Site of the Expanded Meeting of the Central China Bureau of the CPC Central Committee

　　Over half a century ago, this land in Shangqiu was once engulfed in the roar of artillery and the fury of gunfire. The brave revolutionary predecessors, in their fight against Japanese invaders and for the liberation of all of China, charged fearlessly and fought bravely, with many giving their precious lives. Their blood dyed the very ground beneath them, leaving behind an everlasting memorial. More than ten such revolutionary sites scattered across the city have become red tourism landmarks where people commemorate the martyrs and carry out patriotic education.

　　The Site of the Expanded Meeting of the Central China Bureau of the CPC Central Committee is located on West Sanjie Street, Chengzhongshan, Suiyang District, Shangqiu City. Originally the Holy Catholic Church chapel, it is a Western-style church building with six rooms, facing south and measuring 24.9 meters in length and 13.2 meters in width. It has brick walls and an iron-sheet-tiled pitched roof. Both the interior and exterior remain well-preserved, and furnishings such as desks and chairs are still in place. It is a provincial-level protected site. From January 29 to February 1, 1949, the Expanded Meeting of the Central China Bureau of the CPC Central Committee was held in the Holy Catholic Church chapel in the ancient city of Shangqiu. Attending the meeting were over a hundred individuals including - , Chen Yi, Deng Zihui, Zhang Jichun, -, Li Xuefeng, -, Liu Zijiu, Chen Geng, as well as heads of various military regions under the Central Plains Military Command, the Central Plains Field Army and its various columns, the Henan-Anhui-Su Branch, various district party committees under the Central China Bureau, and the cities of Zhengzhou and Kaifeng. The meeting was presided over by the head of the Central China Bureau and Political Commissar of the Central Plains Military Command, -. The agenda included: summarizing the experience of the Huaihai Campaign, studying Chairman Mao’s New Year’s message “Carry the Revolution Through to the End”, conveying the spirit of the Second Plenary Session of the Seventh CPC Central Committee, planning the river-crossing campaign strategy, and discussing the takeover of large and medium-sized cities.