Former Training Site of the Minzhong Anti-Japanese Volunteer Army

Former Training Site of the Minzhong Anti-Japanese Volunteer Army

The former training site of the Minzhong Anti-Japanese Volunteer Army is a cultural heritage site protected by Hanjiang District and a classic red tourism destination.

The former training site of the Minzhong Anti-Japanese Volunteer Army is located in Kengtouli Group, Kangqiao Village, Zhuangbian Town, Hanjiang District, Putian City.

From 1934 to 1949, leaders of the underground Communist Party organization and guerrilla forces in Minzhong, such as Wang Yujie, Liu Tujun, Lei Guangxi, Qiu Ziguo, Fang Ziming, Huang Guozhang, Su Hua, and Lin Runan, organized the masses to carry out underground revolutionary activities at Chishi Palace in Zhuangbian. They also used villages such as Ankou, Anmayang, and Banling as revolutionary bases. After the outbreak of the War of Resistance Against Japan, following multiple rounds of negotiations between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party in Minzhong, an agreement on cooperation against Japan was reached in September 1937. It was agreed that before the formal organization of the Minzhong Anti-Japanese Volunteer Army, they would first gather and undergo training in Ankou Village, Zhuangbian, Chishi, Putian. After the negotiations, members of the Minzhong Anti-Japanese Volunteer Army gradually assembled at Chishi Palace from the border areas of Putian, Xianyou, Fuqing, and Yongtai. The Minzhong Working Committee of the Chinese Communist Party began training the troops in three aspects: politics, military affairs, and culture. Leaders of the Working Committee, including Liu Tujun, were responsible for educating soldiers on the political situation and revolutionary discipline. Wu Debiao, commander of the Anti-Japanese Volunteer Army, served as the chief military instructor, leading soldiers in bayonet drills, hand-to-hand combat, and shooting practice. Individuals with higher education levels, such as Weng Hongtang, taught literacy and Mandarin. After more than a month of training, the soldiers’ cultural and military qualities were significantly improved. On October 15 of the same year, the Minzhong Anti-Japanese Volunteer Army received orders to leave Chishi Palace and await inspection at the foot of the mountain.

The former training site of the Minzhong Anti-Japanese Volunteer Army is Chishi Palace, a temple with an earth-and-timber structure. Originally built in the early Ming Dynasty with only an upper single hall, it was rebuilt between 1824 and 1826. The current structure covers an area of 420 square meters, consisting of an upper and lower hall, eight side rooms, and 16 green stone pillars both inside and outside.

In August 1984, the former training site of the Minzhong Anti-Japanese Volunteer Army was designated as a cultural heritage site under the protection of Putian County Government.

Source: Party History Research Office of the Putian Municipal Committee

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