Shanxi-Henan Border Anti-Japanese Memorial Hall

Shanxi-Henan Border Anti-Japanese Memorial Hall

The Shanxi-Henan Border Anti-Japanese Memorial Hall is located at the foot of the Eighteen Arhats Mountain in Henghe Ancient Town, where Shanxi and Henan provinces meet in the southwest of Yangcheng County, Shanxi Province. It sits by the Panting River and on the east side of the Hengshao Highway, covering a total area of 3,500 square meters with a built-up area of 1,500 square meters.

The founding site of the Shanxi-Henan Border Anti-Japanese Memorial Hall—Henghe Town—is bordered by Jian Mountain to the north, faces Aobei Mountain, leans on Yunmeng Mountain to the west, and is backed by Xicheng Mountain to the east. Surrounded by four mountains, the area features deep valleys, lush forests, layered peaks, and glistening springs and waterfalls. With a long history, beautiful landscapes, rich resources, and strategic defensibility, it has always been a key military stronghold. In the early days of the War of Resistance against Japan, it served as a vital transportation hub connecting the Eighth Route Army headquarters to the Party Central Committee in Yan'an. It played a pivotal role in escorting important Party and military leaders, international friends, and the transport of strategic materials.

In February 1938, to establish anti-Japanese bases in the enemy's rear, the Central Committee ordered senior revolutionaries such as Zhu Rui, Tang Tianjie, and Nie Zhen from the Northern Bureau to advance to Henghe Town. The Shanxi-Henan Special Committee of the Communist Party was established here, followed by the creation of the world-renowned “Shanxi-Henan Border Anti-Japanese Guerrilla Column” and the “Eighth Route Army Shanxi-Henan Border Guerrilla Unit.” These forces developed the Shanxi-Henan Border Anti-Japanese Base Area, spanning 17 counties. In December 1939, the “December Incident” launched by Yan Xishan severely damaged the base. To maintain the united front of the Kuomintang and the Communist Party in resisting Japan, the Shanxi-Henan Special Committee voluntarily moved northward, and the region fell back into enemy hands. To rescue the people from suffering, the Eighth Route Army reorganized the Taiyue Detachment under the command of Commander Wang Xinting and Political Commissar Nie Zhen, advancing southward. In early 1942, the Shanxi-Henan Regional Party Committee led by Nie Zhen and the Taiyue Southward Advancing Detachment, commanded by Wang Xinting, re-established their base in Henghe Town. They formed the Shanxi-Henan Joint Defense Zone under Commander Liu Zhong and the Shanxi-Henan Joint Office under Director Guo Qingwen, re-establishing the Shanxi-Henan Border Anti-Japanese Base Area. This continued until April 1943, when the Shanxi-Henan Region merged with the Taiyue Region to form a new Taiyue Region. Subsequently, the Taiyue Fourth Regional Committee, Fourth Military Sub-district, and Fourth Prefectural Government were established and remained stationed in Henghe Town, continuing to lead the resistance struggle in the Shanxi-Henan Border Region.

During this period, proletarian revolutionaries and military leaders—including Peng Dehuai, Chen Geng, Luo Ronghuan, Teng Daiyuan—as well as key Party and military figures such as Zhu Rui, Nie Zhen, Tang Tianjie, Wang Xinting, Liu Zhong, Chen Kang, and You Taizhong either inspected and guided operations in Henghe Town or lived and fought there, making immortal contributions to establishing the Shanxi-Henan Border Anti-Japanese Base Area.

The hardworking, brave, and simple people of Henghe, the old revolutionary base, under the leadership of the Shanxi-Henan Regional Committee of the Communist Party, saw over 400 young people join the army, with 80 promoted to company-level or higher positions due to their courageous combat, including five at the division level or above. As a forward base and rear supply station for the anti-Japanese base area, Henghe facilitated the safe passage of over 100,000 troops from more than ten units, including the 359th Brigade led by Wang Zhen and Wang Shoudao, through Henghe Town en route to the Central Plains and battlefields across Jiangsu, Anhui, Fujian, Hunan, Hubei, and Shaanxi. The people of Henghe joined the Taiyue Detachment in organizing dozens of battles, with over 180 soldiers wounded and more than 60 sacrificing their lives for the nation. They made tremendous sacrifices and significant contributions to the victory of the War of Resistance, the liberation of Yangcheng, and the liberation of the entire country.

In pursuit of the revolutionary history, the founders of the “Shanxi-Henan Border Anti-Japanese Memorial Hall,” regardless of personal sacrifice, old age, physical hardship, or exposure to the elements, spent over a decade traveling back and forth between the north and south dozens of times, covering tens of thousands of miles. They interviewed hundreds of veterans and informed individuals, collecting extensive materials, precious photos, and cultural relics, amassing over 200,000 words of historical data. After meticulous verification by Gao Jinmin and Liu Zengfa, the most essential and representative stories were selected, and the memorial hall’s establishment began in the second half of 2005. With strong support from the Henghe Town Party Committee, government, and Henghe Village, the memorial hall now occupies 30 rooms, features 250 square meters of exhibition panels, and presents content in a detailed, image-rich format across six major sections in six exhibition halls. A memorial pavilion, 30 meters of glass display cabinets, and over 900 precious cultural relics have been added, with a total self-raised investment of 450,000 yuan. The site selection was advised by Gao Jinmin, former political director of the Shanxi-Henan Border Anti-Japanese Guerrilla Unit, and Madam Geng Xixian, wife of Commander Tang Tianjie. The name of the memorial hall was inscribed by the esteemed veteran Nie Zhen, former leader of the Shanxi-Henan Regional Committee.

The memorial hall houses over ten inscriptions from revolutionary veterans such as Tang Tianjie, Li Zhongxuan, Qi Huaipei, Xu Kelin, and Li Chao. The historical materials preserved in the memorial hall strive for authenticity and historical accuracy, aiming to celebrate the revolutionary struggle and glorious history of Yangcheng’s old base areas. It promotes the revolutionary spirit of the base areas, using history as a mirror to educate future generations.

In the summer of 2007, the Shanxi-Henan Border Anti-Japanese Memorial Hall was officially registered as a “non-enterprise private entity.” It has since been recognized and awarded plaques by the Shanxi Provincial Party Committee and Government as a “Shanxi Patriotic Education Demonstration Base,” and by the Jincheng Municipal Party Committee and Government as a “Jincheng Patriotic Education Base,” “Jincheng Party History Education Base,” “Jincheng Integrity Education Base,” “Minorities Education Demonstration Base,” and “National Defense Education Base,” among others.