Shanxi-Henan Border Anti-Japanese War Memorial Hall

　　The Shanxi-Henan Border Anti-Japanese War Memorial Hall is situated in Henghe Ancient Town at the junction of Shanxi and Henan in the southwest of Yangcheng County, Shanxi Province. It lies at the foot of the Eighteen Arhats Mountain on the Pan Ting River and to the east of the Hengshao Highway, covering a total area of 3,500 square meters with a built-up area of 1,500 square meters.

　　The Henghe Town where the memorial hall was established is surrounded by four mountains—Jianshan to the north, Aobei to the front, Yunmeng to the west, and Xicheng to the east. With deep valleys, dense forests, layered peaks, and springs and waterfalls, the area boasts a long history, beautiful landscapes, abundant resources, and strategic defensibility, making it a historically contested military stronghold. At the beginning of the War of Resistance Against Japan, it served as a vital transportation hub connecting the Eighth Route Army headquarters to the Party Central Committee in Yan'an. It played a pivotal role in escorting key leaders of the Party and the army, international friends, and the transport of strategic supplies.

　　In February 1938, to establish anti-Japanese guerrilla bases behind enemy lines, the Central Committee ordered veteran revolutionaries such as Zhu Rui, Tang Tianji, and Nie Zhen from the Northern Bureau to advance to Henghe Town. The Shanxi-Henan Special Committee of the Communist Party was founded here, followed by the establishment of the world-renowned “Shanxi-Henan Border Anti-Japanese Guerrilla Column” and the “Eighth Route Army Shanxi-Henan Border Guerrilla Unit.” These forces created the Shanxi-Henan Border Anti-Japanese Base Area spanning 17 counties. In 1939, the “December Incident” launched by Yan Xishan severely damaged the base area. To uphold the overall situation of the united front between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party and the joint resistance against Japan, the Shanxi-Henan Special Committee voluntarily moved northward, and the region fell back into enemy hands. To save the people from suffering, the Eighth Route Army reorganized the Taiyue Detachment under the command of Commander Wang Xinting and Political Commissar Nie Zhen, advancing southward. In early 1942, the Shanxi-Henan Regional Party Committee led by Nie Zhen and the Taiyue Southward Advance Detachment commanded by Wang Xinting re-established their presence in Henghe Town. They formed the Shanxi-Henan Joint Defense Zone under the command of Commander Liu Zhong and the Shanxi-Henan Joint Office under Director Guo Qingwen, re-establishing the Shanxi-Henan Border Anti-Japanese Base Area. This continued until April 1943 when the Shanxi-Henan Region merged with the Taiyue Region to form the new Taiyue Region. Subsequently, the Taiyue Fourth Regional Committee, Fourth Military Sub-district, and Fourth Special Administration remained stationed in Henghe Town, continuing to lead the anti-Japanese struggle in the Shanxi-Henan Border Area.

　　During this period, proletarian revolutionaries and military leaders—including Peng Dehuai and others—as well as key leaders of the Party and the army such as Zhu Rui, Nie Zhen, Tang Tianji, Wang Xinting, Liu Zhong, Chen Kang, and You Taizhong either visited Henghe Town for inspection and guidance or lived and fought there, making immortal contributions to the establishment of the Shanxi-Henan Border Anti-Japanese Base Area.

　　The hardworking, brave, and simple people of Henghe, under the leadership of the Shanxi-Henan Regional Party Committee, had over 400 young men enlist to fight in the war, with 80 promoted to company-level or higher positions due to their bravery in battle, including five at the division level or above. As a forward base and rear supply station for the anti-Japanese base area, Henghe escorted more than ten units totaling over 100,000 troops, including the 359th Brigade led by Wang Zhen and Wang Shoudao, southward through Henghe Town to the Central Plains and various battlefields across Jiangsu, Anhui, Fujian, Hunan, Hubei, and Shaanxi. The people of Henghe, in coordination with the Taiyue Detachment, organized dozens of battles locally, with over 180 soldiers injured and more than 60 sacrificing their lives for the country. They made tremendous sacrifices and significant contributions to the victory of the War of Resistance, the liberation of Yangcheng, and ultimately the liberation of the entire nation.

　　In pursuit of the revolutionary history, the initiators and founders of the “Shanxi-Henan Border Anti-Japanese War Memorial Hall” disregarded personal gains and losses, ignored their old age and physical limitations, and endured harsh conditions. Over more than a decade, they traveled back and forth between the north and south dozens of times, covering tens of thousands of miles. They interviewed hundreds of veterans and knowledgeable individuals, collecting a wealth of materials, precious photos, and artifacts, along with over 200,000 words of historical accounts. After repeated verification by Gao Jinmin and Liu Zengfa, the most essential and impactful stories were selected. In the second half of 2005, the construction of the memorial hall began. Thanks to the strong support of the Henghe Town Party Committee, government, and Henghe Village, the memorial hall currently houses 30 rooms, features exhibition panels covering 250 square meters, and presents content that is detailed and richly illustrated. It is divided into six major sections displayed across six exhibition halls, with an additional memorial pavilion, 30 meters of glass display cases, and over 900 precious cultural relics on exhibit. The project was self-funded with an investment of 450,000 yuan. The site selection was advised by Gao Jinmin, former Political Director of the Shanxi-Henan Border Anti-Japanese Guerrilla Unit, and Geng Xixian, wife of Commander Tang Tianji. The name of the memorial hall was inscribed by Nie Zhen, a former leader of the Shanxi-Henan Regional Committee.

　　The memorial hall houses over ten inscriptions from revolutionary veterans such as Tang Tianji, Li Zhongxuan, Qi Huaipei, Xu Kelin, and Li Chao. The historical materials and collections strive for authenticity and stand the test of history, aiming to extol the struggles and glorious history of Yangcheng’s revolutionary base areas, promote the revolutionary spirit of the region, draw lessons from history, and inspire future generations.

　　In the summer of 2007, the Shanxi-Henan Border Anti-Japanese War Memorial Hall was officially registered as a “non-enterprise private organization.” It has since been awarded plaques by the Shanxi Provincial Party Committee and Government, designating it as a “Shanxi Patriotic Education Demonstration Base,” and by the Jincheng Municipal Party Committee and Government, naming it a “Jincheng Patriotic Education Base,” “Jincheng Party History Education Base,” “Jincheng Integrity Education Base,” “Minority Education Demonstration Base,” and “National Defense Education Base.”