Former Site of the Central China Anti-Japanese Base Area

Former Site of the Central China Anti-Japanese Base Area

The former site of the Central China Anti-Japanese Base Area is a cultural heritage protection unit of Henan Province.

The former site of the Central China Anti-Japanese Base Area is located in Lixinglou Village, HuaiShu Township, Suiping County. It dates back to 1944. This site is among the seventh batch of cultural heritage protection units designated by Henan Province.

The Memorial Hall of the Central China Anti-Japanese Base Area is located in Lixinglou Village, HuaiShu Township, Suiping County, about 30 kilometers from the county seat. Suiping is a revolutionary old base area with a glorious tradition, a land soaked with the blood of revolutionary martyrs. During the War of Resistance Against Japan, over fifty senior officials of the Communist Party and the People’s Liberation Army—including Liu Shaoqi, Li Xiannian, and Wang Zhen—as well as other veteran revolutionaries, left their illustrious battle footprints here.

I. Excellent Transportation Access

Suiping is bordered by Zhumadian City to the south, which is 300 kilometers from Wuhan, a major hub city in central China. To the north lies Luohe City, and Zhengzhou, the transportation hub of the Central Plains, is just 200 kilometers away. National Highway 107, the Beijing-Guangzhou Railway, the Beijing-Zhuhai Expressway, and the Beijing-Guangzhou High-Speed Railway all run through Suiping County. Tourist shuttle buses from Zhengzhou and Zhumadian to the scenic area have been launched, along with dedicated bus routes from Suiping to HuaiShu Township, making transportation highly convenient.

II. Superior Tourism Advantages

The Memorial Hall of the Central China Anti-Japanese Base Area is adjacent to the Longtiangou Scenic Area in HuaiShu Township, and to the south lies the picturesque Zhongyuan Bonsai, the national AAAA-level tourist attraction, national geopark, national forest park, and main filming location for the sequel of CCTV’s Journey to the West—Shiren Mountain Scenic Area. Other nearby sites include the Danxia landform landscape Hongshiya Scenic Area and the first people’s commune established in China—the former site museum of the Shiren Mountain Satellite People’s Commune. To the west is the Jiutouya Scenic Area in Wuyang City, Pingdingshan. This region was also an area of activity for veteran revolutionaries. During wartime, Longtiangou served as the New Fourth Army’s uniform factory and military training ground, and relics such as the thatched cottage where Li Xiannian once lived still remain. A memorial hall of the Central China Revolutionary Base has been built at Li Xiannian’s former residence. The area offers outstanding advantages for red tourism.

III. Exhibition Overview

The Memorial Hall of the Central China Anti-Japanese Base Area officially opened in April 2010. The site covers an area of over 500 square meters and consists of two courtyards. The front courtyard houses the exhibition area, while the rear courtyard is the former site of Li Xiannian’s revolutionary activities in the Central China Base. The exhibition is divided into eight sections: (1) Accepting the mission during a national crisis, shouldering the great duty of resistance; (2) Galloping across the regions south and north of the Yangtze River, operating actively along the Xiang River; (3) Implementing the “controlling the Central Plains” strategy, opening up the anti-Japanese battlefield behind enemy lines in Henan; (4) Advancing into Shiren Mountain, establishing the Central China Base Area; (5) Li Xiannian’s revolutionary activities in Suiping; (6) Remembering the great achievements and commemorating the great leader Li Xiannian; (7) Shiren Mountain Vocational School; (8) Glorious history recorded in the annals—the heroic struggle history of Suiping. The exhibition features 38 display panels, along with a large number of historical photos and materials that systematically reflect the great achievements made by the revolutionary forebears and the people of Suiping on this land.

In December 2005, the memorial was designated by the Young Pioneers Working Committee of Henan Provincial Communist Youth League as a “Henan Red Scarf Experiential Education Base.” In the same month, it was recognized by the Publicity Department of Zhumadian Municipal Committee of the CPC as a “Zhumadian Patriotic Education Demonstration Base,” and approved by the municipal tourism bureau as part of the city’s premium red tourism routes and scenic spots.

