Lixing Primary School — Site of the Former Office of the Dongguan County Committee of the CPC

Lixing Primary School — Site of the Former Office of the Dongguan County Committee of the CPC

Lixing Primary School — Site of the Former Office of the Dongguan County Committee of the CPC is located on the west side of the basketball court in the southern campus of Dongguan Middle School in Dongguan City. It served as the office site of the CPC Dongguan County Working Committee, the CPC Dongguan Central Branch, and the CPC Dongguan County Committee during the Anti-Japanese War.

In April 1937, the CPC Dongguan County Working Committee was established in Wangjiao Village, Wangniudun, under the instruction of the CPC Guangzhou Municipal Committee’s Outer Counties Working Committee. Xie Yangguang served as secretary, Zhang Guangye as deputy secretary, and Lu Zhongfu and Wang Shouqi as committee members. It had jurisdiction over five branches in Guancheng, Houjie, Gaobu, Zhongtang, and Dongkeng, with a total of 16 Party members. The working committee’s office was initially located in Wangjiao Village and later moved to Lixing Primary School in Guancheng.

In October 1937, following instructions from the CPC Guangzhou Municipal Committee’s Outer Counties Working Committee, the Dongguan County Working Committee was renamed the CPC Dongguan Central Branch. Yao Yongguang became the branch secretary, with Xie Yangguang, Zhang Guangye, Wang Zuoyao, and Yuan Jianwen serving as committee members. The branch had 11 subordinate branches and over 30 Party members. It led the Party organizations in Dongguan, Bao’an, and part of Zengcheng. The office was located at Lixing Primary School. After its establishment, the Dongguan Central Branch actively developed Party organizations while also carrying out extensive united front work. Under public and legal banners, it mobilized the masses and organized anti-Japanese groups and armed forces.

In April 1938, following instructions from the Guangdong Provincial Committee of the CPC, the Dongguan Central Branch held an expanded meeting at Lixing Primary School. The meeting disbanded the Dongguan Central Branch and established the Dongguan County Committee of the CPC. Yao Yongguang served as secretary, Yuan Jianwen as head of the Organization Department, Wang Zuoyao as head of the Propaganda Department and concurrently head of the Armed Forces Department, with Zhang Guangye, Lu Zhongfu, Zhang Lifu, and Wang Shouqi as committee members. The Dongguan County Committee led the Party organizations in Dongguan, Bao’an, and part of Zengcheng, with over 30 Party members. It had jurisdiction over three district committees — Shuixiang, Dongkeng, and Qingtang — as well as the Dongbao Border Area Working Committee and seven branches. Soon after, the number of Party members grew to 100. The committee office remained at Lixing Primary School. In July, the County Committee held its first training class for cadres and Party members at the school, lasting one month. On October 12, Japanese forces landed at Daya Bay. On October 13, the Dongguan County Committee of the CPC held an emergency meeting at Lixing Primary School and decided to establish the Dongguan Anti-Japanese Model Militia Team to take up armed resistance against the Japanese.

(Tan Zhiheng, Editorial Office of Dongguan District Chronicles)