1. Former Site of the Chinese People’s Victory in the War of Anti-Japanese Aggression
Former Site of the Chinese People’s Victory in the Anti-Japanese War is located in Qiliqiao, Zhijiang Town, Zhijiang Dong Autonomous County, Hunan Province. It is the place where the Chinese people accepted the surrender of the Japanese invaders.
On September 18, 1931, Japanese imperialism launched a long-planned war of aggression against China, which preluded Japan’s invasion of China. At the same time, it marked the beginning of the world anti-fascist war and the outset to the eastern battlefield of the Second World War. The September 18th Incident sounded a timely alarm to the people of the whole country — The Chinese nation has approached the most dangerous moment! After 14 years of bloody struggle, the Chinese people united and won the overall victory of the war of resistance. On August 15, 1945, the Emperor of Japan formally accepted the Potsdam Proclamation and announced Japan’s unconditional surrender. From August 21 to 23 this year, the Chinese government held a ceremony in Zhijiang, which shocked China and foreign countries. The specific terms for the surrender of millions of Japanese invaders in China were handled. The Japanese surrender representatives here handed over the distribution map of the Japanese invasion in China and accepted the memorandum containing the detailed provisions for the surrender of Japanese troops in various war zones. Within 20 days in Zhijiang, He Yingqin, the plenipotentiary of the China war zone, commanded and deployed the surrender of 16 surrender areas and 101 disarmament points across the country, and issued 24 memorandums, known as “Surrender Acceptance of Zhijiang” in history.
“The Surrender Acceptance of Zhijiang” marked the end of the Second World War, declared the total failure of the Japanese imperialism’s dream of annihilating China, and wrote the most glorious page of China’s modern history by washing away the national humiliation of a hundred years and resisting foreign invasion. “The Surrender Acceptance of Zhijiang” will always be born on the historical coordinates, and recorded in the history books.
The site of the Surrender Acceptance of Zhijiang was opened to the public in 1985, mainly including the Memorial Hall for the Victory of Anti-Japanese War, the site of the Surrender Acceptance of China’s War Zone (the site of the Surrender Ceremony in China’s War Zone, the site of the General Headquarters of the Chinese Army, the site of He Yingqin’s office), the Witness of Victory—Exhibition of the Historical Facts of the Victory of the Chinese People’s Anti-war against Japan, the Weapons Exhibition Hall, the Surrender Pavilion and other memorial structures and a number of auxiliary buildings.
Now it is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit, National Patriotism Education Demonstration Base, one of the first national defense education demonstration bases, Patriotic Education Base of the Chinese Federation of Overseas Chinese, National Unity and Progress Education Base, Cross-Strait Exchange Base, International Cultural Exchange Base for Overseas Chinese, National Research and Practice Education Base for Primary and Secondary Students, National Red Classic Scenic Spot, National Anti-Japanese War Memorial Facility, National 4A-Level Tourist Attraction, etc.
2. Zhijiang Peace Park
Zhijiang Peace Park is located at Qiliqiao, Zhijiang County, which accepted the surrender of the enemy after the victory of the Chinese People’s Anti-war against Japanese Aggression. It covers an area of 175 mu. There are Taihe Pagoda, Landscape Corridors, Victory Square, Olive Lake, Anti-Japanese Victory Sculpture, etc.
Taihe Pagoda is a building of both a landmark of harmony and peace in China and a symbol of Chinese culture of harmony and peace. It was proposed by the late Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Chinese Cultural Bonds Project, Mr. Cheng Siyuan, in 1995, and it was built in Zhijiang with the approval of the State Council. The main building is designed by the Architectural Design Institute of Tsinghua University. It has five floors above and below. The pagoda is about 53.99 meters high and covers an area of 10,532 square meters. It is a traditional officially- styled tower building with the upper tower and the lower hall. The pagoda base has two floors above the ground and one floor below the ground. It is a square modern building. With this square modern base building as a backdrop, a three-story and four- eaved octagonal roof tower with traditional official style rises from the center. The pagoda base is square, surrounded by a circular water belt, forming a plane pattern of outer circle and inner square. The square plane at the bottom of the tower is surrounded by a traditional circular sub-stepped porch, with doors on all sides. This building is a good expression of the traditional Chinese concept of “upper circle with lower square, outer circle with inner square”, and the idea of “harmony between heaven and earth, yin and yang, and Harmony among all things”. The first and second floors of the pagoda are “Hunan Anti-Japanese War Memorial Hall”.
3. Hunan Anti-Japanese War Memorial Hall
Hunan Anti-Japanese War Memorial Hall is located in the “Taihe Pagoda” of Peace Park, Qiliqiao Village, Zhijiang County. It was officially opened to the public on August 21, 2015, and is the largest comprehensive memorial hall commemorating the Anti-Japanese War in Hunan Province. The theme display in the museum, “The Great Wall of Blood and Meat”, is composed of six parts: “The Chinese Nation at the Most Dangerous Moment”, “The Mainstay of the Anti-war against Japan”, “The Critical Rear Base of the Anti-war against Japan”, “Six Bloody Battles”, “Hunan Anti-Japanese Heroes”, and “The Future Bespoken in the History”. A total of more than 900 precious historical photos, over 500 cultural relics and documents, 10 scenes, 20 multimedia, 19 oil paintings and traditional Chinese paintings, and 10 groups of sculptures were displayed, and a variety of advanced display means, such as photos, objects, models, projections, and scene restoration, were used to comprehensively and stereoscopically reproduce the glorious history of the anti-Japanese war of the people in the south of the lake, showing the role of the Communist Party of China as a mainstay in the anti-Japanese war. It also shows the heroic spirit of Hunan people, who are determined to fight the anti-war until the last moment. It also shows the great role of China as the main eastern battlefield of the World Anti-fascist War.