IV. Story Summary

In the spring of 1944, the Japanese army launched the Henan Campaign. The 400,000-strong Nationalist forces collapsed at the first encounter, losing 38 cities within a month. The people of Henan, already suffering from floods, droughts, locust plagues, and the tyranny of warlord Tang Enbo, faced brutal oppression under Japanese occupation and their puppet regimes after the fall of their region. They yearned for the Communist Party, the Eighth Route Army, and the New Fourth Army to advance into the enemy’s rear in Henan to fight the invaders.

In response, the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party issued an order to the Fifth Division to advance into Henan and take control of Central China: “The Henan Campaign has temporarily concluded... As a result, the strategic position and role of our Fifth Division have become even more significant. The future direction of the Fifth Division should be toward Henan, to fulfill the strategic task of controlling Central China. Accomplishing this task will integrate our forces in Central China, North China, and Northern Shaanxi, resolving the unshakable strategic position of our Party and Army. Given that Henan party organizations have currently lost contact with the Central Committee, the work in southern Henan shall be overseen by the Henan-Hubei Border Region Party Committee.”

Upon receiving the Central Committee’s directive, Comrade Li Xiannian, commander and political commissar of the New Fourth Army’s Fifth Division, immediately deployed troops. He formed the Southern Henan Guerrilla Corps with over a thousand personnel, including two companies from the Huainan Detachment, three companies of the 25th Independent Regiment of the Xinying Unit, and the Third Battalion of the 38th Regiment of the 13th Brigade. Huang Lin was appointed as the commander of the corps, tasked with swiftly advancing into the enemy’s rear in Henan. Mobilization and deployment were carried out among cadres heading for Henan.

In July, the vanguard of the Southern Henan Guerrilla Corps reached the border of Zhengyang (Zheng) and Queshan (Shan). Li Xiannian instructed them to center their efforts around Huchongdian, carry out local work, adopt a dispersed guerrilla tactic to establish a foothold, and commanded Huang Lin’s main force to quickly advance into the Huainan region to rendezvous with the vanguard. In mid-August, after crossing the Huai River, Huang Lin’s corps used long-distance surprise attacks to completely annihilate the pro-Japanese Qinyudong Security Regiment of Zhengyang County, led by Jin Yudong, liberating Huchongdian. They incorporated units that supported the Communist Party's anti-Japanese stance, such as those led by Qiao Yulin, Xu Yulin, Zhang Mingzhai, and Deng Lizhao, into the Southern Henan Guerrilla Corps. They established the Second and Third Advance Regiments, formed the Runan (Ru’nan)-Zhengyang (Zhengyang)-Queshan (Queshan) and Runan (Runan)-(Shang)Cai-Suiping (Suiping) County Committees and Anti-Japanese Democratic Governments, and initially developed the situation around Runan-Queshan, creating a forward base for advancing into Henan.

Li Xiannian was highly encouraged by the situation Huang Lin’s forces had initiated around Runan-Queshan after advancing into Henan. He promptly ordered Zhou Qingming, political commissar of the 38th Regiment of the 13th Brigade, to lead a portion of the troops to Henan to join Huang Lin. He also commanded the establishment of the Eastern Route Command based on the Huainan, Runan-Queshan, and Runan-Cai-Suiping regions, to lead the resistance against Japan and base construction on both sides of the Huai River. Meanwhile, the main force of the Southern Henan Guerrilla Corps continued westward toward the Beijing-Hankou Railway, overcoming over 1,500 enemy troops blocking their way, thus clearing obstacles for the establishment of the Southern Henan Anti-Japanese Base Area.

