Site of the "February 7th" Strike in Changxindian

　　The site of the "February 7th" Strike in Changxindian includes the historic architectural remains of the Second Railway Factory, the former site of the Labor Supplementary School, the former site of the Changxindian Workers' Club, the former site of the Night School for Workers, the former site of the Police Station, the former site of the Preparatory Class for Chinese Workers Studying in France in Changxindian, and the Martyrs’ Cemetery of the February 7th Incident. In March 2013, it was announced by the State Council as part of the seventh batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level.

　　(1) Historic Architectural Remains of the Second Railway Factory

　　The historic architectural remains of the Second Railway Factory are located at No. 1 Yanggongzhuang, Changxindian, Fengtai District, within the factory premises. On February 7, 1923, the earth-shaking "February 7th" Strike took place here. Some factory buildings and office structures still remain. The factory buildings represent typical architecture of the modern industrial period.

　　(2) Former Site of the Labor Supplementary School

　　The former site of the Labor Supplementary School is located at No. 1 Citangkou, Changxindian, Fengtai District. It was directly organized under the leadership of the Communist Party of China and served as one of the birthplaces of the Beijing-Hankou Railway workers' movement, as well as the starting point of the labor movement in North China. The site consists of a small traditional three-courtyard compound facing south, featuring a main house (east wing) with three rooms and three rooms each on the north and south wing rooms. In 1920, after the establishment of the Beijing Communist Group, Zhang Guotao, Deng Zhongxia, Zhang Tailei, Yang Renqi, and others came here to establish the Labor Supplementary School to help workers learn literacy and revolutionary ideals. The school opened in January 1921. On May 1 of the same year, the Communist Party of China established the Changxindian Beijing-Hankou Railway Union here and carried out activities, developed party organizations, and led the union’s struggles. By October of that year, the union moved to Liutiepu.

　　(3) Former Site of the Changxindian Workers' Club

　　The former site of the Changxindian Workers' Club is located at No. 174 Changxindian Street, Fengtai District. It is a small quadrangle courtyard, including one main gate, two wing rooms on each side, five rooms in the main house (east wing), and three rooms each on the south and north wing rooms. Because an earlier resident, a blacksmith surnamed Liu, lived in the front courtyard, it was known as Liutiepu.

　　In October 1921, the Changxindian Beijing-Hankou Railway Union moved here from Citangkou and was renamed the Changxindian Workers' Club. On April 9, 1922, the first preparatory meeting of the Beijing-Hankou Railway General Union was held here. The Communist Party of China organized teams such as patrols, investigation groups, and lecture squads here, leading the workers in their struggle, and directing the “August Revolution” of 1922 and the “February 7th” Strike of 1923. After the failure of the “February 7th” Strike, the site was shut down by the warlord government and later became residential housing.

　　(4) Former Site of the Night School for Workers

　　The former site of the Night School for Workers was originally the Niangniang Temple, located at No. 145 Changxindian Street, Fengtai District, within the campus of Changxindian Primary School No. 1.

　　This site was originally an ancient temple built during the Qing Dynasty, facing east and situated along the street. It had a grand entrance gate and an open courtyard inside. To the west was a large and imposing main hall with a raised platform in front. There were three wing rooms on each of the north and south sides, which were supervised by Taoist priests in the early years and enjoyed considerable popularity. An annual temple fair was held in April, attracting many worshippers praying for children. Now only the northern wing room, consisting of five sections, remains.

　　After the May Fourth Movement in 1919, students from the French preparatory class and progressive workers from the Second Railway Factory jointly opened a night communication school here. The Mass Education Lecture Group led by Comrade Deng Zhongxia often came here to give speeches. In the evenings, after work at the factory, progressive workers would come to listen to classes taught by the preparatory class students.

　　On December 1919, people from all walks of life in Changxindian held a “Protest Meeting Against Japanese Troops in Fuzhou Shooting Chinese Citizens” here. On May 1, 1921, workers in Changxindian held an event commemorating International Workers' Day here and announced the establishment of the union. The “August Struggle” of 1922 and the “February 7th” Strike of 1923 both held their initial meetings here.

