Former Site of the Minzhong Special Committee of the CPC at Mayuan

Former Site of the Minzhong Special Committee of the CPC at Mayuan

The former site of the Minzhong Special Committee of the Communist Party of China is located in Jichuan Natural Village, Mayuan Village, Chantai Town, Chengxiang District, Putian City.

In May 1935, leaders of the central county committees of Putian and Fuqing held a joint meeting in Zhangxi, Fuqing, and decided to establish the Minzhong Special Committee of the CPC based on the two central county committees. Wang Yujie was elected as the committee secretary, with Huang Xiaomin, Pan Tao, Liu Tujun, Yu Changyue, and Chen Bingkui as members. The committee was tasked with unifying the revolutionary struggles across various counties in central Fujian, including Fuqing, Changle, Putian, Xianyou, and Yongtai. The two guerrilla forces from Fuqing and Putian were reorganized into the First and Second Detachments of the Minzhong Workers’ and Peasants’ Guerrilla Force, with their bases centered in Luohali near the Fu–Yong border and Chantai near the Pu–Xian border, respectively, from where they carried out guerrilla warfare.

After the Zhangxi meeting, special committee leaders were dispatched to both regions to convey the meeting’s spirit. In late October, Wang Yujie and Pan Tao held a military meeting in Jichuan, Chantai, where they decided to formally reorganize the scattered guerrilla forces across Pu–Xian into the Second Detachment of the Minzhong Workers’ and Peasants’ Guerrilla Force. Zheng Jinzhao was appointed detachment commander and Pan Tao as political commissar. At the same time, the Chantai Guerrilla Force was established, with Zhang Quanzhong (also known as Chen Xisun) as captain and Weng Hongtang as political instructor, under the command of the Second Detachment. Non-full-time guerrilla members stationed in villages within the base area were organized into the Changxing National Armed Self-Defense Corps (also called the Red Guards), led by Fang Ziming, to support the guerrilla operations. The headquarters of the Second Detachment and the Minzhong Special Committee were both stationed on Niubikong Mountain in Jichuan. From then on, the Minzhong Special Committee and the guerrilla forces extensively mobilized and organized the masses in the Chantai base area. They launched struggles against taxes, levies, rents, and grain exactions, developed party and youth league organizations, expanded the influence of the peasant movement, and brought tangible benefits to the peasants. This helped earn their trust in the Communist Party and the guerrilla forces, leading many to request membership in revolutionary mass organizations such as Poor Peasants’ Associations, Women’s Associations, and Children’s Corpses. They also volunteered to patrol and keep watch for the guerrillas and provide intelligence. In the three base villages of Jichuan, Jinzhukeng, and Waikeng, over 40% of the local population joined the revolution. The strength of the Red Guards grew steadily, laying a solid foundation for the guerrilla forces to independently and arduously wage the three-year guerrilla war in central Fujian.

The former site of the Minzhong Special Committee of the CPC is a thatched bamboo building, which has been damaged due to soil erosion and years of neglect. Only the foundations, a well, and toilet ruins remain today.

Source: Party History Research Office of the Putian Municipal Committee

Mayuan Village: Located in the northern part of Chantai Town, Mayuan Village covers an area of 8 square kilometers. It currently has 268 mu of arable land and over 12,600 mu of mountainous land, with a total population of more than 1,150 people, comprising over 245 households. The village is divided into 2 natural villages and 7 villager groups. There is one Party branch with 63 Party members.

The main cash crops are forestry and fruit trees. The primary economic pillars are income from business and work outside the village, particularly labor export earnings. In 2012, the per capita income of villagers reached over 7,000 yuan. In recent years, the village has successively been awarded honors such as Advanced Grassroots Party Organization of the District and Civilized Village of the City. Our village’s specialty products... More details about Mayuan Village++