Former Site of the Central Aviation School at Jianqiao

Former Site of the Central Aviation School at Jianqiao

The former site of the Central Aviation School at Jianqiao is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The former site of the Central Aviation School at Jianqiao is located in Hengtang Village, northeast of Jianqiao Town. In 1930, Chiang Kai-shek decided to expand the aviation class of the original Central Military Academy into the Central Aviation School, selecting Hangzhou’s Jianqiao as its new location. In the spring of 1931, school buildings and an airfield were completed, institutions were established, aircraft were purchased, and recruitment and education commenced. Branch schools were later set up in Luoyang and Guangzhou. By 1937, before the outbreak of the War of Resistance Against Japan, over 500 students had been trained. After the war began, the school was relocated successively to Kunming in Yunnan and Lahore in Pakistan, and was renamed the Central Air Force Officer School, while Jianqiao Airport served as the main base for the Air Force. After the victory of the war, the school returned to its original location in Hangzhou. In the winter of 1948, it was moved to Taiwan. After the liberation of Hangzhou, the aviation school was taken over by the People's Liberation Army Air Force and continued to be used as both an aviation school and a military airfield. In 1957, it was converted into a dual-use civil-military airport. In 2000, with the commissioning of Hangzhou Xiaoshan Airport, civil aviation operations were withdrawn from Jianqiao Airport.

The former site of the Central Aviation School at Jianqiao was the largest, most systematically organized, and strictly managed aviation training base for professional personnel in modern China. The school was fully equipped with advanced facilities and staffed by top domestic military personnel as instructors, featuring an advanced teaching model. As the Central Aviation School, its influence spread nationwide, attracting many patriotic young people aspiring to a career in aviation. Before the War of Resistance, it trained more than 500 pilots and other air force professionals specializing in aviation mechanics, earning it the title “Cradle of China’s Air Force.” Many graduates fought bravely during the war, dedicating their lives to defending the nation against invasion. Jianqiao Airport was a major battleground in the early air battles of the War of Resistance. On August 14, 1937, Squadron Leader Gao Zhihang led his unit to shoot down several aircraft of the Japanese Navy Air Group. The “August 14 Air Battle” achieved glorious results in the history of Chinese air combat, and this day was subsequently designated as “Air Force Day” by the Nationalist Government. The Central Aviation School at Jianqiao greatly accelerated the development of China’s air force and holds significant value for the study of the history of China’s air force and aviation technology.

At the time, the eastern part of the aviation school was the military facilities zone, including buildings and structures such as ammunition and fuel depots, maintenance workshops, and aircraft manufacturing plants, while the western part was the teaching and living area, featuring facilities such as sports fields, office buildings, student dormitories, and villa complexes. Some buildings were damaged during the War of Resistance but were later restored. Currently, the buildings of the aviation school’s former site are largely well-preserved, showcasing distinctive architectural characteristics of the era and unique types that are of great significance for the study of military school architecture during the Republican period.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units