Information picture
Information picture
Li Tang photo
Hu yunbing
Zhu Xidi photo
Photo by Zhou Qiqing
Photo by Liu Yun
Editor’s note: April 23rd is the Navy Memorial Day of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army. From the fishermen’s small wooden boats crossing the river in those days to the modern fleet of the blue ocean today, the people’s navy has grown from scratch and from weak to strong. So, where was the People’s Navy born? What kind of process did it go through when it was established? What memories and history are still preserved today?
Another Navy Memorial Day is coming. Walking into the Memorial Hall of the Birthplace of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy, we can find the answer here … …
Taizhou Baima Temple
Witness the birth of the People’s Navy.
A historical record of Zhang Zhengui is displayed in the exhibition hall of the memorial hall, which shows the reply of the Central Military Commission on the date of the establishment of the navy in 1989: "It is agreed that the date of the establishment of the navy of the East China Military Region on April 23, 1949 is the date of the establishment of the navy of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army."
This is where it all started. On January 8, 1949, the the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Conference put forward: "In 1949 and 1950, we should strive to form an operational air force and a navy to defend the coastal areas along the river." At the beginning of that year, the Central Military Commission handed over the important task of forming the People’s Navy to the Third Field Army. In late March, Chen Yi, commander of the Third Field Army, conveyed the decision of the Central Military Commission on the establishment of the People’s Navy to Zhang Aiping, deputy commander of the Central China Military Region and member of the Third Field Committee, and instructed him to be responsible for the establishment of the People’s Navy.
At the beginning of April, Taizhou Baima Temple became the headquarters of Sanye, with Su Yu, deputy commander and second deputy political commissar of Sanye, and Zhang zhen, chief of staff, leading his troops. "The geographical location here is good, not far from the Yangtze River, which is convenient for the command and flexible dispatch of troops in the battle of crossing the river; At the same time, as an old liberated area, it has a good mass base and convenient transportation. " Wang Mingzhe, a researcher at the memorial hall, said that the headquarters of the Third Field Army Crossing the River was located in the reading building of Wang Jinghu, a large local family. Zhang Aiping rushed to Baima Temple overnight. Under the leadership of Su Yu, he actively participated in the investigation, research and planning of preparing for the establishment of the navy, and began all the preparations for the formation of the People’s Navy.
On April 20th, the battle of crossing the river started. On the 23rd, the main force of Sanye crossed the river successfully, and the 35th Army of the 8th Corps of Sanye liberated Nanjing. On the same day, the Central Military Commission sent an urgent telegram to Sanye: immediately set up a navy, named the Navy of the East China Military Region of the China People’s Liberation Army. At 1: 30 pm, Zhang Aiping called 13 people, including Li Jin, deputy chief of staff of the 84th Division of the 28th Army, in the conference room on the second floor of Baimamiao Reading Building to hold the inaugural meeting of the East China Military Region Navy.
In this way, the first unit of the People’s Navy was proclaimed. The White Horse Temple thus became the birthplace of the navy and was written in history.
Hundreds of cultural relics
Show the development process from scratch
The former site of the headquarters of the third field army crossing the river has been preserved for many years. In 1989, the reading building and hall house were officially opened to the public after renovation. In 2006, the former site was listed as a national key cultural relics protection unit.
Today, in six exhibition rooms in four exhibition areas of the former site, rich pictures and detailed words tell the story of the victory of the East Line Group under the command of Sanye Command. The reading building in the former courtyard has a history of more than 130 years. On the second floor of the reading building, the scene of the conference room of the Sanye River Crossing Campaign Command Center is reproduced; Downstairs, the bedrooms and offices of Su Yu, Zhang zhen and Zhang Aiping have been restored, and Chen Zhan has more than 50 physical objects such as carved wooden couches, wooden boxes and coffee tables that the generals have used.
About 500 meters west of the former site of the birthplace of the navy, it is the memorial hall (new hall) of the birthplace of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy. It was completed and opened in April 1999, the 50th anniversary of the birth of the People’s Navy. From a distance, it looks like a huge warship sailing in the sea. On the memorial square, there are more than 20 pieces of navy decommissioning equipment, such as fighter planes, helicopters, mines, radars, missiles and naval guns.
