Former Site of the Batou Liaison Station

Former Site of the Batou Liaison Station

The former site of the Batou Liaison Station is a classic red tourism attraction.

The former site of the Batou Liaison Station is located in Batou Natural Village, Hongqi Village, Longhua Town, Xianyou County, Putian City.

In April 1943, according to orders, the Jian'yang Garrison Command of the Kuomintang assembled troops and launched a four-pronged “joint suppression” operation against the base of the Fujian Provincial Committee of the Chinese Communist Party — the northern Fujian and Jianning-Songxi-Political regions. The situation grew increasingly severe. At that time, the central Fujian region was relatively stable, and in order to continue leading the anti-Japanese and anti-puppet struggles across the province, the Provincial Committee decided to relocate its headquarters southward to central Fujian. Thus, starting in September 1943, staff of the Fujian Provincial Committee successively set out from northern Fujian. Under the careful arrangements and protection of the Provincial Committee’s political liaison officer Su Hua and the transportation stations along the Min River, they safely transferred to central Fujian via Fuzhou.

To ensure the safety of the Provincial Committee in central Fujian, the party organizations there dispatched a number of cadres to various locations to establish hidden bases, build transportation and liaison stations. It was required that a small sub-station be set up every three to five li, and a larger station every ten to eight li. The Batou Liaison Station in Molou Village (now Hongqi Village), Longhua, Xianyou, was established at that time by Fu Debiao and Chen Yao from Xianyou.

After the establishment of the Batou Liaison Station, figures such as Cai Wenhuan, Xu Jiming, Huang Guozhen, Hong Ruiying, Yu Hongqing, Liu Zupi, and Lin Xuan successively carried out activities here. A children’s group was also formed in Batou. The establishment of the Batou Liaison Station played an important role in opening up communication lines in areas including Putian, Xianyou, Nan'an, Jinjiang, Quanzhou, Hui'an, and Yongchun. In August 1944, after Weng Hongtang was rescued on Bai'ge Ridge, he was transferred to the Batou Liaison Station to recuperate in hiding. Only after he had recovered was he safely escorted by party members Qiu Xian and Qiu Jinzhi to his sister’s home in Putian.

The former site of the Batou Liaison Station is a civil structure made of earth and wood, consisting of a group effort by multiple couriers and liaison households, totaling 24 rooms covering an area of 1,800 square meters. In 2011, veteran Xu Jiming personally inscribed a dedication. The Party History Research Office of the Putian Municipal Committee of the CPC provided a commemorative plaque for protection in December 2011.

Source: Party History Research Office of the Putian Municipal Committee

Hongqi Village: Hongqi Village is located 2.4 kilometers west of the Longhua Town government seat. The village committee is stationed at Shitou Mountain, with settlements spread along the Mulan River. It comprises 13 natural villages: Menshan, Dingcuo, Xiacao, Cendou, Zuli, Weicuo, Dingsi, Xiapu, Xincao, Dingxue, Dingjian, Jiucuo, and Xiacao. There are 13 villager groups, with 1,008 households and a population of 4,295. In the early years after liberation, it was called Xianmen. In 1958, during the commune period, it was named Xianmen Brigade. In 1984, it was renamed Hongqi Village Committee, and in 1991, it retained the name Hongqi Village Committee. Hongqi Village has 1,140 mu of arable land, mainly cultivating rice and sweet potatoes. The mountainous area covers 3,330... More details about Hongqi Village++