Former Site of the Eighth Route Army Headquarters in Mamu, Hongtong

Former Site of the Eighth Route Army Headquarters in Mamu, Hongtong

The former site of the Eighth Route Army Headquarters in Mamu, Hongtong, is a classic red tourism attraction.

The former site of the Eighth Route Army Headquarters in Mamu is located in the center of Mamu Village, Xin Village Township, Hongtong County. It was originally the residence of a wealthy family surnamed Xu, very spacious and in the style of Shanxi merchants. It now serves as the office of the Mamu Village Committee. In 1937, under the leadership of Commander Zhu De, the Eighth Route Army Headquarters was stationed here for about 51 days, having a great impact on the local revolutionary development.

Background Information

After the fall of Taiyuan, the Nationalist army withdrew from most of Shanxi and North China, leading to a major shift in the resistance situation in the region. In November 1937, Mao Zedong emphasized the deployment of the Eighth Route Army: in North China, the regular warfare led by the Nationalists had largely ended, and guerrilla warfare led by the Communists had become the main form. Under the basic principles of the united front, the Eighth Route Army should mobilize the masses, abolish harsh taxes, reduce rents and interest, reorganize disbanded troops, purchase weapons, raise military funds, achieve self-sufficiency, expand its forces, combat traitors, recruit left-wing elements, and further promote independence and self-reliance.

To strengthen communication with the Second War Zone and uphold the resistance in Shanxi, the Eighth Route Army Headquarters continued its southward move, approaching the location of the Second War Zone and the Northern Bureau of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee. On November 21, 1937, it arrived in Hongtong County, successively stationed in such places as Subao, Hancun Village in Wan’an Town, and Gaogong Village, and on December 30, relocated to Mamu Village in Zhao County (now Hongtong County).

At that time, the Japanese army was organizing forces across North China to launch a large-scale offensive against the Eighth Route Army, which posed a serious threat to their rear and supply lines in the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Border Region, Northwest Shanxi, and Southeast Shanxi. Zhu De and Peng Dehuai commanded various units to launch counter-offensives: in the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei region, they directed Nie Rongzhen’s forces to crush an eight-directional siege by over 20,000 Japanese troops, killing more than 2,000 enemies, expanding the border region’s jurisdiction to over 30 counties, and establishing the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Border Region Government in January 1938, marking the creation of the first anti-Japanese base in North China; in Northwest Shanxi, they directed the 120th Division to deploy along the Guancen Mountain Range, organizing troops to move south into the Lüliang Mountain area and the western part of the central Shanxi plain, establishing the Northwest Shanxi Anti-Japanese Base, with the 120th Division growing from over 8,200 troops at the time of their eastward crossing to over 25,000; in Southeast Shanxi, they directed the 129th Division to repel a six-directional siege by over 5,000 Japanese troops, laying the groundwork for establishing the Shanxi-Hebei-Henan Anti-Japanese Base.

In February 1938, the situation in Shanxi became extremely severe, with the Japanese launching a massive offensive from the north and east toward southern Shanxi, and the headquarters of the Second War Zone retreating westward from Linfen to Jixian County. Our Eighth Route Army resolutely chose to advance eastward into the Taihang Mountains to carry out guerrilla warfare. On February 20, 1938, Zhu De and Peng Dehuai each led a contingent, advancing toward the Taihang Mountains via separate routes.