Twenty-Three Gully

　　Anti-Japanese Allied Forces Second Army Sixth Division Twenty-Three Gully Battle Site

　　With the sharp whistle of a train, our photography association came to the “Kouyu” area at the entrance of Twenty-Three Gully for an outing. Here there is a river with vibrant, emerald-green waters.

　　It originates from Liuguzhong, two kilometers southwest of Longgang Mountain, stretches 46.7 kilometers in length, and covers a drainage area of 68.4 square kilometers, flowing from north to south into the Yalu River. During the Northeast Anti-Japanese War, the famous Battle of Twenty-Three Gully on the Yalu River took place here. Watching the surging river and hearing the impassioned songs, one can almost hear the echoes of wartime anti-Japanese anthems:

　　The mountains and rivers quake, thunder roars for miles, the sound of cannons—

　　A symbol of imperialism oppressing weaker nations.

　　When the nation cannot be protected, how can families survive? There is no peace at all.

　　Darkness or light, the struggle on the line between life and death will decide.

　　Rise up, Chinese and Korean people!! No more slumbering in dreams,

　　With both blood and steel, we only await the charge...

　　Burning, looting, raping, and humiliating—driving people to extinction,

　　Invading Korea to swallow China, aren’t these the beastly acts described in the “Tanaka Memorial”?

　　Shared hatred against the enemy, joining together to face national calamity—this cannot last long.

　　Unite, Chinese and Korean people!! Unity means survival, separation means doom. In late May 1937, the First Army’s Second Division and the Second Army’s Fourth and Sixth Divisions rendezvoused at the Heixiazigou secret camp to discuss guerrilla warfare strategies along both sides of the Yalu River. In the early hours of June 2, the Sixth Division selected 150 strong and courageous fighters from the Seventh and Eighth Regiments and the Guard Company to form an expeditionary team. They left the Heixiazigou secret camp, traversed the dense forests of Hengshan Mountain, and arrived at the “Kouyu” settlement at the entrance of Twenty-Three Gully that same evening. On June 4, they attacked the Japanese forces in Phungthaep'o, Korea, and swiftly withdrew back to the entrance of Twenty-Three Gully on June 5. Almost immediately, the Japanese Dachuan Police Squadron, Imamura Police Squadron, and the Japanese garrison unit led by Captain Kurita of Hyesan pursued them in succession. The Dachuan Police Squadron formed a “suicide squad,” braving intense gunfire to forcefully cross the Yalu River and engage our troops in fierce combat. Ignoring fatigue, the Sixth Division’s officers and soldiers fought relentlessly, seized the high ground of the northern ridge at the entrance of Twenty-Three Gully, and fired down upon the enemy, throwing them into panic. The enemy abandoned their dead and fled toward the river. The battle at the entrance of Twenty-Three Gully eliminated over 50 enemies, capturing one machine gun, over 50 rifles, and some military supplies. This was a major victory for the Sixth Division achieved under the threat of attack from both front and rear, as they crossed the Yalu River to annihilate the enemy.

　　Now, the smoke of war has cleared. Under the leadership of the Changbai County Party Committee and County Government, the hardworking and brave people of Changbai have followed in the footsteps of their predecessors, cutting through brambles and carving roads through mountains. In just a few short years, they have transformed Changbai County into a place with an extensive transportation network, making it a hub of international border trade. Now, with a spirit of seizing every moment, they have completed the road connecting Twenty-Three Gully to the Tianchi Border Tourism Highway, striving to build a strong tourism county in China. They aim to give this once impoverished mountain valley wings to soar, shaking off poverty and racing toward prosperity.

　　Building the highest highway in the northeast is truly admirable. It is also a miracle in the history of road construction in the northeast.