Liberation of Lianping County Battle Site

Liberation of Lianping County Battle Site

The Liberation of Lianping County Battle Site is a classic red tourism attraction.

The Liberation of Lianping County Battle Site is located in the Yuan Shan Town area (the county seat) of Lianping County.

After the liberation of Zhongxin, on June 2, 1949, the People’s Government of Lianping County was proclaimed at the Chang’an Inn in Zhongxin. In the first ten days of that month, Chen Zhongfu and Wang Biao, following orders from the headquarters of the Guangdong–Jiangxi–Hunan Border Column, arrived in Zhongxin and convened a meeting with responsible officials including Wei Hongtao of the Seventh Regiment of the Second Eastern Detachment, Long Jingshan of the Second Regiment, Zeng Chihui of the Third Regiment, Qiu Songhe of the Third Detachment, and Deng Ji, the magistrate of the People’s Government of Lianping County. At the meeting, Chen Zhongfu first conveyed the Border Column headquarters’ decision to organize the Sixth Regiment of the Border Column and instructed that, in response to the developing situation, Lianping County should be liberated as soon as possible. This task was to be jointly carried out by the Sixth Regiment of the Border Column, the Second Regiment of the Second Eastern Detachment, and the Lianping County People’s Self-Defense Militia. The meeting then made specific arrangements for the battle to liberate Lianping County and also decided to strive for a peaceful liberation. A letter urging surrender was jointly written by the Sixth Regiment of the Border Column and the People’s Government of Lianping County, addressed to Huang Boqiang, the Nationalist county magistrate of Lianping, and Xie Yuichen, leader of the Nationalist armed forces in Lianping.

After the letter of appeal was sent, Huang Boqiang and others did not respond. On June 19, our troops held a pre-battle mobilization meeting for the liberation of Lianping County in the open area in front of the Chang’an Inn. After the meeting, the various units advanced toward Lianping County. At 10:00 a.m. on June 20, the troops arrived on time at their assigned positions on the surrounding hills near Lianping County. Shortly after 10:00 a.m., the attack began. The fierce battle continued until 3:00 p.m., when an elite regiment of over 800 soldiers from the Nationalist Army’s Independent Ninth Brigade, stationed in Shaoguan and Wengyuan, arrived to relieve the besieged forces. Upon reaching the outskirts of the city, this regiment split into two routes and charged toward our encircling forces. To preserve strength, our attacking troops held their position until nightfall before retreating to areas such as Shilong, Dabu, and Neiguan. That night, the relieving enemy forces withdrew, and Huang Boqiang also led his troops to flee to Potou. In the early hours of June 21, over 1,000 of our troops entered the city through three routes and strengthened vigilance in the direction of Wengyuan. Subsequently, Chen Zhongfu presided over a meeting of military and political cadres. The meeting analyzed the current situation, discussed the issue of military control within the city, and appointed Wei Hongtao and Deng Ji as the director and deputy director of the Military Control Commission, respectively. The meeting also decided: first, to hold a mass rally to celebrate the liberation of Lianping County; second, to implement relief work, arrange people's livelihoods, and restore normal order; third, to carry out support work for the front lines in preparation for the arrival of the advancing Liberation Army. From then on, Lianping County returned to the hands of the people.

Yuan Shan Town: Yuan Shan Town is located in the central part of the county, bordering Zhongxin to the east, Xishan to the south, Potou to the west, and Shangping to the north. It covers an area of approximately 320 square kilometers and has a population of about 65,000. The terrain is higher in the north and lower in the south, with a mild climate, abundant rainfall, and rich resources in forests, minerals, and hydropower. The town administers 16 village committees and 5 urban communities and serves as the political, economic, cultural, and educational center of the county. The town system was established in the seventh year of the Chongzhen era of the Ming Dynasty (1634), and it has long been the site of the prefectural and county governments. The first prefect was Mou Yingshou, also known as Zi Xian or Yuan Shan. During his tenure, he “cleared corrupt officials, reclaimed farmland, promoted education and military preparedness, surveyed land and set taxes…” More details about Yuan Shan Town++