Banta martyrs cemetery

Banta martyrs cemetery

Banta martyrs cemetery is located in the former site of Banta battle. Banta was called Baita in ancient times and has a long history. According to the records of Lai'an county, located in the present Banta middle school, there was once a white pagoda temple. In the temple, there was a brick pagoda engraved with the words "the first year of chiwu" (238 AD). Later, the pagoda collapsed three floors, leaving only half of the pagoda. The ancient name of Banta is also called Banta collection.

geographical position

Bantaji is located at the junction of Xuyi, Tianchang, Lai'an, Liuhe and Jiashan counties in Jiangsu and Anhui provinces. It is surrounded by rolling hills and has a very important strategic position. In the autumn of 1939, the fifth detachment of the New Fourth Army, with Luo Binghui as commander, Guo Shushen as political commissar, Zhou Junming as deputy commander, Fang Yi as director, and Zhao Qimin as chief of staff, opened up the Anti Japanese guerrilla base in the east of Jinpu road in Huainan with bantaji as the center, completed the task of entering into the enemy's rear areas in the east of Anhui and carrying out the strategy, and initially opened up the Anti Japanese war situation in the east of Huainan road. The famous half tower battle in history took place here.

History

In March 1940, under the planning of Chiang Kai Shek, Li Pinxian of Anhui Province and Han Deloitte of Jiangsu Province attacked the eastern part of Anhui Province from the east to the West in an attempt to destroy our new Fourth Army. Under the leadership of Comrade Liu Shaoqi, Secretary of the Central Plains Bureau of the Communist Party of China, our army resolutely countered the attack of the anti Communist diehards. Just as the main force of our fifth detachment was supporting Luxi's counterattack against Li Pinxian's tenacious army, Han Deloitte's tenacious army, taking advantage of the emptiness of our east, gathered more than ten thousand troops to launch an all-round attack on bantaji and the nearby area, where our fifth detachment's command organ is located. Under the command of Deng Zihui, director of the Political Department of the Jiangbei command, Guo Shushen, political commissar of the fifth detachment, Zhou Junming, deputy commander, Zhang Jinfu, director and Fang Yi, Secretary of the Ludong provincial Party committee, our Ludong troops resolutely implemented the tactical principles of the Central Plains Bureau and the Jiangbei command, firmly waiting for help and active defense, so as to teach more than 500 members of the brigade to stick to the bantaji, and take part of the 10th regiment, the 15th regiment and the secret service camp in the construction With the cooperation of the local guerrillas, they attacked the enemy of the half tower from the north and South wings. When the enemy was strong and we were weak, our officers and men were not afraid of the strong enemy. From the dawn of March 21 to the evening of March 27, they fought hard for seven days and nights, repelling the repeated attacks of the stubborn army. The half tower position stood firm, completing our campaign intention of fighting guiwan first and then HANWAN.

After the great victory of our army in Luxi, Zhang Yunyi, commander of Jiangbei headquarters, Luo Binghui, commander of the fifth detachment, led the main force to return to Ludong. Chen Yi, commander of Jiangnan headquarters, also ordered Ye Fei, commander of Jiangsu Anhui detachment, and Tao Yong, commander of Jiangnan headquarters, to advance into the column to reinforce. Under the unified command of Jiangbei headquarters, our army began to fight back on March 29. Han Wan suffered heavy casualties and annihilated the enemy's effective force under the double attack of our army More than 3000 people seized a large amount of weapons and ammunition. Han Wan was defeated and fled in a panic. Our army took advantage of the victory and pursued to the South Bank of Sanhe. On April 9, the anti Hun battle in Ludong area ended successfully.

The victory of the half tower battle laid the foundation for the Anti Japanese base area in Huainan and ensured the victory of our troops in Luxi against guiwan. The battle of defending the half tower created an example in which the few win the many and the weak win the strong. Comrade Chen Yi spoke highly of the battle of defending the half tower. He said that in Central China, there is a half tower first, followed by Guo village. With a half tower, there is a yellow bridge.

Historical significance of the cemetery

In order to commemorate the revolutionary martyrs who died bravely in the battle to defend the half tower and the Anti Japanese War, Fang Yi proposed and approved it at the military, government and people's forum in March 1944. Luo Binghui was in charge of the construction of a revolutionary martyrs' Memorial Tower on toudaoguang mountain, which is located in the northwest of the half tower. In 1946, due to the strategic shift of our army, half of the tower was evacuated, and half of the construction of the martyr's tower was stopped.

After the founding of the people's Republic of China, the people of Lai'an began to build a half tower martyr memorial tower in 1958 in memory of the great achievements of the revolutionary martyrs, and built a magnificent and beautiful martyr cemetery with the memorial tower as the center and close to the mountain.

The memorial tower stands on the peak of Tashan mountain. It is ten meters high and is a square forest. On the top of the tower stands a statue of a mighty soldier of the New Fourth Army with a hat on his back, a big knife, a long-range vision with a gun. This stone statue was carefully carved by the teachers of the Central Academy of Arts and crafts under Chen Yi's kind care. On the front of the tower are eight powerful characters written by Chen Yi: "the revolutionary martyrs are immortal". On the back is the inscription of "revolutionary martyrs are immortal" written by Zhang Kaifan, Secretary of the provincial Party committee. In front of the monument stands a marble monument with an inscription written by Zhang Yunyi on May 1, 1964. In front of the memorial tower are two symmetrical glazed tile pavilions. On the west side of the memorial tower is the exhibition hall, which displays revolutionary historical materials for people to visit and learn.

Key cultural relics

Banta martyrs cemetery is a provincial key cultural relics protection unit. It was built in 1960 to commemorate the martyrs who died bravely in the famous "Banta battle". The martyrs memorial tower is 10 meters high and is a quadrangular platform. On the top of the tower stands a majestic statue of a soldier of the New Fourth Army (designed by the Central Academy of Arts and crafts). The front of the tower is engraved with the eight characters "revolutionary martyrs are immortal" inscribed by Chen Yi, and the back is inscribed by Zhang Kaifan. Right in front of the tower is the memorial tablet of the martyrs in the half tower written by Zhang Yunyi on May 1, 1964

Banta martyrs' cemetery in Lai'an was renamed "martyrs' cemetery in East Anhui"

With the approval of the Ministry of civil affairs of the people's Republic of China, the Banta martyrs' cemetery in Lai'an was renamed Wandong martyrs' cemetery on November 8, 2009, and was annotated as "national key martyrs memorial building protection unit" by the State Council.

The renamed eastern Anhui martyrs cemetery, including the site of the half tower battle, the eastern Anhui revolutionary memorial, Liu Shaoqi Memorial, the memorial of the second division of the New Fourth Army and the forest of Steles, is a national AA tourist attraction, a national key martyrs cemetery and a provincial patriotism education base.

Baidu Maps

Address: Lai'an county, Chuzhou City, Anhui Province

Address: on the hillside of Guangshan, northwest of Banta Town, Laian County, Chuzhou City

Longitude: 118.58552551269

Latitude: 32.680286407471

Chinese PinYin : Ban Ta Lie Shi Ling Yuan