Former Site of the Eighth Route Army Headquarters Office in Guxian County

Former Site of the Eighth Route Army Headquarters Office in Guxian County

The Former Site of the Eighth Route Army Headquarters Office in Guxian County is a Shanxi Provincial Cultural Heritage site and a classic red tourism destination.

Former Site of the Eighth Route Army Headquarters Office in Guxian County

Former Site of the Eighth Route Army Headquarters Office in Guxian County (Fourth Batch Provincial-Level Protected Site)

Era: 1937–1946

Address: Guxian Village, Huangnian Town, Suburban District of Changzhi City

On November 8, 1937, after Commander-in-Chief [Zhu De] and Deputy Commander Peng Dehuai led the Eighth Route Army headquarters into Shangdang, the office was stationed in the Erxian Temple of Guxian Village. Successively, institutions such as the Telephone Bureau and the First Branch of the Counter-Japanese Military and Political University operated here and carried out anti-Japanese activities. In 1946, the Eighth Route Army’s Forward Headquarters established the first military industry ironworks in the Taihang Base Area here — the [Name Missing] Ironworks (the predecessor of today’s Changzhi Iron and Steel Plant), which produced 200 tons of iron and over 100 artillery shells per day at that time, making significant contributions to the Liberation War. After the ironworks was relocated, the People’s Liberation Army’s Factory 7016 used the Erxian Temple as a preparatory construction site for many years.

The Erxian Temple was originally built during the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty. It faces south and consists of two courtyards, upper and lower, with over 40 existing structures including the main hall and side halls, covering an area of 2,000 square meters.

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Shanxi Provincial Cultural Heritage Protected Sites