Former Site of the Korean Independence Movement (Hangzhou)

Former Site of the Korean Independence Movement (Hangzhou)

The Former Site of the Korean Independence Movement (Hangzhou) is a cultural relic protection unit of Zhejiang Province.

The Former Site of the Korean Independence Movement (Hangzhou) is located in Hubin Subdistrict, Shangcheng District, Hangzhou City, dating back to the Republican era. It consists of No. 23, Hubian Village, Changsheng Road; No. 41–42, Sixin Fang, Xueshi Road; and No. 2, Lane 2, Wufuli, Banqiao Road.

In 1910, Japan annexed Korea. Korean democratic revolutionaries—based in China—actively carried out anti-Japanese and pro-independence movements. In 1919, the revolutionaries established the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in Shanghai. After the “Hongkou Park Incident” in April 1932, Japan launched retaliatory actions, making it impossible for the provisional government to remain in Shanghai. It was then forced to relocate to places such as Jiaxing and Hangzhou.

The provisional government had approximately nine activity sites in Hangzhou, of which three have been clearly identified. Among them, No. 23, Hubian Village, served as the office of the Korean Provisional Government in May 1932; No. 2, Lane 2, Wufuli, Banqiao Road, was the office of the Korean Provisional Government in 1934; and No. 41–42, Sixin Fang, was once the office of the Korean Independence Party.

All three buildings are typical Shikumen lane-style residences from the Republican era. Conducting revolutionary activities in these ordinary residential areas helped conceal their identities. At the time, Kim Gu, the leader of the provisional government, lived in Sixin Fang near Longxiang Bridge. His office and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Min Pil-ho, resided in Qixing Li near Longxiang Bridge, where they secretly carried out revolutionary work under the guise of running a business.

On January 13, 2017, the People’s Government of Zhejiang Province designated it as part of the seventh batch of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units