Chu Laowei New Fourth Army Eastward Advance Anti-Japanese Memorial Hall

Chu Laowei New Fourth Army Eastward Advance Anti-Japanese Memorial Hall

The Chu Laowei New Fourth Army Eastward Advance Anti-Japanese Memorial Hall is a classic red tourism destination.

Located in Chulaowei, Hetang Village, Bailong Town, Feidong County, about 40 kilometers from Hefei, this is the site of Hefei’s only anti-Japanese memorial — the Hefei Qinglongchang New Fourth Army Fourth Detachment Eastward Advance Anti-Japanese Memorial Hall (hereinafter referred to as the New Fourth Army Anti-Japanese Memorial Hall). During the War of Resistance, Chulaowei was the headquarters of the New Fourth Army’s Fourth Detachment and the Jiangbei Guerrilla Command, the site of the New Fourth Army Jiangbei Anti-Japanese Command, and also the location of the Hefei Central County Committee. Gao Jingting, a distinguished and accomplished general who served as commander of the Fourth Detachment, was tragically wrongfully executed here.

The Past: Anti-Japanese Command Center

In March 1939, Gao Jingting, commander of the New Fourth Army’s Fourth Detachment, led his troops to Chulaowei in Qinglongchang, setting up the command post at the home of villager Chu Min’an. In June 1939, New Fourth Army leaders including Ye Ting, Zhang Yunyi, Deng Zihui, and Luo Binghui visited the Fourth Detachment and provided guidance for revolutionary efforts. In November of the same year, Liu Shaoqi, under the alias Hu Fu, also came to Qinglongchang to direct anti-Japanese work. From then on, Chulaowei became the nerve center of the anti-Japanese resistance, the beating heart of the revolution. The Fourth Detachment, under Commander Gao Jingting, made indelible contributions in resisting Japanese aggression and striving for national independence and people’s liberation. However, in June 1939, due to being especially targeted by the - army, attacks from “leftist” faction figures, and jealousy from sectarianists, Gao Jingting was wrongfully accused of anti-party and - crimes and was executed in Chulaowei.

The Present: Revolutionary Education Base

Construction of the Chulaowei Memorial Hall officially began in May 2003. By July 2007, the first and second phases were fully completed. These include 20 exhibition rooms in Huizhou-style architecture covering an area of 360 square meters, displaying nearly 400 historical photos of the New Fourth Army and some cultural relics. A “Generals’ Hall” was established, along with a 3-meter-high, 4-meter-wide glass fiber reinforced plastic sculpture depicting the New Fourth Army’s eastward advance against Japan. A Gao Jingting Memorial Forest and Monument were built, and the “Red Army Well” and martyrs’ tombs were restored. The hall exhibits the history of the Fourth Detachment’s eastward resistance and serves as Hefei’s sole Party history exhibition venue.

The Future: Hefei Education Base

On November 30, 2004, with approval from the municipal Party committee and government, Chulaowei in Qinglongchang was officially designated as a municipal patriotism education base. The establishment of this base filled a gap in the city’s educational resources related to Party and military history during the War of Resistance. It also boosted the local economy around Bailong Town. In February 2007, the Hefei Xinshiye Fruit Seedling Farm reached an agreement with Hetang Village, where the Chulaowei Memorial Hall is located, on land leasing. The plan aimed to help local farmers develop over 2,000 acres of winter jujube orchards within three years, promoting green ecological agriculture and improving the livelihoods of people in the old revolutionary base areas. To date, nearly 400 acres of winter jujube have been planted, with an average yield value of 8,000 yuan per acre.

It is reported that Bailong Town plans to develop Chulaowei into a comprehensive patriotism education base integrating education, commemoration, entertainment, leisure, vacation, and ecology.

Bailong Town: Located on the Jianghuai watershed, Bailong Town is an economic, cultural, and commercial hub in the northwestern part of Feidong County. The town covers a total area of 96.3 square kilometers, with a population of 38,000, and 54,000 mu of arable land. It governs 20 villages (communities). The central town area spans 5.2 square kilometers, with a resident population of 12,000. In 2005, the town achieved a total industrial and agricultural output value of 140 million yuan, fiscal revenue of 2.71 million yuan, and an average rural income exceeding 2,150 yuan.

Bailong Town boasts exceptional geographical and transportation advantages. The Hefei-Xuzhou Expressway, Hefei-Bailong Road,... More details about Bailong Town++