Memorial Site of the Establishment of the Anti-Japanese Self-Defense Corps

Memorial Site of the Establishment of the Anti-Japanese Self-Defense Corps

The Memorial Site of the Establishment of the Anti-Japanese Self-Defense Corps is a cultural heritage site protected by Guangshan County.

The Memorial Site of the Establishment of the Anti-Japanese Self-Defense Corps is located in Huanglaowan, Pohe Town, 25 kilometers south of Guangshan County, Henan Province. It commemorates the activities of the anti-Japanese organization formed by the people of the old revolutionary base area of Guangshan under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party during the War of Resistance against Japan.

In August 1938, the iron heel of Japanese imperialism trampled into Guangshan territory. The Nationalist troops fled at the news, while the people of the old revolutionary base area of Guangshan, under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, actively organized anti-Japanese forces for self-defense to protect their homes and country. Within a 2-square-kilometer area east of Pohe Town, including 11 villages such as Huanglaowan, Dengchong, and Beiwang, the local residents united to form the "Anti-Japanese Self-Defense Corps" with over 800 members. Relying on more than 20 rifles and shotguns, as well as homemade guns, cannons, broadswords, and spears gathered locally, they carried out resistance against the Japanese.

On September 11, 1938, about two squads of Japanese soldiers invaded Huanglaowan. The whole village evacuated and hid in the mountains. That night, under the cover of darkness, the Anti-Japanese Self-Defense Corps selected over 30 elite young and middle-aged men to sneak back into the village. A sudden surprise attack killed two Japanese soldiers, after which they quickly withdrew. They repeated this tactic, disturbing the Japanese troops so much that they could not rest and withdrew before dawn. In November, in the hills behind Chenshiwan, the Self-Defense Corps intercepted a Japanese squad and held them off for two hours, killing and wounding several Japanese soldiers, forcing them to retreat to the Zhuanqiao stronghold.

In the face of the brutal Japanese invaders, the Anti-Japanese Self-Defense Corps refused to yield or compromise, unwilling to be slaves. They stood up to resist, demonstrating the heroic spirit of the Chinese people who dared to fight and resist foreign aggression. They fought back against the Japanese invaders, cleverly killed enemy soldiers, blew up Japanese military supply vehicles, seized weapons and ammunition, drove away the invading Japanese troops, protected the lives and property of the people, and dealt a certain blow to the Japanese invaders. However, to thoroughly defeat the powerful Japanese imperialists and drive them out of China, only by achieving a nationwide united resistance under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party could final victory in the War of Resistance be realized.

The Anti-Japanese Self-Defense Corps continued to grow and eventually moved to the front lines of the war, making outstanding contributions to the national resistance effort. To commemorate the martyrs who died in the war and educate future generations, in 1980 the People’s Government of Guangshan County designated the site as a county-level cultural heritage protection unit and erected a memorial plaque. The memorial site has become a place showcasing the spirit of the people of the old revolutionary base in resisting Japan and defending their homeland, as well as one of the sites used for patriotic education among youth.

Pohe Town: A town under the jurisdiction of Guangshan County. Established as Pohehe Commune in 1957, reorganized as a township in 1983, and upgraded to a town in 1985. Located in the southern part of the county, 25 kilometers from the county seat. It covers an area of 150 square kilometers with a population of 54,000. The Beijing-Kowloon Railway, the Zhaihe-Xinxian Highway, and the Pohe-Yanhe and Pohe-Liangting Roads pass through the town. The town administers Wuweizi, Wangweizi, Caiweizi, Zhaofan, Yangbang, Quecun, Chunshudian, Huangdatang, Liugang, Caiwan, He’erchong, Huangtuwan, Huanglaowan, Xinjie, Xinjian, Luowa, Dongyuesi, Tianwa, Liutian, Xuping, Zengweizi, … For detailed information about Pohe Town, click ++