Former Site of the Whampoa Military Academy's Yantang Branch

Former Site of the Whampoa Military Academy's Yantang Branch

The former site of the Whampoa Military Academy's Yantang Branch is a cultural relic protection unit of Guangdong Province.

The former site of the Whampoa Military Academy's Yantang Branch is located in Yantang, Shahe, now within the PLA Institute of Physical Education on Yuxidong Road, Shahe.

In the 13th year of the Republic of China (1924), the Whampoa Military Academy was established and used the former Qing New Army Yantang camp to set up a branch, known as the Whampoa Military Academy Yantang Branch. On September 3, 1926, Mao Zedong gave a report here to the faculty and students of the academy.

In the 3rd year of the Xuantong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1911), the Guangdong New Army Brigade was established, comprising 3 battalions and 11 companies. Among them, the brigade headquarters, the 1st Battalion of the Infantry 1st Battalion, the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the Artillery Battalion, the Engineer Battalion, and the Supply Battalion were stationed here. In that same year, the Guangdong Aircraft Company built an airport here. On August 25 of the following year, Feng Ru performed a flight demonstration here but unfortunately crashed and died.

In 1931, Chen Jitang established the Guangdong Military and Political School here and served as its president. In 1936, after Chen Jitang stepped down, it was renamed the Guangzhou Branch of the Central Military Academy. In 1937, it became the 4th Branch of the Central Military Academy. In 1946, it was changed to the 2nd Branch of the Central Police Academy. During the Republican era, the site was also garrisoned by units such as the 1st Division of the Guangdong Army, the Artillery Regiment of the 4th Army of the National Revolutionary Army, the Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion, the Guangdong Tank Battalion, and the Newly Organized 38th Division.

After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the site also housed institutions including the Guangdong Military and Political University, the 6th Branch of the Central-South Military and Political University, the 25th Infantry School of the PLA, and the PLA Institute of Physical Education (School).

Today, the foundation stone of the 2nd Branch of the Central Police Academy still remains at the site. The memorial stone is a rectangular slab, broken into three pieces, measuring 0.73 meters in width, 1.21 meters in length, and 0.1 meters in thickness. It bears vertically inscribed clerical script in intaglio, reading from right to left: “Commemorative Foundation Stone, October 31, 1936, Erected by All Faculty and Students of the 2nd Branch of the Central Police Academy.”

On October 19, 2012, it was announced as part of the second batch of cultural relic protection units in Tianhe District.

Linhe Subdistrict: Linhe Subdistrict was established in December 1995, formed by carving out Linhe Village from Shahe Town and parts of Shiqiaoshibei, Tianhenan, and Shahe subdistricts. In 2003, the subdistrict covered an area of 3.8 square kilometers with a total population of 72,671, including 41,795 permanent residents and 30,876 temporary migrants. The subdistrict governs 11 community neighborhood committees: Runhe Neighborhood Committee, Huashengliao Neighborhood Committee, Yuxidong Neighborhood Committee, Derong Neighborhood Committee, Qiaoting Neighborhood Committee, Yakang Neighborhood Committee, Bauhinia Neighborhood Committee, Tianshou Neighborhood Committee, Tianshanbei... More details about Linhe Subdistrict++

Further Reading:

· Second Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units in Tianhe District