Former Site of the Headquarters of the Fourth Division of the New Fourth Army

Former Site of the Headquarters of the Fourth Division of the New Fourth Army

The former site of the headquarters of the Fourth Division of the New Fourth Army is a cultural relic protection unit of Anhui Province and a classic red tourism attraction.

The former site of the headquarters of the Fourth Division of the New Fourth Army is located in Xinxingji, 22.5 kilometers north of the county seat. In September 1938, Comrade Peng Xuefeng was appointed as commander and political commissar of the New Fourth Army Guerrilla Detachment. Leading 373 officers and soldiers, he set out from Zhugou Town, Queshan County, Henan Province, to establish an anti-Japanese base in Xinxingji. In early November 1939, when the Secretary of the Central Plains Bureau visited Xinxingji, he stayed here for several days and gave important instructions on the construction of the border region and the establishment of the anti-Japanese base.

During the Fourth Division’s time in Xinxing, the settlement housed over ten directly affiliated headquarters units, including the Political Department, the Anti-Espionage Department, the Intelligence Department, the General Staff, the Military Law Department, the Adjutant Office, the Supply Office, and the then-renowned "Dawn Newspaper Office."

The headquarters site was burned down by Japanese forces during the "June 1st" battle in 1940 but was later restored. Today, a bronze statue of Commander Peng Xuefeng in military uniform riding a warhorse stands in the courtyard, while the interior displays revolutionary relics and various historical photos. Open to the public, it has become a municipal patriotic education base, attracting a continuous stream of visitors. In 1961, it was designated as a “Provincial Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.”