Site of the Bantha Defense Battle

Site of the Bantha Defense Battle

The Site of the Bantha Defense Battle is a national key cultural relics protection unit and a classic red tourism destination.

Site of the Bantha Defense Battle

The Site of the Bantha Defense Battle is located on the slopes of Guangshan Mountain to the northwest of Banta Town. It is currently a national key cultural relics protection unit and a provincial-level patriotic education base.

The Banta Martyrs' Cemetery is located at the Site of the Bantha Defense Battle. Historically, Banta was called Baita (White Tower) and has a long history. After three of its tiers collapsed, only half of the tower remained, hence the name Banta, and the surrounding locality is also known as Banta Ji. Banta Ji is situated at the junction of five counties—Xuyi, Tianchang, Laian, Liuhe, and Jia Shan—across Jiangsu and Anhui provinces. The area is surrounded by undulating hills, giving it significant strategic importance. In the autumn of 1939, the New Fourth Army’s 5th Detachment established an anti-Japanese guerrilla base in the Huainan Jinpu Railway East area, with Banta Ji at its center, initially opening up the resistance behind enemy lines east of the Huainan Railway. In March 1940, under the planning of Chiang Kai-shek, two reactionary forces—one led by Li Pinxian from Anhui and the other by Han Deqin from Jiangsu—launched a pincer attack from the east and west against our forces in eastern Anhui, attempting to annihilate the New Fourth Army. Under the leadership of Comrade –, Secretary of the Central Plains Bureau, our army firmly counterattacked the attacks of the diehard faction. After fierce fighting and repelling multiple assaults by the reactionary troops, we ultimately achieved victory in the Battle of Banta.

The terrain of the Banta region is rugged and mountainous, forming a ring-like shape. During the Anti-Japanese War, it served as a central hub of activity for the New Fourth Army east of the Jinpu Railway. In March 1940, the famous “Battle of Banta” took place here. To commemorate this battle and the martyrs who bravely sacrificed their lives during the war, in 1960, the People’s Government of Laian County established the Banta Martyrs’ Cemetery here.

The cemetery covers an area of 240 acres, with a central martyrs’ memorial tower standing 10 meters tall in the shape of a frustum. Atop the tower stands a majestic statue of a New Fourth Army soldier, wearing a straw hat and carrying a broadsword, gazing into the distance. The front of the tower is inscribed with eight large characters written by Chen Yi: “Eternal Glory to Revolutionary Martyrs.” The back features an inscription by the renowned calligrapher Zhang Kaifan. Directly in front of the tower is the “Inscription on the Banta Martyrs’ Memorial Monument,” written by Zhang Yunyi on May 1, 1964. On either side of the tower are a pair of uniquely designed glazed-tile pavilions. To the west lies the Revolutionary Relics Exhibition Hall and the Banta Revolutionary Memorial Museum. The museum displays 142 historical photographs, two martyr steles, as well as weapons, utensils, documents, and currency used by the New Fourth Army.

Protected Area: A 2-meter buffer zone outside the perimeter wall surrounding the monument, extending 2 meters to the east, south, west, and north.

Construction Control Zone: A 20-meter buffer zone beyond the protected area, extending 20 meters to the east, south, west, and north.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units