Wufeng Academy

Wufeng Academy

Wufeng Academy is a Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit and a patriotic education base.

The Wufeng Academy Patriotic Education Base was established in 2004 as a Jinhua City-level patriotic education base that combines natural landscapes, cultural heritage sites (Wufeng Academy, China Academy Culture Exhibition Hall), and patriotic revolutionary education exhibits. The base is fully equipped with comprehensive facilities, rich display content, well-established systems, and effectively serves functions such as reception, service, and promotion.

Patriotic education cultural landmarks within the base include: First, the former site of the Zhejiang Provincial Government Office (Chonglou). In 1937, after the Japanese invasion of China and the successive fall of Shanghai and Hangzhou, the Zhejiang Provincial Government relocated to Fangyan, Yongkang on New Year’s Day 1938. Key departments such as the provincial government, the Secretariat, the Civil Affairs Department, and the Finance Department were stationed at Chonglou in Wufeng for office work, while other agencies rented local residences in Yanxia and Chenglu villages. As a temporary government site, most offices were quite simple. During this time, Governor Huang Shaohong had the Chonglou building painted in bluish-gray to symbolize remembrance of national humiliation. On May 20, 1942, when Japanese forces invaded Yongkang, the Zhejiang Provincial Government relocated to Songyang. The main government bodies operated in Fangyan for four and a half years, serving as the command center for Zhejiang’s military and civilian resistance against Japan during that period.

Second, the Zhou Enlai Fangyan Inspection Memorial Monument and the Unity-in-Resistance Tree. In April 1939, during the War of Resistance Against Japan, Zhou Enlai, then Deputy Director of the Political Department of the Nationalist Central Military Commission, met with Huang Shaohong, Governor of Zhejiang Province and a renowned anti-Japanese general. Accompanied by Governor Huang, Zhou inspected the war efforts and discussed strategies for unity between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party in resisting Japan. To commemorate this historic meeting and demonstrate their commitment to cooperation, Zhou and Huang planted two paulownia trees together at Wufeng in Fangyan, where the provincial government was temporarily based. These two paulownia trees, having withstood over 70 years of wind and rain, have grown tall and strong (over 30 meters high with trunks about 60 cm in diameter), lush and vibrant. The trees stand just 8 meters apart, flanking both sides of the walking path, like a pair of inseparable twins, symbolizing the success of the Chinese Communist Party’s united front policy. A stone tablet nearby identifies them as the trees planted by Zhou Enlai and Huang Shaohong.

Third, the Monument to Fallen Soldiers of the War of Resistance. During the period when the Zhejiang Provincial Government was stationed in Fangyan, on July 7, 1939 (the 28th year of the Republic of China), a monument to fallen soldiers was erected at the foot of Taohua Peak in Wufeng, Fangyan, amidst lush greenery, to honor those who died in battle and inspire the public to rally together against Japanese aggression. However, due to the historical context of the time, the monument was demolished in 1965. On the 60th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and the War of Resistance Against Japan in 2005, the monument was rebuilt on the original site to its original specifications. The new monument stands 9.18 meters tall, symbolizing remembrance of “September 18” and the national humiliation. The base of the monument is engraved with bas-reliefs depicting the heroic struggles of Zhejiang’s military and civilians during the war, creating a solemn and respectful atmosphere that attracts numerous visitors for commemoration.

During holidays every year, the site sees a continuous stream of visitors. Whether paying tribute to revolutionary martyrs at the Monument to Fallen Soldiers, witnessing the weight of history at Chonglou, or visiting the Unity-in-Resistance Tree that symbolizes KMT-CPC cooperation, visitors can feel the profound historical legacy and the patriotic spirit of Zhejiang’s military and civilians uniting against foreign aggression.

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units