Anti-Japanese War Commemorative Cliff Carvings at Yumenkou

Anti-Japanese War Commemorative Cliff Carvings at Yumenkou

The Anti-Japanese War Commemorative Cliff Carvings at Yumenkou are a cultural relic protected at the provincial level in Shanxi Province.

Anti-Japanese War Commemorative Cliff Carvings at Yumenkou (Fifth Batch of Provincial-Level Protected Sites)

Era: 1939

Location: 2,000 meters west of Longmen Village, Qingjian Subdistrict, Hejin City, Yuncheng, on the rocky cliffs of the Lüliang Mountains at Yumenkou

On December 20, 1938 (the 27th year of the Republic of China), Japanese troops stationed in Ronghe attempted to launch a surprise attack across the Yellow River at Yumenkou. At dawn on December 25, supported by aircraft and artillery, the Japanese launched a fierce assault on the positions of a battalion of the Nationalist 61st Division stationed there. An entire reinforced platoon defending Yumenkou fought to the last man. On orders from General Zhong Song, commander of the 61st Division, two battalions crossed the Yellow River at Shijiatan and attacked the Japanese forces from the eastern flank of Longmen Mountain. After a bloody battle, they successfully recaptured the Yumenkou ferry crossing and the Longmen Mountain positions on December 30. This battle inflicted heavy losses on the Japanese, thwarting their plan to invade Northwest China, and resulted in the deaths of 271 soldiers of the 61st Division. On September 18, 1939, to commemorate the fallen soldiers, six high-ranking Nationalist military and political officials carved a massive inscription on the cliffs at Yumenkou. From top to bottom, the inscriptions read: “Majestic as the Rivers and Mountains” by Lin Sen, “The Spirit Lives On” by Kong Xiangxi, “Glory Lasts for a Thousand Autumns” by Yan Xishan, “Success or Martyrdom” by Yu Youren, “Repelling the Rising Sun” by Song Xilian, and “Majestic at Longmen” by Li Wen.

The Yumenkou Anti-Japanese War Commemorative Cliff Carvings bear witness to the Chinese nation’s heroic resistance against Japanese aggression and the second united front between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party in the fight against Japan. They are also associated with the historically significant Battle of Yumenkou.

Source: Shanxi Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau

Qingjian Subdistrict: Located in the western part of Hejin City, Qingjian Subdistrict borders the Yellow River to the west, neighbors Fan Village Town and Zhaojiagou Township to the east, and connects to Yangcun Township to the south. Covering an area of 45.2 square kilometers, it administers 14 administrative villages: Qingjian No. 1, Qingjian No. 2, Qingjian No. 3, Qingjian No. 4, Fanjiazhuang, Xizhuang, Kangjiazhuang, Renjiazhuang, Tianchengbao, Hejiazhuang, Dujiagou, Longmen, Zhangjiazhuang, and Xihoujiazhuang. The Houma–Xi’an Railway and National Highway 108 run through the area. Historical sites include the Wind-Calming Pagoda. The legendary Dragon Gate where the carp leaps over the gate is located within this subdistrict.

[Historical Evolution] Established as a township in 1953, renamed Yumen Commune in 1961... More details about Qingjian Subdistrict ++

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Shanxi Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units