Former Site of the Second Field Army’s Yangtze River Crossing Command Headquarters

Former Site of the Second Field Army’s Yangtze River Crossing Command Headquarters

The Former Site of the Second Field Army’s Yangtze River Crossing Command Headquarters is a cultural relic protection unit of Anhui Province and a classic red tourism attraction.

During the Yangtze River Crossing Campaign, the former site of the headquarters of the Second Field Army of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (abbreviated as the Second Field Army Yangtze River Crossing Command Headquarters) is located within the campus of Tongcheng High School on Beidajie Street in Tongcheng City. On April 19, 1949, the headquarters moved here from Shucheng. The operations room was set up inside the school library, which is a modern building built on a high platform foundation, covering an area of 231 square meters. It faces east and is built on a raised brick-and-wood structure with a stone base. The building has one bay in width and three bays in depth, with a surrounding corridor that is 1.2 meters wide. The corridor features 16 wooden pillars resting on square stone bases. Brick partition walls are used, with the main gate located on the eastern side and five arched windows on each of the northern and southern walls, along with side doors on both sides. There are two arched windows on the western wall. The beam frame structure is exposed, with five large seven-rafter beams, connected at the corners with bracket beams. The roof has four sloping sides and is covered with small tiles. It is now open to domestic and international visitors as the “Second Field Army Yangtze River Crossing Command Headquarters Exhibition Hall.”

According to the “Chronicle of Major Events of the Second Field Army” and the “Field Diary” of the Second Field Army Headquarters: On April 15, the Second Field Army held a meeting here for cadres at the regimental level and above. – It conveyed the spirit of the Second Plenary Session of the Seventh Central Committee and – called on the troops: “Exert maximum effort in preparing for the Yangtze River crossing operation and intensify political and ideological work.” On April 17, Liu and Deng issued orders to the western line forces to begin the Yangtze River crossing operation on April 21, deciding on the deployment for the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Corps under their command. On April 19, “the Field Command Headquarters was all in Tongcheng directing operations.” On April 21, “units of the Second Field Army, following orders, began artillery bombardment at 17:30 and started boarding boats to cross the river at 17:55.” After achieving full victory in the Yangtze River Crossing Campaign, the headquarters left Tongcheng on April 28, passed through Hefei and Quanjiao, and arrived in Nanjing on April 29.

The former site of the headquarters of the Second Field Army of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (abbreviated as the Second Field Army Yangtze River Crossing Command Headquarters) during the Yangtze River Crossing Campaign in the War of Liberation is now open to domestic and international visitors as the “Second Field Army Yangtze River Crossing Command Headquarters Exhibition Hall.”

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Municipal Cultural Relic Protection Units in Anqing City