Former Site of the Battle Ground of the 1st Detachment of the Minzhong Red Army Guerrilla Unit

Former Site of the Battle Ground of the 1st Detachment of the Minzhong Red Army Guerrilla Unit

The former site of the battle ground of the 1st Detachment of the Minzhong Red Army Guerrilla Unit is located at Dongguan Fort (also known as Dongshan Fort) in Dongshan Village, Yidu Town, Fuqing City, Fujian Province.

In May 1935, the central county committees of the CPC in Fuqing and Putian merged to establish the Minzhong Special Committee of the CPC and the Minzhong Red Army Guerrilla Unit. They developed the Luohanli Base Area and actively engaged in independent guerrilla warfare. Around the base area, they conducted propaganda and mobilized the masses in guerrilla zones, secretly established party branches, openly organized peasant associations, and led the people in struggles against rent, taxes, and local despots. In November 1935, the 1st Detachment of the Minzhong Red Army Guerrilla Unit from the Luohanli Guerrilla Zone went to Dongshan Fort to confront landlords. By the time the guerrillas arrived, the landlords had already fled upon hearing the news. The guerrillas searched the fort and found various contracts, which they burned entirely. The fleeing landlords sought help from Yongtai and brought along a company of security troops to lay siege to Dongshan Fort. The guerrillas held their ground inside the fort and resisted until nightfall before retreating back to the Luohanli Base Area.

After the outbreak of the nationwide War of Resistance Against Japan, the Minzhong Red Army Guerrilla Unit descended from the mountains and was reorganized. In April 1938, the unit marched to the front lines of the War of Resistance in southern Anhui and was incorporated into the Special Task Battalion of the New Fourth Army Headquarters.

Dongguan Fort was originally built in the first year of the Qianlong reign during the Qing Dynasty (1736) by the He family to defend against bandits. It features a running horse path (also called the encircling fort sentry corridor), two meters wide, with 62 gun ports on the fort walls. The stone main gate is equipped with drainage holes to prevent fire attacks. Today, aside from some residents who have moved elsewhere, over twenty households of descendants of the He family still live in this ancient Dongguan Fort.

The Dongguan Fort, the former battle site of the 1st Detachment of the Minzhong Red Army Guerrilla Unit, was designated as a Fuqing County Cultural Relics Protection Unit by the Fuqing County People's Government in February 1981, and as a Fujian Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit by the Fujian Provincial People's Government in January 2001.

(Source: "Overview of Revolutionary Sites in Fujian Province · Fuzhou Volume")

Dongshan Village: Located in the northwest of Fuqing City, Dongshan Village is under the jurisdiction of the Yidu Town People's Government and borders Yongtai, Minhou, and Putian counties. It is a poverty-stricken village designated by the city, characterized by a mix of elderly residents, borderland location, and ethnic minority presence. The village has 25 villager groups, 712 households with 2,483 people (including 352 She ethnic minority households with 1,213 people), 45 party members, and 7 village cadres. It covers a mountainous area of 31,000 mu and arable land of 1,746 mu. “Boasting both landscape beauty and cultural heritage, with excellent environmental and cultural qualities.” Notable tourist attractions include: the provincial cultural relics protection unit—Dongguan Fort. Dongguan Fort is a castle-style earthen… More details about Dongshan Village++