Site of the Former Jinnan Bank in Licheng

　　   The site of the former Jinnan Bank is situated in Xiaozhai Village, Huangyadong Town, Licheng County. Nestled against mountains and beside water, it offers picturesque surroundings. In spring, the hillsides are covered with blooming wildflowers; in summer, clouds and mist weave through the air; in autumn, pear and peach trees dot the slopes; and in winter, the landscape is draped in a silvery white. It is close to the Eighth Route Army Arsenal at Huangyadong, the former headquarters of the Eighth Route Army in Wuxiang, and the former headquarters of the 129th Division in Majiadian, Zuoquan.

　　   The site was originally the ancestral home of Mr. Yan Qiubao, a local enlightened figure, built in the late Qing Dynasty as a traditional residence. The surviving structures include the former headquarters of the Jinnan Bank, the former Political Department of the head office, and the former site of the banknote printing factory, covering a total area of 25,000 square meters. The site features a basic exhibition on the development history of the Jinnan Bank. It is the only well-preserved bank site from a revolutionary base area in China, holding significant historical and tourism value.

　　   Background Information

　　   In early 1939, as the War of Resistance against Japan entered a stalemate phase, the Japanese army occupied many cities and controlled major transportation routes, implementing strict blockades and launching frenzied “mopping-up” campaigns against anti-Japanese base areas. This severely damaged the economy and finances of the Jinnan and Taihang base areas. To break through the economic blockade imposed by the Japanese, the Northern Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Border Region Government decided to establish their own financial institution — the Jinnan Bank — to issue Jinnan currency, unify the region's monetary system, ensure supplies, and develop the economy. On October 15, 1939, the Jinnan Bank was officially established in Xiaozhai Village, Licheng County, with Gao Jie as its first president. The head office of the Jinnan Bank was stationed in Xiaozhai Village for nine years. During this period, it issued 47 types of banknotes and 9 types of promissory notes, with a cumulative issuance of 20,127 billion Jinnan yuan. In August 1948, it merged with the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Border Region Bank to form the Huabei Bank, which later combined with the Beihai Bank, the Northwest Farmers Bank, and the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region Bank to establish the People’s Bank of China.