Former Site of the Sino-American Cooperative Organization in Yuhu

Former Site of the Sino-American Cooperative Organization in Yuhu

There are two former sites of the Sino-American Cooperative Organization in Yuhu. One of them is the Duan 28th Ancestral Hall, a two-courtyard wooden structure built in the 16th year of the Guangxu reign during the Qing Dynasty (1890), which once housed an instructional battalion of the Sino-American Cooperative Organization. This site is located near the Hu Family’s Three-Ancestral Halls and is an immovable cultural relic of Wencheng County.

The other is called Shangxinwu, built during the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty. It is a three-courtyard, enclosed-style building. The first courtyard's entrance has been demolished, the second courtyard contains seven rooms, and the third courtyard features a main house with seven two-story rooms, along with wing rooms on both sides. The second floor of the main house was once used as barracks for Sino-American Cooperative Organization trainees. A plaque inscribed with “Ting Huai Wei Xiu” (“The Court Locust Tree Flourishes in Beauty”) hangs from the beam of the main house; it dates back to the 12th year of the Jiaqing reign (1807). Currently, Shangxinwu is inhabited by residents belonging to multiple households.

According to the Wencheng County Annals, in late July 1944, the Sino-American Cooperative Organization chose Yuhu as its training site. The training class was composed of three instructional battalions, one directly affiliated special operations company, and over 30 American officers and soldiers from China. Upon arrival at the Sino-American Cooperative Organization, the trainees were organized into battalions and divided into platoons for classes and training. Training subjects included detective work, demolition, apprehension, shooting, combat, communications, and secret signaling. The training focused on American light weapons: bazookas, .45 caliber firearms, Thompson submachine guns, carbines, revolvers, and demolition techniques. During training, American instructors served as coaches. After a short period of training, the recruits were equipped with the latest weapons of the time and formed elite units to fight against the Japanese army. From August 1944 until its disbandment after the victory of the War of Resistance, in just over a year, the Yuhu Sino-American Cooperative Organization held four training sessions, training more than 3,000 personnel.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units