Guilin Site Park of the American Flying Tigers

Guilin Site Park of the American Flying Tigers

The Guilin Site Park of the American Flying Tigers is a national AAA-level tourist attraction and a cultural tourism destination.

The Flying Tigers Site Park (full name: Guilin Site Park of the American Flying Tigers) is a memorial park built on the site of the former airport to commemorate the historical achievements of the American Volunteer Group (AVG), popularly known as the "Flying Tigers," during World War II.

This site park is situated on the ruins of the Yangtang Airport in Lingui County, Guilin City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It currently preserves relics such as cave command posts, General Claire Lee Chennault’s observation stone, and aircraft shelters. It is the only surviving command post site of the American Flying Tigers.

On June 11, 1942, U.S. flight instructor Claire Lee Chennault formed the American Volunteer Group (AVG), commonly known as the "Flying Tigers." They were stationed in Guilin with four P-40E and eight P-40B "Warhawk" fighter planes, using Yangtang Airport as their forward base to engage in combat against Japan.

In March 1943, the Flying Tigers were incorporated into the United States Army Air Forces' 14th Air Force.

On December 23, 1943, the forward command post of the U.S. 14th Air Force was relocated from Kunming to Guilin, with the command center and command post set up in caves on two separate mountains at Yangtang Airport.

In October 1944, the "Flying Tigers" withdrew from the Yangtang base. During their time there, the Flying Tigers and the 14th Air Force deployed nearly a thousand aircraft and tens of thousands of aviation support personnel along the Hump Route, transporting over 700,000 tons of supplies and more than 30,000 personnel. They shot down more than 2,600 Japanese aircraft, and sank or heavily damaged 44 Japanese warships, providing strong support for China's war of resistance and achieving remarkable military success in defending southern China.