Overlook of Xiongfengshan

Reconstructed Wenfeng Tower

Smoke of gunpowder drops away, but heroic spirit lives forever; the ancestors passed away, but their souls keep blessing China. During the 8-year anti-Japanese war, countless Chenzhou people fought against the enemies and protected the mother land. Defending Xiongfengshan of Anren county was one of the example battles.

Important strategic location- holding the strategic point of Lei’an highway

Though it was a spent bullet of militant Japanese who were in trouble of the Pacific War, they still dispatched forces to invade into Anren county on June 27, 1944. They attempted to close Yu-Xiang-Gui battle and exterminate China by threading the defenders of Hengyang city from the flank.

Xiongfengshan is located in the southeast of Anren county where is about 5kms away from the downtown. The highest elevation of it is Wenfeng Tower which is about 430meters higher than sea level. Yongle river circles around Xiongfen mountain.

There was only one highway available in Anren county as Lei’an highway which connected Leiyang and Anren. The Japanese invaders had to control Lei’an highway if they wanted to deliver their troops and impedimenta to the south and east areas. Xiongfengshan is located in the east side of Lei’an highway. They could proceed to the east area as Chaling and Lixian and provide safe condition to westward troops as long as they controlled Xiongfengshan. Once passed from Xiongfengshan safely, it is Cha’an basin where is without any obstacles.
The patriotic soldiers from the 37th troop, 20th troop and 44th troop of the National Revolutionary Army resisted the invaders fiercely and kept the control of Xiongfengshan till the date of the invaders’ surrender. It was a soul-stirring image of Chinese people’s anti-Japanese war.

Three warfare of Xiongfengshan: a filed littered with the enemies’ corpses

According to the data of “Chenzhou region records” 1996 version and “Anren county records” 1996 version, the Japanese invaders dispatched a cohort and a company of mountain artillery to take over two highlands of Xiongfengshan on July1, 1944 ( May 11 of lunar calendar). The 37th troop of the National Revolutionary Army fought against the Japanese and retook one highland.

The 6th regiment of infantry and 3rd regiment of cavalry of Japanese army turned over the defense task to its 27th and 34th divisions on August 13, 1944. At the same time, the 20th troop of the National Revolutionary Army took charge of the defense task of 37th troop. On learning the transferring information of Japanese Army, the 37th troop launched the attacks to the Japanese stationed in Sanzhuta of Xiongfengshan on August 21, 1944. Assisted with air attacks of American Army, Japanese invaders were suffered from great loss.

But assisted with more troops after Hengyang Battle, Japanese Army took over 427 and 305 highlands of Xiongfengshan on November 23, 1944. He Baoheng- Division Commander of 162 division of 44th troop of the National Revolutionary Army ordered 486th regiment to attack the Japanese by surprise. After the bloody battle in all night, they got back 427 highland and killed over 70 enemies.

From then on, Chinese army controlled the Xiongfengshan till the end of the anti-Japanese war.

Interview script: set monument, and planned to construct exhibition area of former sites of anti-Japanese war

When reporters arrived at Sanzhuta on August 21, 2015, many visitors were travelling around the green area. Many flowers were displayed on the former battle fields. Leading by some staffs of local farm, the reporters entered the trenches of former sites of the war.

The trenches which are some protuberant and steep hilltops were set on the west side of Sanzhuta. A stone monument was set on the roadside by Anren County Party Committee and Anren Government in July, 2011. Brief introduction of the Defending Xiongfengshan and the troops and results of the battle were presented on it.

The hilltop has not been developed till now, even no footpath available there. The reporters can only walked among the trees and found the trenches 500meters away from the highway. All the trenches were well protected. They are over 1.2meters high and are boundary in all four sides. Though many trees covered the trenches, they are distinct. When stepping on the trenches, the reporters were likely to see the moving and tragic images of the war and feel Chinese soldiers’ utterly fearless spirit on fighting against the Japanese invaders.

From the tactics, the trenches should be set around the mountain, because such surrounded front can fight against the invaders forcefully. Li Yanhong- Deputy Secretary of Party Committee of Dashi Forestry Farm and some staffs of the farm proved the reporters’ opinion by their memories. It was introduced that the trenches were set in all the four sides of the mountain. In 1970s’ and 1980s’, people usually found some shells and components of guns there. In other two hilltops, there are also some trenches, but because of turns of afforestation, most of the former sites were destroyed.

On the interview, when reporters asked where the cemeteries of Chinese soldiers were, all people were confused about it. They could only tell that it was hard to find the temporary cemeteries of the soldiers after so many years. There was no record available in the historical data either. But they considered that there should be cemeteries for it was impossible to find some other places to bury the soldiers in the fierce battles. At least, some soldiers were buried there.

From 1980s’, some descendants of Japanese soldiers came to Xiongfengshan to look for their ancestors’ bodies and worshipped their ancestors. Anren people considered the war was a huge tragedy for both Chinese and Japanese people, so the Japanese should remember the history and reflect the mistake to say no to militarism forever.

The glory history of Xiongfengshan was brought to the notice of the society. In this year, some old cadres and intellectuals submitted their suggestions to local government to build exhibition area of Xiongfengshan former site of anti-Japanese war. Currently, the administration office of Xiongfengshan National Forest Park has figured out the solution to set the hilltop where reporters visited as the major exhibition area of former site of anti-Japanese war and enroll it into the historical cultural construction of Xiongfengshan National Forest Park. It planned to collect more data of the former sites and build new travel road to the top. At the meantime, a pavilion was planned to be built on the top to show the solemn atmosphere of the historical exhibition area.