "shouldered the fate of the nation." They bid farewell to their hometown, the birthplace of national hero Guan Tianpei, and chose the path of uniting with workers and peasants. Traveling across the country, they educated and advocated for the resistance against Japan. They journeyed from the shores of the Yellow Sea in the east to Hong Kong and Macau in the south, as far west as Lanzhou, and as far north as Bairin Temple in Inner Mongolia—covering over 50,000 li. "A total of six to seven hundred members joined the brigade at various times," leaving shining footprints in twenty provinces and cities across the nation. "Small in stature but great in spirit, they traveled the world for patriotism." This revolutionary children’s group, born in the flames of the anti-Japanese war, grew on the path of battle, and advanced under the banner of the Party, endured the trials of blood and fire. They integrated their destiny with that of the nation, fully "leveraging the characteristics and strengths of children," and united young people everywhere under the anti-Japanese banner with the "three spirits of saving the nation, revolution, and creation." They "strived for life education and fought for the survival of the nation." This was a great pioneering effort in the history of youth movements in China. In areas deep within Kuomintang-controlled territory such as Wuhan and Guilin, they used art as a weapon to unite and educate the people, strike and eliminate the enemy, and rally tirelessly for the sacred cause of resisting Japan and saving the nation. They helped establish over 150 anti-Japanese children's groups and were hailed as the "trumpeters of the Chinese nation." In the anti-Japanese democratic bases such as Yancheng and Huaihai, they vigorously promoted the children’s movement, striving unceasingly for the victory of a democratic China. They organized 180,000 children in northern Jiangsu under the banners of children’s corps and the Young Pioneers, creating a new chapter in China’s children’s movement and making significant contributions to the youth movement in northern Jiangsu.

In 1945, they participated in the battles to liberate Huaiyin and Huai'an, celebrating the great victory of the Anti-Japanese War together with their fellow townspeople. Later, they continued to follow the army across the country and welcomed the birth of New China amid the "drums of victory," making immortal contributions to the liberation of the Chinese people.

After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Xin'an Primary School—the alma mater of the Xin'an Brigade—relocated from Hexia Town to downtown Huai'an. To ensure the revolutionary spirit of the Xin'an Brigade would be passed down through generations, the Huai'an local government built the "Xin'an Brigade Revolutionary History Exhibition Hall" at the school. On May 1979, Soong Ching Ling, Honorary Chairwoman of the People’s Republic of China, personally inscribed a glowing message for the museum: "The Xin'an Brigade once traveled across the nation, educating and organizing the public and children, making significant contributions to the Anti-Japanese War and the struggle for a democratic China. Its revolutionary spirit is displayed through historical exhibitions. May the youth learn from this spirit and pass it on through generations."

The hall displays Mao Zedong’s personal letter to the brigade, documentary materials on Zhou Enlai guiding the brigade’s growth in battle, historical photos of Liu Shaoqi and Zhu De meeting with the brigade, records of conversations between Dong Biwu, Xu Teli, and the brigade, inscriptions for the brigade by Soong Ching Ling, Xie Juezai, Chen Yi, Tan Zhenlin, Su Yu, Zhang Aiping, Huang Kecheng, Li Yimang, and other revolutionary relics. These include the brigade’s original propaganda equipment, combat weapons, teaching materials, and daily necessities. Together, they vividly and concretely showcase two great miracles in the history of modern Chinese education and the children’s movement.

The "Xin'an Brigade Revolutionary History Exhibition Hall" has been open to the public for over ten years and has received more than 250,000 visitors from China and abroad, earning admiration and praise from people of all walks of life.