Yunhe Mo Ancestral Hall – Site of the Headquarters of the Tiedong Brigade, Dongjiang Column

Yunhe Mo Ancestral Hall – Site of the Headquarters of the Tiedong Brigade, Dongjiang Column

The site of the headquarters of the Tiedong Brigade, Dongjiang Column, is located at Yunhe Mo Ancestral Hall in Shishuikou Village, Qiaotou Town. GPS coordinates: 23°00'07.9" N, 114°04'18.8" E, elevation 7 meters.

In February 1944, the Tiedong Brigade of the Dongjiang Column was established, with its headquarters set up at Yunhe Mo Ancestral Hall. The operational area of the Tiedong Brigade covered the triangular region south of the Dong River, east of the Guangzhou-Kowloon Railway, where the two lines intersect at Shilong, extending upstream along the river to Qiaotou and southward along the railway to Shimatai. After its establishment, the Tiedong Brigade, under the leadership of Political Commissar He Qing, dispatched a company to advance into areas east of the railway such as Dazhou, Shishuikou, Xiegang, Qiaotou, Qishi, and Shipai to carry out anti-Japanese guerrilla warfare. Brigade Commander Xie Yangguang led a team and dozens of new recruits to operate in the regions of Hengli, Dongkeng, and Dalang. On February 4 of the same year, the Tiedong Brigade launched its first attack on the puppet joint defense team at the Hengli Station of the Guangzhou-Kowloon Railway, annihilating over 30 members of the puppet unit. Subsequently, with the cooperation of the local Party organization, they mobilized a group of young farmers and students to join the army, expanding into an additional company. After the Spring Festival of that year, the two companies led by Xie Yangguang and He Qing joined forces, crossed the railway, and advanced into the Tiedong area, achieving numerous military successes: annihilating the puppet joint defense team in Qishi, dismantling the puppet regime there, liberating Qishi twice; destroying the puppet police station in Shipai and liberating Shipai; persuading a battalion of a regiment from the puppet “Eastern Route Army National Self-Defense Army” to defect and be incorporated into the Tiedong Brigade; driving away the puppet troops in Xiannan Village and liberating both Shangnan and Xiannan; attacking the puppet police station in Shimatai, capturing over 30 puppet soldiers and seizing over 30 weapons; coordinating with brother units from Zengcheng to annihilate the puppet army company stationed in Tiefang; and repelling multiple attacks by the Kuomintang diehard forces.

Within just a few months of advancing into the eastern region, the Tiedong Brigade had established a strong presence, growing from an initial 70-plus members to over 400. In September 1944, the Dongjiang Column reorganized its forces and established a brigade-level structure to adapt to the evolving needs of armed struggle. The Tiedong Brigade was incorporated into the Second Brigade of the Dongjiang Column, operating in the area east of the Guangzhou-Kowloon Railway, south of the Dong River, west of the Huizhou-Danxia Highway, and north of Dapeng.

After Japan’s surrender in 1945, the Tiedong Brigade withdrew, and Yunhe Mo Ancestral Hall was repurposed as the headquarters of the Shishuikou Youth Self-Defense Team. A youth self-defense team composed of over 30 members was formed, with Mo Manle elected as captain, organizing and mobilizing the masses to carry out rent and interest reduction campaigns. On October 5, 1949, Qiaotou was liberated, the youth self-defense team was disbanded, and the site resumed its function as an ancestral hall.

The site faces east and has a construction area of 129 square meters. The surrounding wall has remnants about 23 meters long, 0.5 meters thick, and 3 meters high. The ancestral hall currently retains its original appearance, with murals, beams, and foundations well-preserved.

Shishuikou Village: Located in the southwestern part of Qiaotou Town, Dongguan City, Guangdong Province, approximately 5 kilometers west of Qiaotou Market, Shishuikou Village consists of natural villages including Shishuikou, Lingsha, Fangtian Xinwei, Bengangwei, and Zhonghe Market. The village is adjacent to the Qiaotou Park of the Dongguan Eastern Industrial Park, with Dongshen Road, Lianhu Road, and Shuikoucheng Road running through it. It is 6 kilometers from Dongguan Railway Station, 4 kilometers from the Changhu Expressway interchange, offering convenient transportation and a superior geographical location. The village covers an area of 7.8 square kilometers, with a permanent population of over 7,000, including 4,555 registered residents.

During the Shaoxing era of the Southern Song Dynasty (1131–1162)... More details about Shishuikou Village++