Former Site of the Dongsha Anti-Tax Uprising

Former Site of the Dongsha Anti-Tax Uprising

The Former Site of the Dongsha Anti-Tax Uprising is a classic destination on China’s red tourism trail.

The Former Site of the Dongsha Anti-Tax Uprising is located in Dongsha Village, Donghai Town, Chengxiang District, Putian City.

In the spring of 1932, after the 29th Route Army entered Fujian, the various local warlords in the province, fearing they would eventually be driven out of their occupied territories, intensified their exploitation of the local populace. Tax levies were among the most burdensome forms of exorbitant taxation. In 1932, the total tax quota across the province was over 12 million yuan, with Putian and Xianyou counties accounting for 3.6 million yuan, or 30% of the provincial total. The oppressive nature of these taxes became unbearable for farmers, leading to frequent small-scale anti-tax uprisings across the Putian-Xianyou region. Among them, the uprising in Dongsha turned into a tragic massacre after being violently suppressed by He Xianzu, commander of the Third Brigade of the Provincial Defense Force.

In February 1932, He Xianzu demanded that Dongsha Village pay a tobacco seedling tax of 42,000 yuan, but the payment kept being delayed until early August. Seeing that the villagers dared to defy his orders, He flew into a rage. On August 17, he sought approval from Fujian Provincial Government Chairman Fang Shengtao and brazenly dispatched the Jiangxiang Battalion to occupy nearby villages such as Xicuo and Dongcai, adjacent to Dongsha. He set a deadline: “Pay in full immediately, or face military action.” Some local landlords and rich peasants attempted to compromise with He, but he demanded an additional 450 acres of land for taxation, which ignited public outrage. Encouraged by Communist Party member Cai Xianbiao and others, the Cai family clan decided to resist by having each clan leader mobilize villagers. On August 20, Jiangxiang led his troops in an attack on Dongsha, using artillery and machine guns to clear the way. Two villagers were killed and more than ten injured. Despite facing overwhelming force, the villagers bravely fought back with homemade firearms, rifles, spears, and farming tools. Seeing that one battalion alone could not subdue the village, He called in two additional battalions from Xianyou to join the siege. On August 29, He personally directed the suppression efforts. By the morning of September 10, the troops had stormed the village, killing dozens of villagers. Many fled by sea, with numerous drowning. Once inside the village, He’s forces burned houses, raped women, and looted property. According to accounts, even “a four-year-old child, a 93-year-old woman, an 84-year-old woman, and an 87-year-old man were all slaughtered without reason. After the killings, their bodies were disemboweled and breasts cut off, then hung from trees.” The few villagers who managed to escape were forced to flee and take shelter in Huian and Quanzhou.

At the repeated pleading of Dongsha village representatives, the 61st Division of the 19th Route Army stationed in Quanzhou finally sent one battalion to Tulin Dongwu Village in northern Hui’an, where they “watched from the other side of the river.” When He Xianzu realized that the 19th Route Army was merely observing from the neighboring area and had no intention of intervening in the Dongsha conflict, he resumed attacks and opened fire with machine guns, killing countless villagers and causing even more drownings at sea. Aside from the killings, the elderly and weak were also captured and held for ransom. According to on-site reports by journalists at the time, the Dongsha Massacre claimed the lives of around 100 villagers and resulted in property losses exceeding 900,000 yuan. The tragedy sparked outrage across southern Fujian. Newspapers such as Jiangsheng Bao, Minguo Ribao, and Quanzhou Ribao published daily reports on the “Dongsha Massacre.” The Putian-Xianyou Fellow Villagers Association in Xiamen sent telegrams to their counterparts in Nanjing and Shanghai, calling for support. The association in Nanjing formed a “Hometown Salvation Group” and petitioned the Executive Yuan of the Nationalist Government in Nanjing, demanding severe punishment for He Xianzu. Under mounting public pressure, on September 16, the Nationalist Government’s “Opium Suppression Committee” formally requested the Fujian Provincial Government to investigate the Dongsha incident. Realizing that his crimes were unpardonable, He attempted to flee. On October 12 of the same year, using the alias Chen Chunsheng, he boarded a British ship operated by the Tai Yuen Company in Xiamen, intending to escape to Hong Kong. However, he was detained by the 19th Route Army upon the request of Shantou authorities, extradited to Zhangzhou, and placed under arrest. Nevertheless, under the protection of local Fujian power brokers represented by Fang Shengtao, He was not executed. After the failure of the 19th Route Army’s “Fujian Incident,” He was directly protected by Lin Zhiyuan and managed to board a Japanese mail ship to Taiwan, then traveled to Shanghai and later moved to Tianjin. He was not brought to justice until after the liberation of China.

The Former Site of the Dongsha Anti-Tax Uprising is located in Dongsha Village, which lies southwest of Donghai Town. It borders Dapu Village to the east, Haibin Village of Fengting Town to the west, the inner waters of Meizhou Bay to the south, and Shangtu Village of Donghai Town to the north. The village has a one-kilometer coastline. Key transportation routes such as the Fuzhou-Xiamen Railway, Fuzhou-Quanzhou Expressway, and the provincial-level Hufeng Highway run through the area, making transportation convenient. The Dongsha Village Committee building, constructed in 1949, is a three-story brick-concrete office structure facing south, covering a floor area of 260 square meters. In December 2011, the History Research Office of the Putian Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China installed a memorial plaque at the site.

Information Source: History Research Office of the Putian Municipal Committee

Dongsha Village: Located southwest of Donghai Town, Dongsha Village sits north of Provincial Highway 201 (Coastal Avenue), faces the inner waters of Meizhou Bay to the south with a one-kilometer coastline, and lies opposite the Fujian Refinery. Major transport arteries such as the Fuzhou-Xiamen Railway, Fuzhou-Quanzhou Expressway, and the provincial-level Hufeng Highway run through the area, ensuring good accessibility.

Dongsha Village borders Dapu Village of Donghai Town to the east, Haibin Village of Fengting Town to the west, the inner waters of Meizhou Bay to the south, and Shangtu Village of Donghai Town to the north. The village consists of 18 villager groups and has a current population of 8,467.

The Dongsha Village Committee building was constructed in 1949, covering an area of 26… More detailed information on Dongsha Village++