Former Site of the Garrison of the 4th and 6th Companies of the Minzhong Detachment and the Dayang Guerrilla Unit

Former Site of the Garrison of the 4th and 6th Companies of the Minzhong Detachment and the Dayang Guerrilla Unit

The former site of the garrison of the 4th and 6th companies of the Minzhong Detachment and the Dayang Guerrilla Unit, Yangwei Fort, is located in Bianhu Natural Village, Dazhan Village, Dayang Town, Yongtai County.

Yangwei Fort (including the Old Fort and the New Fort) lies at the border between Yongtai and Minqing, and was the only route from Dayang to Pangu, Hongxing, and Minqing before the road was built. Yangwei Fort was the garrison of the Dayang Guerrilla Unit, as well as the base for the 4th and 6th Companies of the Minzhong Detachment of the Min-Zhe-Jiang People’s Guerrilla Column and the Dayang Guerrilla Unit during their operations in Dayang to gather supplies and support in preparation for welcoming the People’s Liberation Army. It was also one of the battle sites where remnants of the Kuomintang’s 96th Army were intercepted during the Liberation War.

In 1947, Yan Shousong, an enlightened gentry living in the New Fort, made contact with Wu Shengduan and joined the revolution, taking charge of underground activities in the western area. In the same year, Shao Ruichen got in touch with Rao Yunshan, a member of the Minzhong Regional Committee (renamed the Minzhong Working Committee in February 1949), through an introduction. In the spring of 1949, the Dayang Guerrilla Unit was established in Yangwei Fort, with over 150 progressive locals from Dazhan, Fengyang, Linyang, Zhuyang, and Longmen villages joining. The unit was led by Captain Shao Ruichen and Vice-Captain He Zaixun, and was under the command of the Minzhong Headquarters. The Dayang Guerrilla Unit attacked the Dayang Township Office, captured Chief Yu Baolang, and seized over 20 rifles. In July, the People’s Government of Dayang Township was established, with Wu Yongxin serving as its chairman. The Dayang Guerrilla Unit also participated in battles such as the attack on the KMT 25th Army Artillery Company at Dayamen in Yamen and the assault on remnants of the KMT 96th Army in Xiaba.

In June 1949, after the battle at Cai Shiru’s Fort, Rao Yunshan and Zhu Zenghua led the 4th and 6th Companies of the Minzhong Detachment to set up camp in Yangwei Fort. The 4th Company was stationed in the New Fort under the command of Company Commander Shi Zhanggan, while the 6th Company was stationed in the Old Fort under Company Commander Gao Fei. The headquarters was located in the New Fort. Villagers of Yangwei Fort actively contributed food, vacated houses, and provided daily necessities for the guerrillas and the Liberation Army to use for accommodation. Tens of thousands of passing Liberation Army troops stayed in Yangwei Fort, replenished supplies, and then continued their journey.

On August 19, 1949, over 1,000 advance troops of the KMT 96th Army, fleeing from Nanyu to Yongtai, were intercepted by a unit of the 84th Division of the 28th Army of the Liberation Army at Shipiling in Hongxing. They retreated to Yamen, then hastily withdrew to Longmen, and subsequently advanced toward Dayang. Rao Yunshan and Zhu Zenghua led the Yongtai Guerrilla Brigade (reorganized from the original 4th Company of the Minzhong Detachment), the 6th Company of the Minzhong Detachment, the Minqing Guerrilla Brigade (reorganized from the original Minyong Guerrilla Unit), and the Dayang Guerrilla Unit to set up defenses in Yangwei Fort to block the enemy. They killed four enemies, injured dozens, and forced the enemy to retreat to Jiudu in Minqing.

The Old Fort of Yangwei is located to the west and was built during the Qing Dynasty’s Qianlong era, covering a construction area of about 4,000 square meters. The New Fort is situated to the east and was built in the late Qianlong to early Jiaqing period of the Qing Dynasty, with a construction area of over 6,000 square meters. The two forts are built on two hills about 200 meters apart, positioned high with a commanding view, forming a mutually supportive layout. Yangwei Fort features an ancient castle-style architecture, with high walls and thick ramparts, making it very solid and highly defensible. Due to years of neglect, most of the Old Fort has collapsed, while the New Fort largely retains its original appearance.

Dazhan Village: Dazhan Village is the second-largest administrative village in Dayang Town, Yongtai County, Fuzhou City. It is located in the western part of Yongtai, on the banks of the Dayang Stream north of the scenic Buddhist and Taoist sacred site Gaogai Mountain’s "Mingshishì" (Famous Mountain Chamber). It borders Fengyang Village (historically known as Youyang or Tengli) to the east, is 31 kilometers from the county seat; adjoins Linyang Village (historically called Liyang) to the west; neighbors Cangxia Village to the south; and connects with Xiqian Village (historically known as Longyang) to the north. A county road runs through the village. It is the location of the town government and also serves as the political, educational, health, economic, and cultural center of the Western Mountain area. It is also one of the operational zones of the Minzhong Guerrilla Unit.

[Village and Residents] The village covers an area of 3…… Detailed information on Dazhan Village++