Monument to the Fujian Provincial Fuzhou Junior High School

Monument to the Fujian Provincial Fuzhou Junior High School

The Monument to the Fujian Provincial Fuzhou Junior High School is a classic site on China’s red tourism routes.

The Monument to the Fujian Provincial Fuzhou Junior High School is located within Yangxi Middle School in Yangxi Town, Meilie District.

From 1939 to 1943, during the stalemate phase of the War of Resistance Against Japan, the Fujian Provincial Fuzhou Junior High School relocated inland from Fuzhou and set up a campus in Yangxi. During this time, about 1,000 students from all over the province were admitted to the school and came to study here. Due to insufficient wartime funding, everything was done under extremely simple conditions. The school borrowed civilian houses to use as dormitories and classrooms, used bamboo strips plastered with mud for walls, and substituted tree bark for roofing tiles. The school buildings were open to the elements on all sides, offering no protection from wind or rain. Dormitories consisted entirely of communal bunk beds, with two tiers and beds woven from bamboo strips—dozens of people shared a single room. Especially during the Japanese occupation of Fuzhou, when financial support was cut off, students were provided with only six small liang (a traditional unit of weight) of coarse rice per day, relying on two meals of watery porridge to stave off hunger. Despite these hardships, more than ten students passed away due to illness, but the entire school community persevered in their studies. The local people of Yangxi also offered tremendous support to the school’s operation, with many villagers vacating their homes for classroom and dormitory use. The school’s strong academic atmosphere, together with the support of local residents, nurtured a large number of outstanding talents. The school consistently ranked first in the provincial unified examinations. Graduates were mostly admitted to or recommended for prestigious schools such as Fuzhou High School, the Fuzhou Technical School, and the Fuzhou Commercial School. Many went on to become senior engineers, experts, and professors, including Dai Xijie, a renowned electrical engineer in China, and Teng Tongjian, an expert in pediatric medicine in the People’s Liberation Army. They made outstanding contributions to national development and social progress.

To commemorate this chapter of history, a monument was erected. The monument consists of a main body and a base. The front of the main body is inscribed with the words: “Monument to the Fujian Provincial Fuzhou Junior High School.” The monument is 202 cm tall, 80 cm wide, and 17 cm thick. The base measures 105 cm in length, 45 cm in width, and 31 cm in height.

Source: Party History Research Office of the Sanming Municipal Committee

Yangxi Town: Yangxi Town is 12 kilometers from downtown Sanming. It governs eight administrative villages. National Highway 205, the Yingxia Railway, and the Shaxi River run through the town.

Historical Evolution: In 1997, the area covered 72 square kilometers with a population of 9,000, governing eight village committees: Xinjie, Shangjie, Yangkouzai, Xiaokeng, Lianmao, Yandou, BaoFanfang, and Xiakeng. In 2003, it governed eight administrative villages with a population of 8,500 and an area of 72 square kilometers.

On July 13, 2011, the “Fujian Provincial Government Reply on the Abolition of Yangxi Township and Establishment of Yangxi Town in Meilie District, Sanming City” (Min Zheng Wen [201…]) — Detailed information about Yangxi Town ++