A Daring Raid on the Hanjiang Branch of the Bank of Communications Site

The Site of the Daring Raid on the Hanjiang Branch of the Bank of Communications

The site of the daring raid on the Hanjiang Branch of the Bank of Communications is a classic red tourism attraction.

The site of the daring raid on the Hanjiang Branch of the Bank of Communications is located at No. 23 Baowei Road, Hanxi Subdistrict, Hanjiang District, Putian City.

In January 1944, to guard against the “mopping-up” operations by the diehard faction of the Kuomintang and to resolve financial difficulties, the Fujian Provincial Committee of the Chinese Communist Party assigned the Minzhong Special Committee the challenging task of raising 1.5 million yuan within two months. After receiving the mission, Huang Guozhang and Cai Wenhuan, leaders of the Special Committee, immediately convened relevant personnel for repeated discussions and research, and ultimately decided to target the Bank of Communications located on Baowei Street in Hanjiang. The Special Committee opted for an intelligent approach: Huang Guozhang would disguise himself as a Kuomintang inspection officer and lead a team to conduct a surprise audit of the bank. Once the plan was set, the Special Committee selected 13 brave and resourceful soldiers to disguise themselves as rickshaw pullers, bodyguards, clients, and others to take part in the operation. On the afternoon of February 29, Huang Guozhang, disguised as a Kuomintang inspection officer, sat in a bamboo sedan chair carried by two “rickshaw pullers,” while being escorted by four “bodyguards” through the streets, arriving at the Hanjiang Branch of the Bank of Communications. At 4:30 in the afternoon, just as the bank’s iron gate was closing and the clerks were beginning to settle accounts nervously, Cai Wenhuan and Guo Yongxing, who had slipped in through a side entrance beforehand, unexpectedly disarmed two bank guards. After Huang Guozhang got out of the sedan chair, he led the “bodyguards” into the bank boldly, while the two “rickshaw pullers” immediately secured the side entrance. Upon entering the bank, Huang Guozhang and his team cut all telephone lines, then drew their pistols and aimed them at the bank manager, ordering him to open the safe in the vault for inspection. Subsequently, the guerrilla fighters confiscated all the deposits from the safe and evacuated safely. This operation achieved its goal without firing a single shot or injuring anyone, successfully completing the fundraising mission. In recognition, the Provincial Committee specially held a commendation and celebration meeting, highly praising this remarkable achievement by the Minzhong Party organization: “This was the first time in the history of our province’s guerrilla warfare that such a significant victory was achieved. It resolved the economic difficulties faced by the Party organization and made an important contribution to the development of the revolutionary cause.”

The site of the daring raid on the Hanjiang Branch of the Bank of Communications was demolished during urban redevelopment in 1997.

Source: Party History Research Office of the Putian Municipal Committee

Hanxi Subdistrict: Hanxi Subdistrict is located in the southern part of Hanjiang District, Putian City, Fujian Province, covering the western half of the Hanjiang urban area. It spans an area of 3 square kilometers, with a total population of approximately 35,000. It governs 10 communities. The Fu-Xia Highway passes through the area. In 1961, Hanjiang Town was established, which was renamed Hanjiang Subdistrict in 1984. In February 1993, Hanjiang Subdistrict was abolished and replaced by Hanxi and Handong Subdistricts. In 1997, Hanxi Subdistrict covered an area of 3 square kilometers with a population of 19,000, governing six neighborhood committees—Xiaoyi, Qianjie, Qingnian, Yanning, Louxia, and Baowei—and two village committees—Hanxi and Canglin. Later, it governed Hanxi, Canglin, Louxia, Xiaoyi, Qing... More detailed information about Hanxi Subdistrict++