Zhou Qingming successfully rendezvoused with Huang Lin in Southern Henan and established the Southern Henan Anti-Japanese Base Area centered on Gushanchong. The continuous stream of good news reached BaiGuoshu Bay, further exhilarating Li Xiannian and Ren Zhibin. As the situation in Henan developed, the issue of insufficient troops became increasingly prominent. Li Xiannian then ordered the 2nd Battalion of the 45th Regiment of the 15th Brigade, stationed near Southern Henan, to quickly advance into Henan.

In late July, the 3rd Detachment, commanded by Chen Xianrui, set out from Shenhou Town, Yuxian County, and advanced toward the Shiren Mountain area. They entered Chushan Town, Xiping County, where they successfully joined forces with the New Fourth Army’s 2nd Advance Regiment, who had come to welcome them. The next day, the main force of the 3rd Detachment of the Henan Military Region’s Anti-Japanese People’s Army reached Huaishu Town in Suiping County and Yifeng Town in Xiping County, joining the main forces of the Central China Guerrilla Corps. The rendezvous of the 3rd Detachment of the Eighth Route Army’s Henan Military Region’s Anti-Japanese People’s Army with the Central China Guerrilla Corps of the New Fourth Army greatly strengthened the combat effectiveness of the Communist-led anti-Japanese forces in the Shiren Mountain area. This move initially achieved the Central Committee’s strategic goal of controlling Central China. To consolidate and expand the Central China Anti-Japanese Base Area and achieve final victory in the War of Resistance, in early August, in accordance with higher directives, the Central China Guerrilla Corps of the New Fourth Army’s 5th Division merged with the 3rd Detachment of the Eighth Route Army’s Henan Military Region’s Anti-Japanese People’s Army, forming the Central China Military Sub-district. Chen Xianrui was appointed commander, Li Zaisan political commissar, and Huang Lin deputy commander. At the same time, the Central China Regional Committee and Administrative Office were established, with Li Zaisan as secretary, Ouyang Jingrong as commissioner, Tong Zhongyu as deputy secretary, and Sun Shi as deputy commissioner. The Central China Regional Committee and Administrative Office governed six county committees and county democratic governments in Suiping, Xiping, Ye, Queshan, Biyang, and Wuyang, with headquarters located in Lixinglou. During this period, Li Xiannian personally ventured into the Shiren Mountain area to closely observe enemy and puppet movements and plan strategies against them. He stayed in the earthen house of a local villager in Lixinglou, living and fighting alongside the broad masses of soldiers and civilians in the base area. He personally convened mass meetings to mobilize the public to join the resistance, and visited the New Fourth Army field hospital at Hongshiya in Shiren Mountain to comfort the wounded.

In mid-October 1945, the New Fourth Army’s 5th Division, led by Li Xiannian, successfully rendezvoused in Tushan Village, Shiren Mountain Township, with the East 8th Regiment of the Jilu-Yu Military Region of the Eighth Route Army, led by Wang Dinglie, and the Henan Military Region of the Eighth Route Army, led by Wang Shusheng. A joint meeting was held to mark the historic union. This symbolized the New Fourth Army’s 5th Division establishing contact with the Eighth Route Army, achieving the strategic goal of “controlling Central China,” and linking the anti-Japanese bases in Central China, North China, and Northern Shaanxi into one, laying the unshakable strategic foundation of our Party and Army. Hongshiya Village was the site of the wartime field hospital, where over 300 wounded soldiers were treated, and more than 60 soldiers sacrificed heroically, including over 40 who were tragically buried alive by the puppet government, giving their precious lives for national liberation. The Longtiangou Scenic Area was once the New Fourth Army’s uniform factory and military training ground, and relics such as the thatched cottage where Li Xiannian lived still remain. To commemorate the martyrs and inspire future generations, donations from all sectors of society were used to build a Revolutionary Martyrs Monument, and a memorial hall of the Central China Revolutionary Base was established at Li Xiannian’s former residence.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of Cultural Heritage Protection Units of Henan Province