　　(5) Former Site of the Police Station

　　The former site of the Police Station was originally the Huoshen Temple, located at No. 196 Changxindian Street, Fengtai District, within the premises of the Changxindian Police Station.

　　This site was an ancient temple built during the Ming Dynasty, facing west. The entire temple complex remains intact, currently including a three-room mountain gate and a three-room main hall. The plaque above the gate is inscribed with the stone-carved words “Imperially Commissioned Yanzuo Shangqing Palace,” featuring carvings of two dragons playing with a pearl. The Hall of Heavenly Kings (i.e., the main hall) consists of three rooms, built in the architectural style of the late Ming and early Qing periods. During the “February 7th” Strike, this place served as the police station headquarters, where reactionary forces suppressed the workers' movement. The “Changxindian February 7th Massacre” took place here.

　　(6) Former Site of the Preparatory Class for Chinese Workers Studying in France in Changxindian

　　The former site of the Preparatory Class for Chinese Workers Studying in France in Changxindian is located at No. 18 Deshanli, Changxindian, Fengtai District, within the campus of Changxindian Railway High School. It is a structure of modern architecture.

　　This site is a square-shaped two-story French-style building. It is situated west of the Second Railway Factory, east of residential buildings, south of a communication equipment factory, and adjacent to a teaching building. The location was ideal, being close to the railway for transportation convenience and neighboring the factory for learning work skills. At the same time, it served as a base for spreading revolutionary thought and ideals to the over 3,000 workers at the factory.

　　In the Republican era, this two-story building was the Shen Family Garden. Later, Guo Changtai, the general manager of Beijing Railway Station, built residential houses here. Eventually, the Franco-Chinese Educational Association and the factory negotiated with Guo Changtai and purchased the residence to be used as classrooms for the preparatory class. In 1918, study classes for studying in France were held here. At the time, Comrade Mao Zedong was one of the leaders of the Hunan movement for studying in France. He cared about the students’ studies, lives, and work, visited the site several times, conducted research among the workers, and spread the seeds of revolution.

　　The French-style building has two floors. The first floor contains six rooms, each approximately ten square meters in size, while the second floor also has six rooms. The original flooring and doors/windows have not been altered, although historical photos have been added to the walls. The rooms have now been converted into an exhibition hall for patriotic education.

　　(7) Martyrs’ Cemetery of the February 7th Incident

　　The Martyrs’ Cemetery of the February 7th Incident is located at No. 1 Jiayuan Nanyili, Qiaoxi Huayuan, Changxindian Town, within Changxindian Park. It was built in July 1966.

　　The cemetery is the resting place of the remains of two martyrs: Wu Zhen, leader of the Workers’ Investigation Group, and Ge Shugui, captain of the Workers’ Patrol, who were killed by reactionary forces during the “February 7th” Massacre. The Changxindian Railway Factory was one of the cradles of the labor movement in North China. On February 4, 1923, workers of the Beijing-Hankou Railway went on a massive general strike to fight for freedom of association and labor rights under the leadership of the Communist Party of China. Warlord Wu Peifu, aiming to force the workers back to work with the support of imperialist powers, violently suppressed the strikers, resulting in the shocking “February 7th” Massacre. To commemorate the martyrs’ courageous struggle and fearless sacrifice, and to uphold and carry forward the glorious tradition of resistance, the Changxindian Second Railway Rolling Stock Factory erected a memorial and tombstone for martyrs Ge Shugui and Wu Zhen in Changxindian Park in July 1966.

　　The martyrs’ tomb is constructed of brick, stone, and cement. Two parallel tombstones are engraved with the inscriptions “Tomb of February 7th Martyr Ge Shugui” and “Tomb of February 7th Martyr Wu Zhen.”

　　(Source: Propaganda Department of Fengtai District Committee)