4. Flying Tigers Memorial Hall
The Flying Tigers Memorial Hall, covering an area of 63 mu, was completed and opened to the public in 2005. The former Sino-US Air Force Wing Club, power supply room, master machine room, Sino-US Air Force Wing Command Tower and other World War II sites have been well preserved. In September 2014, it was announced by the State Council as one of the first batch of anti-Japanese war memorial facilities and sites. In 2016, it was listed as a national red tourism classic scenic spot. It is the only thematic memorial hall in China that comprehensively reflects the history of General Claire Chennault and the Flying Tigers’ assistance to China in the anti-Japanese war.
The museum name “Flying Tigers Memorial Hall” was personally inscribed by Mrs. Chen Xiangmei, the wife of General Chennault. The theme exhibition “Tiger Roaring in the Sky” fully reflects the whole process of the Flying Tigers from creation to development and completion. It is the largest memorial hall with the most authentic materials, the most abundant contents and the greatest cultural relics in China at present. The exhibition includes six parts: the Main Battlefield of the East, the Arrival of the “Flying Tiger” General, the “Flying Tiger” Flying in the Sky, the “Flying Tiger” Winning in the Sky, the Heroic Wall, and the “Flying Tiger” Making History. For the first time, the museum released the list of 882 Chinese aviation martyrs and 2,193 American Flying Tigers who died for the world to cherish the memory.
5. Sandaokeng Primitive Ecotourism Area
Sandaokeng Primitive Ecotourism Area is located in Sandaokeng Town, Zhijiang County, 27km away from the county seat. It is a national 3A-level tourist attraction with a forest coverage rate of 89.8%. It belongs to the primitive sub-forest at the southern foot of the Xihuang Mountain. It is a forest area with large area of preserved natural forests and relatively complete ecosystems in the middle subtropical zone, and an important water conservation area and ecological core area. The tourist area includes the primitive river tracing experience area of Sandaokeng, Jinding Mountain Ranch Area and Dangdongkeng primitive exploration area. Jinding is the summit of Zhijiang area, with an altitude of 1,405 meters. Surmounting its peak, you can have a full view of the sunrise, and overlook the cities of Huaihua’s Hecheng, Zhongfang, Mayang and Zhijiang, which are stunningly picturesque.
There are civet, Chinese salamander, monkey-faced eagle, pangolin, gingko, nanmu, yew, beech, metasequoia and other national protected animals and plants in the scenic area. The scenic area is characterized by overlapping mountains, ravines, waterfalls, streams and reservoirs, forming a rich and wonderful natural landscape of mountains and waters, so it is reputed as “an area shaped like Shennongjia Mountains and Jiuzhaigou Nature Reserve”.
6. Peace Lake
Peace Lake is located in Zhijiang County. Both sides of the lake touch people with an impressive scenery. Longjin Wind-and-Rain Bridge was built in the 19th year of Wanli (1591) of the Ming Dynasty. It has a history of more than 400 years. It is the world’s longest Wind-and-Rain Bridge in the Dong Ethnic Group. In December 2000, the Guinness Headquarters of Shanghai Great World awarded the bridge the “Guinness of the Great World”. The whole bridge is made of wood, without any nails or rivets. It is magnificent, like a long dragon running across the east and west sides of Wushui River. It is a model of Dong architectural art. Located on the east bank of Peace Lake, Wanhe Drum Tower is the largest and most distinctive Dong drum tower group in China, which was completed in 2005. The name of the building is “Wanhe”, which means “harmony among people, harmony among things, and peace thriving in the world”. Together with Wind-and-Rain Bridge and Stilted Building, it is called the “Three Treasures” of Dong’s architectural art. It is both a landmark and the “backbone” of Dong’s village. Located on the west bank of Peace Lake, the Tianhou Palace was originally a Fujian Hakmin Guild Hall. It was built by Fujian Hakka in the 13th year of Qianlong’s reign (1748). It has a history of more than 270 years and is the largest Mazu Temple in inland China. The Tianhou Palace is best known for its bluestone gate house, which is a wood like structure with double eaves resting on the top of the mountain, fish, dragons, lions, phoenixes, flowers, birds, insects, immortals and ghosts. The characters are vivid and flexible, and the choices of pieces and surfaces are bold and flexible, which is praised by experts as “a unique place in Jiangnan”. Suozi Street is located on the north side of Longjin Wind-and-Rain Bridge. In the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, the river street with the Western Gate Wharf as the center became a place where lived all walks of life. Businessmen, craftsmen, boatmen, etc. built various wooden structure stilts here. The river street was always bustling, gradually forming its shape like a rope, with its length and narrowness like a rope. In addition, the craftsmen who made bamboo and wood rope kneaders gathered here, hence the name of Suozi Street. The Suozi Street is 4-5 meters wide, paved with large bluestone slabs and ancient dock stones. On both sides of the street are red sandstone ancient city walls and two or three-story wooden structure stilts. The stilted building is a single door building, which has the charm of Dong railings. It has green tile roofs, Xieshan roofs, overhanging mountain roofs, and carved wooden doors and windows...
When the night falls, the Wushui River is brightly lit and dreamy with the bustling streets from Suozi to Wanhe. You can sip a cup of tea while lingering in the night scene of Wushui River. You can gather some friends in the tavern toasting time and again. You can lodge as well nearby the Wushui River while the sound of the flowing river keeps lingering in your mind.
(Translated by Tian Xia)