Former Site of the Southern Zhejiang (Pingyang) Anti-Japanese Base

Former Site of the Southern Zhejiang (Pingyang) Anti-Japanese Base

The Former Site of the Southern Zhejiang (Pingyang) Anti-Japanese Base is a classic red tourism destination and a patriotic education base.

The Southern Zhejiang (Pingyang) Anti-Japanese Base in Wenzhou is situated in the southern part of Wenzhou, within the territory of the national key scenic area, Nan Yandang Mountain. In February 2005, it was listed by thirteen ministries including the National Development and Reform Commission, the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, and the National Tourism Administration among the national “30 Red Tourism Classic Routes” (Shanghai – Jiaxing – Pingyang Route) and the “100 Red Tourism Classic Sites.” The Shamen and Fengwo areas of Pingyang served as the center of this base, often referred to as the “Yan’an of Zhejiang.” It was a hub of activities for the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army Advance Detachment, the Provisional Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) for Fujian-Zhejiang Border Region, and the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee. It was one of the revolutionary bases in Southern Zhejiang established by comrades such as Zeng Shan, Liu Ying, and Su Yu.

The Southern Zhejiang (Pingyang) Anti-Japanese Base in Wenzhou was primarily established by the Advance Detachment of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, which was formed from the break-out forces of the Red Army's Long March Northern Expeditionary Force (i.e., the Red Seventh and Red Tenth Armies led by Xun Huazhou and Fang Zhimin). Under the leadership of comrades Liu Ying and Su Yu, the detachment entered southern Zhejiang in 1935, joined forces with Ye Fei of the Mindong Special Committee, and united with the underground CPC party and Red Army guerrilla forces in southern Zhejiang to establish this major anti-Japanese base. In January 1938, to train and cultivate a group of outstanding young anti-Japanese cadres, the Provisional Provincial Committee of the CPC for the Fujian-Zhejiang Border Region founded the Min-Zhe Border Anti-Japanese Salvation Cadre School at Chouxixiao Primary School (now Pingyang Shanmen Primary School)—the only school of its kind modeled after the Anti-Japanese Military and Political University among the 14 revolutionary bases in eight southern provinces at that time—appointing Su Yu as its principal. In March 1938, following instructions personally conveyed by Zeng Shan, Deputy Secretary and Head of Organization Department of the Southeast Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, who came to Pingyang to relay the Party Central Committee’s directives: Su Yu led the main force of over 500 troops from the Advance Detachment northward to the front lines in southern Anhui to fight the Japanese; Liu Ying and others continued their activities in the Southern Zhejiang (Pingyang) Anti-Japanese Base; the Provisional Provincial Committee of the CPC for the Fujian-Zhejiang Border Region was dissolved and replaced by the Provisional CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee. In September 1938, the Provisional CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee was officially transformed into a permanent provincial committee, with Liu Ying appointed as its secretary. In July 1939, the First Congress of the CPC Zhejiang Province was held in Guanjian and Matougang in Fengwo, Pingyang. This congress played a significant role in unifying and strengthening the CPC’s leadership in Zhejiang, consolidating the Party organization, and upholding unity in the resistance against Japan.

Pingyang is a county rich in revolutionary heritage, home to numerous historical sites related to the revolution. These blend seamlessly with the natural landscapes of Nan Yandang Mountain and Nanji Islands, forming a cluster of revolutionary holy sites centered around red tourism resources. This includes five major sections: relics of the Red Army’s revolutionary history, sites of the Fujian-Zhejiang Border Base, sites of the First Congress of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee, memorials for martyrs, and the site where the ashes of Marshal Su Yu were scattered. The main red tourism resources in the area include the Monument to the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army Advance Detachment; the site where some of Marshal Su Yu’s ashes were scattered; the former site of the Min-Zhe Border Anti-Japanese Salvation Cadre School; the former offices and residences of comrades Zeng Shan, Liu Ying, and Su Yu; the site of the First Congress of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee; and more than twenty other sites such as the Memorial Hall of Zheng Mingde, known as the “Liu Hulan of Southern Zhejiang.”