The Former Site of the Shitang Reorganization

The Former Site of the Shitang Reorganization

The Former Site of the Shitang Reorganization is a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangxi Province.

The Former Site of the Shitang Reorganization (including: Dongzhu Ancestral Hall, Zhongyang Guildhall, Fuzhou Guildhall, the Residence of the Martial Arts Champion, the Residence of the Wise Water and Benevolent Mountain, the Old House of the Fu Family, and the Old House of the Liu Family) is located in Yanshan County, dating back to the years 1938–1940.

The Former Site of the Shitang Reorganization is located in Shitang Village, Shitang Town, Yanshan County, Jiangxi Province. This site complex features well-preserved and abundant relics, including nine ancient buildings: Fuzhou Guildhall, Dongzhu Ancestral Hall, the Residence of the Martial Arts Champion, Zhongyang Guildhall, the Old House of the Liu Family, the Old House of the Fu Family, the Residence of the Wise Water and Benevolent Mountain, the Ge Xian Temple, and the Shouquan Hall.

In 1937, the second cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party began. In late September, the Red Army guerrilla forces from the border region of Fujian and Jiangxi gathered in Shitang for reorganization. Huang Dao, Secretary of the Fujian-Jiangxi Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, held a mass rally in Shitang to mobilize locals to enlist in the army. He also organized work teams to promote the resistance against Japan across various counties, sparking a wave of enlistment in northeastern Jiangxi. The force expanded to over 1,500 troops. In February 1938, it was reorganized as the “5th Regiment of the 3rd Detachment of the Newly Formed 4th Army of the National Revolutionary Army,” consisting of three battalions and one machine-gun artillery company, with its headquarters set up in the Fuzhou Guildhall at Futangbeibei in Shitang. On February 9, Zhang Yunyi, Commander of the 3rd Detachment of the New Fourth Army, and Tan Zhenlin, Deputy Commander, among others, arrived in Shitang from Nanchang to visit the soldiers of the 5th Regiment. On February 25, 1938, the 5th Regiment of the 3rd Detachment of the New Fourth Army set off for the anti-Japanese front in southern Anhui, becoming an important armed force of the New Fourth Army.

The walls of the Former Site of the Shitang Reorganization of the New Fourth Army still bear clearly legible slogans from that time, such as “Fellow students and youth, strive to learn revolutionary knowledge” and “Down with Japanese imperialism.” These slogans bear witness to the history of the second Kuomintang-Communist cooperation and the historical contributions made by the people of Yanshan to the revolutionary cause. They serve as an important medium for promoting the revolutionary fighting spirit of the Soviet Area and for conducting patriotic and revolutionary tradition education. The site holds significant social value. The Former Site of the Shitang Reorganization is composed of grand ancient buildings with exquisite craftsmanship, intricate carvings, and vivid details, showcasing high artistic value. It also provides valuable physical material for the study of Qing Dynasty architecture in Jiangxi.

The Former Site of the Shitang Reorganization has been designated as a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangxi Province.

Shitang Village: Shitang Village...... More information about Shitang Village++

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Jiangxi Province