Former Site of the Base of the Minzhong Sea Guerrilla Unit

Former Site of the Base of the Minzhong Sea Guerrilla Unit

The former site of the base of the Minzhong Sea Guerrilla Unit is located in Zhaixia Natural Village, Zhaixia Village, Meizhou Town, Meizhou Island National Tourist Resort, Putian City.

In the winter of 1940, in order to go underground, preserve strength, and build up forces, the Putian County Committee of the Chinese Communist Party successively dispatched guerrilla members to infiltrate the puppet “Fujian Peace Salvation Army” First Route Army’s Second Brigade under Zhang Tianzhen, which was stationed on the coastal islands of central Fujian. They gradually took control of parts of the brigade’s actual power, secretly established the Minzhong Sea Guerrilla Unit, and set up concealed anti-Japanese bases on islands such as Huanggua, Nanyu, and Wuci, waiting for opportunities to strike against the Japanese, puppets, and die-hard forces. In November 1944, the puppet Second Brigade sailed south from Wuci Island directly to Meizhou Island. After repelling the Nationalist Party’s security forces stationed on Meizhou Island, the unit set up camp in Zhaixia Village on Meizhou Island and continued its covert struggle. By the end of April 1945, the puppet First Route Army was ordered to move en masse from Matsu’s Beigan Island to Meizhou Island, where they concentrated and were stationed together with Zhang Tianzhen’s brigade, preparing to “switch allegiance and defect,” accept reorganization by the Nationalist forces. This posed significant challenges to the concealment efforts and maritime evacuation of the Minzhong Sea Guerrilla Unit. On May 29 of the same year, the situation suddenly changed when the puppet First Route Army was ordered to relocate entirely to Dongwu Village, marking the first time puppet troops had ever been stationed in a Nationalist-controlled area. On June 7, the “Dongwu Incident” occurred: key leaders of the Minzhong Sea Guerrilla Unit were arrested and killed, and the sea-based guerrilla force was disbanded.

The former site of the base of the Minzhong Sea Guerrilla Unit is located in the central-western part of Meizhou Island. The well-preserved Mao Lido Grandma Temple currently standing there served as the meeting place and command center for the unit’s leadership during that time.

Source: Party History Research Office of the Putian Municipal Committee

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