Memorial Hall of the Taihu Guerrilla Unit of the New Fourth Army

Memorial Hall of the Taihu Guerrilla Unit of the New Fourth Army

The Memorial Hall of the Taihu Guerrilla Unit of the New Fourth Army is a classic site for red tourism.

The Memorial Hall of the Taihu Guerrilla Unit of the New Fourth Army is located on Beishan Mountain in Chongshan, Guanwu Town, Wuzhong District, Suzhou. The memorial hall was opened in September 2009, with the main building covering an area of 1,700 square meters. The name of the hall was inscribed by General Zhou Keyu, President of the National New Fourth Army Research Association. Chongshan was originally a small island in the western part of Taihu Lake near Guanwu Town, with an area of less than 3 square kilometers. It was home to about a hundred farming and fishing households, situated in a remote location surrounded by dense reeds, and served as one of the main bases for the Taihu guerrilla unit.

The memorial hall is located on the first floor of the octagonal memorial tower — Taihu Pavilion. It is divided into four sections: the initial establishment of the Taihu Detachment, the re-establishment of the Taihu Detachment, the expansion of the Taihu Detachment, and the roll of honor of martyrs. It also displays daily necessities, weapons, and letters used by the guerrilla fighters, supplemented by scenes such as the Taihu reed marshes and liaison stations, showcasing the combat history and heroic spirit of the Taihu guerrilla unit. The memorial hall is now a Suzhou Patriotic Education Base.

Wuzhong District has a proud revolutionary tradition, and the western Taihu region along Suzhou was an important guerrilla area for the New Fourth Army's Taihu Guerrilla Unit during the War of Resistance against Japan. Guanwu Town, adjacent to Taihu Lake, features numerous mountains, dense forests, crisscrossing rivers and lakes, winding shorelines, lush reeds, and many islands — all providing favorable conditions for guerrilla warfare. The Taihu guerrilla unit closely relied on the local people, coordinated with the main forces, and fought arduously. They operated south of the Suzhou-Wuxi section of the Beijing-Shanghai Railway, moved through the vast expanse of Taihu Lake, and long persisted in carrying out anti-Japanese guerrilla warfare in western Suzhou and southern Wuxi. They shattered frequent “pacification” and “mopping-up” operations by Japanese puppet and die-hard troops, struck against the enemy’s arrogance, and defended the people of western Suzhou and southern Wuxi until the complete victory of the War of Resistance against Japan.

In 1944, the New Fourth Army's Taihu Guerrilla Unit was besieged by the Japanese on Chongshan, a small island in Guanwu Town. Thanks to the full assistance of the local people, they managed to escape safely after 20 days — this is the famous “Siege of Chongshan.” In October 1945, after being ordered to move north, they were incorporated into the 6th Column of the Central China Military Region Main Force and participated in the Liberation War, contributing to national independence and liberation.

Scenic Area Address: Beishan, Chongshan, Guanwu Town, Wuzhong District, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province

Transportation: Take bus No. 651 within Suzhou City and get off at the Memorial Hall of the Taihu Guerrilla Unit of the New Fourth Army stop.