Former Site of the Office of the Communist Party of China Minqing County Committee and the Former Residence of Liu Zhongyao

The former site of the office of the Communist Party of China Minqing County Committee and the former residence of Liu Zhongyao

The former site of the office of the Communist Party of China Minqing County Committee and the former residence of Liu Zhongyao is a classic red tourism attraction.

The former site of the office of the Communist Party of China Minqing County Committee and the former residence of Liu Zhongyao is located at Fotangqian, Banshong Village, Bancheng Town, Minqing County.

In late August 1947, the CPC Fujian-Zhejiang-Jiangxi Regional Committee decided to strengthen work in Minqing and established the CPC Minqing County Committee with Chen Shiming as secretary and Liu Zhongyao as the organizational committee member. To better implement the spirit of the Provincial Committee’s August 28 meeting and quickly open up a new phase of work in Minqing and the border areas of Minqing–Yongtai–Youxi, Chen Shiming began organizing efforts. On one hand, he transferred some Minqing natives or those closely connected with Minqing from the underground party in Fuzhou—such as Liu Zhongyao, Zheng Yihui, Liao Huaiyu, Liu Ziping, and Zhou Tianci—to carry out work in Minqing and establish rural strongholds. On the other hand, he prepared to swiftly set up mountain-based armed bases and launch guerrilla warfare once preliminary groundwork had been laid in the rural plains. Chen Shiming recommended to Lin Runan and the Regional Committee that Liu Zhide, an experienced and well-informed member of the Central Fujian Guerrilla Unit familiar with the mountainous regions of Minqing, be reassigned to work in Minqing again. In mid-September, the CPC Central Fujian–Youxi–Yongtai–Nanping–Gutian County Committee was established, with Lin Runan as secretary (also holding the regional role), and committee members including Chen Shiming, Yang Liangyan, and Liao Huaiyu (female). At the same time, the CPC Minqing County Committee was adjusted and reinforced: Secretary Chen Shiming, Deputy Secretary Zheng Yihui, and committee members Liu Zhongyao and Liu Zhide. In November, in order to strengthen leadership over work in Minqing, and with the approval of Zeng Jingbing, Secretary of the CPC Fujian-Zhejiang-Jiangxi Provincial Committee, the Central Committee adjusted the leadership of the CPC Minqing County Committee. Liu Zhongyao was appointed as Secretary of the CPC Minqing County Committee, Zheng Yihui as Deputy Secretary, and Liu Zhide as a committee member. Chen Shiming was transferred to become Deputy Secretary of the CPC Central Fujian–Youxi–Yongtai–Nanping–Gutian County Committee. For ease of operations, Liu Zhongyao worked undercover as the head instructor at Yuzhen Primary School, while Zheng Yihui served as a physics and chemistry teacher at the Provincial Minqing Middle School. The office of the CPC Minqing County Committee was located at Liu Zhongyao’s home in Fotangqian, Liudu. Chen Shiming, Liu Zhongyao, Zheng Yihui, and Liu Zhide frequently met there to discuss and actively carry out their work. They successively recruited and introduced over 30 individuals, including Huang Shijie (Du Liang), Wu Dat ing, Huang Jixin, Cai Zhaoyuan, Liu Ximing, and Zhan Weigeng, into the Communist Party. By the end of 1947, the CPC Minqing County Committee had established five district committees, two directly affiliated party branches, and one directly affiliated party group.

On the evening of March 16, 1948, the “Lin Cave Tragedy” occurred. The guerrilla team leader Liu Zhide was lured and killed, and his fellow guerrilla fighter Cai Moujian was captured. Five individuals were also arrested, including Chen Shiming, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Central Fujian–Youxi–Yongtai–Nanping–Gutian County Committee, Liao Huaiyu, Secretary of the CPC Youxi County Committee, Cai Zhaoyuan, Secretary of the Firstdu District Committee of the CPC Minqing County Committee, along with county staff members Huang Nennong and Chen Guozheng. Part of the underground party membership list was seized, and based on the list obtained, a large-scale arrest campaign was launched. “Wanted” lists and notices demanding “surrender” were posted everywhere. A total of 72 underground party members and revolutionary civilians were arrested, interrogated, or harmed. Underground party members such as Huang Shijie, Liu Ximing, and Deng Yuhe managed to escape to Fuzhou, Northern Fujian, and Guangdong after receiving timely warnings and thus survived. Liu Zhongyao and Zheng Yihui cleverly evaded capture the day after the Lin Cave Tragedy occurred and immediately rushed to Zhanghupan, Nanping to report the incident to the CPC Fujian-Zhejiang-Jiangxi Provincial Committee. In April of the same year, Liu Zhongyao and Zheng Yihui were unfortunately wrongfully executed in Zhanghupan, Nanping, due to the “Urban Work Department Case.” Liu Zhongyao was 24 years old at the time.

In 1957, the “Urban Work Department Case” was redressed, and Liu Zhongyao and Zheng Yihui were posthumously recognized as revolutionary martyrs. Their ashes were laid to rest in the Urban Work Department Martyrs’ Cemetery on Wenlin Mountain in Fuzhou.

Banshong Village: Banshong Village…… Detailed information about Banshong Village++