Niutuo Village Battle Site

Niutuo Village Battle Site

The Niutuo Village Battle Site is a cultural relic protection unit of Taiyuan City.

The Niutuo Village Battle Site is located at the center of Laoyeling in Niutuo Village, Zhongjianhe Township, Xinghualing District, covering an area of nearly 30,000 square meters. The Niutuo Fort was initially built during the Japanese puppet regime period, when the Japanese army constructed permanent surface fortifications, underground tunnels, and a radar station. After reinforcement by Yan Xishan’s forces, it was fortified with ten main bunkers as the backbone of the defensive position, each surrounded by several secondary bunkers or firing positions. Except for Bunker No. 2, which is a two-story rubble bunker, all the other main bunkers are three-story rubble structures with two layers of reinforced concrete poured between the three layers of stone, resulting in walls over 1.5 meters thick. Among these ten main bunkers, Bunker No. 10, located at the center of the fort, served as the artillery bunker, while Bunker No. 4 in the southeast functioned as the command bunker. Since Bunker No. 4 was built on the foundation of the Laoye Temple, it is also known as the “Temple Bunker.” It commanded the most tenacious section of the Niutuo Fort and was rightfully called the “King of Bunkers.” After the Battle of Xiaodian in October 1948, the Front Committee of the First Corps decided to first capture the eastern hills, approaching Taiyuan from the northeast, southeast, and east, and then seize the city when the opportunity arose. From October 17 to November 13, the 4th, 6th, 7th, and 12th Independent Brigades of the 7th Column of the Shanxi-Suiyuan Field Army, along with the 2nd Brigade of the Shaanbei Garrison, engaged in 30 days of fierce and continuous fighting with Yan Xishan’s troops. They eventually captured the Laoyeling Temple Bunker and won the Battle of Niutuo. This battle was one of the fiercest and most grueling engagements in the campaign to liberate Taiyuan. The capture of the Temple Bunker marked a complete victory in the struggle for the eastern hills, opened the eastern gate of Taiyuan, and created favorable conditions for the final liberation of the city. The battle site includes the Laoyeling Temple Bunker, with nearby remnants of fortifications such as the Temple Bunker. In 2000, it was designated as a municipal-level cultural relic protection unit by the Taiyuan Municipal People's Government.

Niutuo Village: Located northeast of Taiyuan City in the hilly area of the eastern mountains, Niutuo Village borders the East Mountain Mine of Taiyuan Iron and Steel Group to the east and the Shuangliang Cement Plant of Taiyuan Iron and Steel Group to the west. Taiyuan East Mountain Road runs through the entrance of the village, providing very convenient transportation that offers favorable conditions for the development of various local initiatives. Five villages—Wayatou, Xialing, Wangjiashan, Xiling, and Guadigou—are distributed in a radial pattern centered around Niutuo, giving the area a highly strategic location.

Niutuo Village has a population of 824 and covers a total area of 4,781.4 mu, including 594.8 mu of arable land, 1,320.4 mu of returned farmland afforested, and 814 mu of construction land... More detailed information about Niutuo Village++

Further Reading:

· The Second Batch of Municipal-Level Cultural Relic Protection Units in Taiyuan City