Former Site of the Military Meeting at Zifeng Temple

Former Site of the Military Meeting at Zifeng Temple

The former site of the military meeting at Zifeng Temple is a classic red tourism attraction.

The former site of the military meeting at Zifeng Temple is located in Anling Natural Village, Shantou Village, Fengting Town, Xianyou County, Putian City.

On April 9, 1949, after the XianDe guerrilla unit successfully captured the JinXian-Suo by strategy, the unit immediately moved to the southeastern part of Xianyou. They took shelter at Hongling Temple (i.e., Zifeng Temple), situated at the border between Fengting and Cixiao District (now Yuanzhuang Town). Buoyed by their initial victory, the guerrillas were highly motivated and eager to attack more significant targets to expand the revolutionary impact. To this end, Liu Zuozhou and Mao Piao, leaders of the XianDe Working Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, held a military meeting at Zifeng Temple on April 12. They decided to launch a surprise attack to surround and disarm the Fengting North Gate Self-Defense Corps before making a quick withdrawal. The meeting concluded that Fengting had always been a strategic location contested by military forces, and the Kuomintang (KMT) had relatively strong influence there. This included a self-defense squadron, a police substation, a town office, a plainclothes team, and an entire battalion of stationed troops. Their manpower and weaponry far surpassed those of the guerrillas. However, internal conflicts and friction among KMT factions were rife, and under the pressure of the nationwide victory of the Liberation War, they were preoccupied with finding their own way out and dared not openly confront the people. Moreover, the Fengting Self-Defense Corps had inside contacts with the guerrillas who could provide timely intelligence for coordinated operations. To strengthen their armed forces, on April 13, Liu Zuozhou deployed guerrillas from Cixiao District to join the battle and also mobilized some progressive farmers from Fengting District to assist, totaling nearly 200 people, with over 60 firearms, more than 10 swords, as well as homemade bird guns, rake forks, and axes. The fighters were highly confident and eager for battle, standing by for action. Around 10 p.m. that night, the armed group marched toward Fengting. After reaching Yaolanwei Village in Jiushe, Fengting, they took a brief rest before splitting into five routes as per the battle plan. In the early hours of April 14, the guerrilla unit led by Mao Piao surrounded the residence of the Fengting Self-Defense Corps. At dawn, as the guerrillas entered through a lane at the front gate of the Self-Defense Corps, they were spotted by guards upstairs who opened fire to block them. The two sides exchanged fire for nearly half an hour. The Self-Defense Corps held the high ground and enjoyed a tactical advantage, while the guerrillas, confined to the narrow lane, were in a very perilous position. Seeing this, Mao Piao ordered the guerrillas to retreat quickly. Learning that the surprise attack had failed, the other guerrilla units also withdrew and retreated toward Cixiao, leading to the cancellation of the operation.

The former site of the military meeting at Zifeng Temple is a Buddhist temple, consisting of upper and lower sections. The original temple was a two-story structure made of earth and wood. Due to its dilapidated condition, a new two-story brick-and-concrete temple was built behind the original one, covering a total area of 1,240 square meters.

Source: Party History Research Office of the Putian Municipal Committee

Shantou Village: Overview of Shantou Village

[Administrative Affiliation and Transportation] Shantou is the “fourth largest administrative village” in Fengting Town, located in the southwestern part of the town, about 5 kilometers from the town center. It lies in the semi-mountainous area of Fengting Town. It borders Ranco Village in Jiaowei to the east, Xibei Village to the west, Xiase Village to the south, and Tangbian Village in Jiaowei Town to the north. The area features Damao Mountain, the highest peak in Fengting Town.

[Village and Residents] The village stretches 4 kilometers from east to west and 3.5 kilometers from north to south, covering a village area of 14 square kilometers. It has 1,800 mu of arable land and 7,000 mu of mountainous land, including... More detailed information about Shantou Village++