Shanxi Youth Anti-Japanese Death Squad Memorial Hall

　　The Shanxi Youth Anti-Japanese Death Squad Memorial Hall is situated by the scenic West Lake in the county town of Qinxian, Shanxi. Nestled among lush pines and steeped in classical charm, the grand memorial hall spans a total area of 2,100 square meters and features a traditional two-courtyard layout with three major exhibition halls in the northwest, center, and east. Through a wealth of historical photos, charts, artifacts, multimedia displays, and more, it systematically showcases the growth and combat history of the Shanxi New Army’s Anti-Japanese Death Squads, recreating the sweeping historical tapestry of the anti-Japanese struggle led by veterans such as [Name Redacted] and the Sacrifice League in Shanxi. It profoundly reflects the great victory of the Party’s united front strategy, policies, and tactics in the War of Resistance against Japan. It is the only comprehensive thematic memorial hall dedicated to the Shanxi New Army’s Anti-Japanese Death Squads in Shanxi.

　　The Sacrifice League, the Death Squads, and other New Army forces were all organized by our Party and remained under its leadership and command as revolutionary organizations and armed forces. On August 1, 1937, at the suggestion of Comrade [Name Redacted], Secretary of the Shanxi Public Work Committee of our Party, the Shanxi Death Squads were established in Taiyuan in cooperation with Yan Xishan. Later, under Party assignment, they were led by Comrade [Name Redacted] to advance into southeastern Shanxi, establishing an anti-Japanese base centered in Qinxian. Leading the Death Squads and the Sacrifice League, they adopted a unique form of resistance—“wearing Shanxi hats, speaking Shanxi dialects, and doing the work of the Communist Party”—to carry out anti-Japanese propaganda and armed struggle, playing a foundational role in the establishment of the Taihang and Taiyue Base Areas, as well as the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Base Area. The Shanxi New Army Death Squads achieved remarkable military successes, engaging in over 7,000 battles of various scales during the eight-year war, eliminating, wounding, or capturing more than 50,000 Japanese puppet and diehard troops. The Shanxi New Army successfully fulfilled its historical mission during the War of Resistance, and after the war’s victory, it was incorporated into the ranks of the People’s Liberation Army. The Shanxi New Army Death Squads, in coordination with the Eighth Route Army, helped establish base areas, carried out guerrilla warfare, and struck at the invaders, exemplarily implementing the Party’s united front policies and strategies, thereby establishing historic achievements that will go down in the annals of history. Comrade Mao Zedong highly praised this effort, stating, “This is a successful example of our Party’s united front policy.”

　　The Shanxi Youth Anti-Japanese Death Squad Memorial Hall is a major red cultural project initiated by Changzhi City to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the victory of the War of Resistance, under the direct guidance of the Propaganda Department of the Shanxi Provincial Committee. Building a specialized memorial hall for the Death Squads in Qinxian is both a choice rooted in history and contemporary necessity, as well as the result of decades of relentless efforts by the local Party committee, government, and people of the old revolutionary base.

　　Qinxian was the central area where, in the early stages of the War of Resistance, [Name Redacted] led the Sacrifice League and the Death Squads in establishing a base. At the end of November 1937, [Name Redacted] and his troops stationed in Qinxian, organizing, mobilizing, and promoting anti-Japanese efforts under the “legitimate” titles of Director of the Shanxi Third Administrative Office and Political Commissar of the First Column of the Death Squads, transforming the old regime and developing armed forces. Making full use of the strategic advantages of the rugged terrain and abundant resources between the Taihang and Taiyue Mountains, they advanced the construction of the southeastern Shanxi anti-Japanese base. At the same time, from here, they directly led and directed the development and struggles of the Sacrifice League and New Army forces across the province. Qinxian became a central and core hub in the developmental history of the Death Squads and was affectionately referred to by Elder Bo as his “second hometown.” For over 60 years since the victory of the War of Resistance, the people of the old revolutionary base have harbored deep affection for this people’s army. As early as the 1970s and 1980s, plans were underway to build a memorial hall reflecting the history of the New Army’s resistance. In 1989, the Qinxian County Party Committee and government opened a photo exhibition titled “The First Column of the Death Squads in Qinxian” on Erlang Mountain south of the county town, with the plaque inscribed by Comrade Shi Huai’bi. It was the earliest specialized exhibition hall for the New Army in the province. In 1994, on the eve of the 50th anniversary of Qinxian’s liberation, the Qinxian County Party Committee and government actively planned the “Shanxi New Army Anti-Japanese Death Squad Memorial Monument” and exhibition hall, completing a feasibility study that received a handwritten note from Elder Bo stating, “This matter is worth considering... Qinxian can undertake it independently,” and instructing the Provincial Party History Office to draft a proposal. Due to various reasons, it was not implemented. However, the aspiration to build a memorial hall for the Death Squads never faded. In 2004, in preparation for the 60th anniversary of the War of Resistance victory, veteran cadres and experts on New Army history from within and outside the province once again proposed building a memorial hall for the New Army. This received high attention from the Propaganda Department of the Changzhi Municipal Committee and the Propaganda Department of the Shanxi Provincial Committee, who actively supported Qinxian in accomplishing this significant task. The Qinxian County Party Committee Propaganda Department meticulously organized the project, renovating the classic-style venue of the former Qinxian Cultural Relics Museum within half a year and officially opening the Shanxi New Army Anti-Japanese Death Squad Memorial Hall on September 1, 2005. The decades-long dream of the people of the old revolutionary base had finally come true.

　　The Shanxi Youth Anti-Japanese Death Squad Memorial Hall is a research achievement in the history of China’s War of Resistance and the history of the Shanxi New Army, as well as a key project in the province’s spiritual civilization construction and red tourism development. In accordance with planning requirements, to comprehensively reflect the history of the Party’s resistance efforts in Shanxi and complement the Eighth Route Army Taihang Memorial Hall, it serves as a revolutionary history exhibition hall that mutually supplements it. Following the overall approach of “unified planning, resource integration, leveraging key points to drive broader development, and expanding scale,” efforts will accelerate the development of red tourism for the New Army. With the Shanxi Youth Anti-Japanese Death Squad Memorial Hall in Qinxian as the leading initiative, a coordinated plan will be made for revolutionary sites and red locations across the province’s New Army heritage, structured around the four major bases of the New Army, and developing several smaller commemorative sites. Existing sites such as the “Taiyue Martyrs Monument,” “Taiyue Martyrs Cemetery,” “Yanzhai Taiyue Military Region Site,” and “Taiyuan National Teachers College Memorial Hall” will be strengthened in terms of protection and maintenance, creating a comprehensive promotional and developmental framework. Around the Death Squad Memorial Hall, numerous revolutionary sites—including the former headquarters of the Death Squads, the former site of the Shangdang Silver Bank, the Death Squad armory, repair workshop, and uniform workshop—will be restored and promoted. Key projects include the “Shanxi Youth Anti-Japanese Death Squad Monument,” a group sculpture of Death Squad soldiers, as well as important auxiliary attractions and artifact exhibits in the memorial hall. This will form a new red tourism pattern that combines overarching themes with multiple focal points.

　　Phone: 0355-7029877

　　Address: Near Xuanhua Lane, Qinxian County, Changzhi City, Shanxi Province