Enter the exhibition hall from the square through a "gangway". The exhibition area, full of naval elements, consists of five parts: Modern Vicissitudes, Building a White Horse, Powerful Seas, Developing and Growing, and Deep Fish and Water, showing the development process of the People’s Navy from scratch and from weak to strong. More than 300 precious literature and history materials are convenient for the audience to browse and flip through with the help of rear projection TV and touch screen.
Wooden boat before crossing the river
Reproduce the history of military and civilian fighting side by side
The "treasure of the town hall" in the memorial hall is a special wooden boat before crossing the river. From the bullet holes and the traces of cork blocking the eyes covered with it, it is not difficult to imagine the scene when the people braved the bullets to support the liberation army to cross the river.
This wooden boat before crossing the river, which was unanimously evaluated as a national first-class revolutionary cultural relic by the expert group, was used by the father of Zhou Dehong, a fisherman in Yonganzhou Town, gaogang district, Taizhou, and was collected into the museum in 1999 when the memorial hall was built.
Zhou Dehong’s father made a living by fishing in Yonganzhou on the Yangtze River, which coincided with the People’s Liberation Army collecting ships and preparing to cross the Yangtze River. Zhou Dehong’s father took the lead in responding and modified his fishing boat to cross the river. After taking the initiative to donate, Zhou’s fishing boat and other collecting vessels moored in Jiajiang, Yonganzhou, along the Yangtze River for short-term training. Later, Zhou Fu paddled the boat and took part in the work before crossing the river. After the victory of crossing the river, this wooden boat has been repaired many times and has been used as a fishing boat by Zhou family.
"At that time, the People’s Liberation Army almost relied on this wooden fishing boat to cross the Yangtze River. Many unknown boatmen were also behind-the-scenes heroes of this battle, reflecting the history of the military and civilians fighting side by side." Yang Development, director of the memorial office, said.
Rapid upgrading of naval equipment
The second aircraft carrier
The aircraft carrier was developed by China itself. On April 26, 2017, the main hull of the aircraft carrier was completed, and the main system equipment such as power and electricity were installed in place, and the launching ceremony was held in Dalian. This indicates that China’s independent design and construction of aircraft carriers has achieved significant stage results. From rebuilding to building an aircraft carrier independently, it shows that China has fully mastered the relevant technology and management experience of aircraft carriers.
New 10,000-ton destroyer
This type of ship is completely independently developed by China, equipped with new air defense, anti-missile, anti-ship and anti-submarine weapons, and has strong information perception, air defense and anti-missile and sea attack capabilities. It is a landmark warship for the navy to achieve strategic transformation and development. On June 28, 2017, the ship was launched in Shanghai Jiangnan Shipbuilding (Group) Co., Ltd., which marked a new step in the development of destroyers in China.
New integrated supply ship
This ship is a new type of comprehensive supply ship independently developed by China with the world advanced level, which can provide maritime accompanying supply for our naval aircraft carrier formation and offshore mobile formation. The first ship, Hulun Lake Ship (Ship No.965), was listed on September 1, 2017. The entry of the ship laid a more solid equipment foundation for naval vessels to go deep blue, marking the naval ocean support capability jumping to a new level.
Other equipment
Since March 21, 2014, new guided missile destroyers such as Kunming Ship, Hefei Ship and Xining Ship have been listed one after another, which has enhanced the regional air defense and sea strike capability of the surface combat vessels formation; Since January 31, 2013, new guided missile destroyers such as Changchun Ship, Zhengzhou Ship and Xi ‘an Ship have been in service successively. Because of their excellent regional air defense and over-the-horizon strike capability, they have been praised as "China Aegis" by military fans.
In addition, carrier-based fighters were delivered in batches, early warning aircraft and carrier-based helicopters were added to the family, and the people’s navy team grew stronger.
Cartography of this edition: Cai Huawei
