Former Site of the Qinshui APMPU Taiyue Branch

　　The former site of the Chinese People’s Anti-Japanese Military and Political University Taiyue Branch is located within the Jade Emperor Temple at the eastern end of Nanyang Village, Tuwo Township, Qinshui County. It lies nestled against the Taiyue Mountains to the north, overlooks the Yellow River to the south, borders the Taihang Mountains to the east, and faces the Zhongtiao Mountains to the west—offering strategic advantages for both advance and retreat. The temple complex consists of a single entrance with double gates, three towers and two halls, divided into a front and a rear courtyard. The brigade headquarters was housed in the east wing room of the rear courtyard, while the political department was located in the west wing room. The grand Mahavira Hall in the center of the north courtyard served as the APMPU club exhibition hall. In the middle of the courtyard stands a bright and spacious Hall 0, furnished with neatly arranged wooden benches and stone tables. Hanging prominently at the front of Hall 0 is the school’s bold motto: “Unity, Tension, Seriousness, Liveliness.” On the back wall of the hall are wall newspapers created by the soldiers.

　　Background Information

　　The Chinese People’s Anti-Japanese Military and Political University, abbreviated as “APMPU” or “Kangda,” was a school established by the Chinese Communist Party during the War of Resistance Against Japan to train military and political cadres. Originally known as the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army University, it was founded on June 1, 1936, in Wayaobao, northern Shaanxi, with Mao Zedong serving as political commissar, Lin Biao as president, Liu Bocheng as vice president, and Luo Ronghuan as educational director. In January 1937, it was renamed and relocated to Yan’an along with the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party. Starting in July 1937, it was successively moved to Panlong Town in Wuxiang County, Shanxi Province, and to Jiangshui Town in Xingtai County, Hebei Province. In October 1945, the APMPU moved to the northeast and was later transformed into the Northeast Military and Political University. From the winter of 1938 to the spring of 1945, the APMPU also successively established 12 branch schools in anti-Japanese base areas such as Shanxi-Hebei-Henan, Shandong, Central China, and Hubei-Henan-Anhui, training over 100,000 military and political cadres for the Eighth Route Army, New Fourth Army, and others.

　　The Taiyue APMPU Branch, designated as the Lishan Regiment, was directly under the command of the Taiyue Military District. Established in February 1943, its president was Chen Geng, commander of the 386th Brigade of the Eighth Route Army. In November 1945, the Taiyue APMPU Branch merged into the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Military and Political University, thus fulfilling its glorious historical mission. Over the course of more than two years, the Taiyue APMPU Branch forged deep bonds with the Qinan Anti-Japanese County Government and local residents. Together, military and government, soldiers and civilians fought in solidarity, repelled Japanese “mopping-up” operations, survived famine, and made significant contributions to the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japan. As Chairman Mao Zedong summarized: “The APMPU—The more we fight, the bigger it grows!” The Taiyue APMPU Branch operated in Nanyang for nearly three years, training nearly a thousand Communist military and political cadres with high political integrity, strong military skills, and solid work ethics. It accumulated valuable experience in combining study, combat, and production during the harsh war years, fostered the APMPU ethos of “Unity, Tension, Seriousness, Liveliness,” and built a lasting monument in the history of the War of Resistance.