Former Site of the Establishment of the Sanbei Guerrilla Command

Former Site of the Establishment of the Sanbei Guerrilla Command

The former site of the establishment of the Sanbei Guerrilla Command is a cultural heritage site protected by Cixi City and a classic red tourism destination.

The former site of the establishment of the Sanbei Guerrilla Command is located within Jinxian Temple by Baiyang Lake in Guanhaiwei Town, Cixi City.

In August 1942, in accordance with the needs of the War of Resistance Against Japan and the directives from the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party’s Central China Bureau on waging gray-area covert struggles, the Sanbei Guerrilla Command of the Songhu Guerrilla Forces in the Third War Zone was established at Jinxian Temple. He Kexi served as commander, Lian Baisheng as deputy commander, Tan Qilong as political commissar, Liu Hengyun as chief of staff, and Zhang Wenbi as head of the political department. Immediately after its establishment, the command unified and reorganized its forces into the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Detachments, collectively referred to as the “35th Detachment.”

On September 1, the command held the first training class in eastern Zhejiang at Jinxian Temple, with over 70 trainees. The class was led by Captain Lan Bixuan and Instructor Zhang Lang. On September 22, leaders of the CPC East Zhejiang District Committee and the Sanbei Guerrilla Command convened a meeting at Jinxian Temple, where the significant strategic decision to “hold Sanbei and open up Siming” was made. Under the leadership of the command, on November 12, 1942, the Sanbei base area withstood the test of the first anti-stubborn self-defense war in eastern Zhejiang. Relying on the support of the masses and close coordination with local party organizations, the Sanbei guerrillas drove out over 2,000 troops of the Nationalist Zhongyi Salvation Army—who sought to create friction, sabotage the resistance, and annihilate the nascent anti-Japanese forces—out of Sanbei. This weakened the military strength of the stubborn enemy in the region and opened new prospects for further expansion of the anti-Japanese guerrilla zones.

In August 1943, the CPC East Zhejiang District Committee and the Sanbei Guerrilla Command moved into Hengkantou Village and Liangnong Town in Yuyao, gradually establishing the East Zhejiang Anti-Japanese Base Area with the Siming Mountains as its foundation and Liangnong as its military command center.

Historical records indicate that Jinxian Temple was initially built during the Datong era (535–546) of the Liang Dynasty in the Southern Dynasties, originally named Jingjin Nunnery. During the Qianyuan era (758–760) of Emperor Suzong of the Tang Dynasty, Master Fulin Zhidu expanded the site and renamed it “Fulin Nunnery.” In the second year of the Zhiping reign (1065) of Emperor Yingzong of the Northern Song Dynasty, as Fulin Nunnery stood in front of the Wanshen Ancestral Hall, the emperor bestowed the name “Jinxian Temple” upon the nunnery. It underwent three expansions: in the first year of the Tianqi reign (1621) of Emperor Xizong of the Ming Dynasty by Monk Xinghong, in the 38th year of the Kangxi reign (1699) by Monk Benren, and in the 59th year of the Kangxi reign (1720) by Monk Yuanwei. The temple was destroyed by fire in the 15th year of the Daoguang reign (1835) and was rebuilt by Monk Daofa. It was again ruined by warfare in the first year of the Tongzhi reign (1862) and reconstructed in the 12th year (1873) by Monk Guxiang. In the 17th year of the Guangxu reign (1891), Monk Bingrui became the abbot and raised funds for further expansion.

After the liberation, the temple was demolished due to years of disrepair, leaving only the seven scripture depository rooms that had been used as offices after the command's establishment. In 1989, large-scale restoration of the temple began. To date, structures such as the mountain gate, Heavenly King Hall, Mahavira Hall, Guanyin Hall, Jade Buddha Hall, Kṣitigarbha Hall, and Ge Xianweng Hall, along with east and west wing rooms, have been reconstructed. The full array of Buddha statues has been sculpted, and scenic spots such as the Lake-Viewing Tower, Sea-Viewing Pavilion, and Seven Pagodas have been restored. In December 2003, the People’s Government of Cixi City designated the former site of the command’s establishment as a fifth batch cultural relics protection unit.