Loufan Miyazhen Battle Memorial Site

Loufan Miyazhen Battle Memorial Site

The Miyazhen Battle Memorial Site is located in Guolian Village, Miyazhen Township, Loufan County. It consists of three parts: a memorial monument, a martyrs’ cemetery, and the battle site. The monument covers an area of about 300 square meters and is composed of a three-tiered stone, cement, and concrete base, as well as a bluestone tablet. The front of the tablet is engraved with the inscription written by General Yang Xiushan and the words “Eternal Glory to the Martyrs Who Died for the Country in the War of Resistance.” The monument pavilion features a classical-style structure with four golden-glazed tile roofs and four pillars, exquisitely crafted with beautiful paintings that convey a solemn and respectful atmosphere. The martyrs’ cemetery spans approximately 20 acres, surrounded by lush, evergreen pine and cypress trees. The battle site includes eight brick-and-stone cave dwellings and a brick-and-wood gated entrance, where bullet holes and scorch marks from the battle remain clearly visible to this day. The Miyazhen Battle Memorial Site has been designated as a Shanxi Provincial Patriotic Education Base and was announced by the Loufan County People’s Government as a “County-Level Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.”

Red History Links

In 1940, the Japanese invaders occupying China devised a sinister plan to destroy the anti-Japanese base in Northwest Shanxi, open a passage to attack Yan’an in Northern Shaanxi, and attempt to annihilate the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee and the anti-Japanese forces under its leadership. They mobilized troops from various regions to launch a summer “mopping-up” campaign against our base areas. In mid-June, over 700 soldiers from the Murakami Battalion of the Japanese 9th Mixed Brigade set out from Jingle City, burning, looting, and pillaging all the way until they reached the Miyazhen area. Upon learning of this, Commander He Long of the 120th Division of the Eighth Route Army ordered the 358th Brigade to march urgently from Lin County and Lan County. In the early hours of the 17th, they encircled the enemy in the areas of Caojiazhang, Guolian, and Xingwangzhuang in Miyazhen Township, Loufan County. The 358th Brigade was led by Brigade Commander Zhang Zongxun and Political Commissar Li Jingquan, along with Political Commissar Yang Xiushan and Regimental Commander Tang Jinlong of the 4th Regiment, Political Commissar Liao Hansheng of the 716th Regiment, and Detachment Commander Zhang Xiulong and Political Commissar Li Jianliang of the Second Detachment. They engaged in a fierce and bloody battle with the well-equipped and Bushido-trained Japanese forces. Militia and civilians from the southwestern valleys of Loufan County braved gunfire to deliver food, water, and evacuate the wounded for the soldiers. After three days and nights of united struggle between the army and the people, on the 19th, the remaining enemy forces who refused to surrender were finally eliminated at Chengjialou in Guolian Village, completely annihilating over 700 Japanese soldiers of the Murakami Battalion. This victory shattered the enemy’s strategic plan for the “summer mopping-up” campaign, defended the base area and the Party Central Committee, and greatly boosted the morale of the anti-Japanese forces in the border region.

Guolian Village: General Overview

Guolian Village is one of the 16 administrative villages in Miyazhen Township. It is located about 16 kilometers southwest of Loufan County and is primarily an agricultural village. The village currently has 193 households and a population of 892, including 350 laborers. The total arable land area is 5,180 mu, including 60 mu of flexible-use land. The village’s total agricultural land covers 2,309 mu, of which 409 mu are returned farmland, with a per capita arable land area of 2.9 mu. The Pan-Nan Highway runs through the village, providing convenient transportation.

… Guolian Village Detailed Information++