🏯 Site of the Defense of Bantà

“The battle at Bantà laid the foundation for Huainan; blood and iron forged a spirit that ignited a prairie fire.”
—— Inscription by veteran of the New Fourth Army (Collection of the Anhui Eastern Martyrs’ Cemetery Exhibition Hall)

📍 Basic Information

• Official Name: Site of the Defense of Bantà (National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit)
• Location: No. 88 Lingyuan West Road, Bantà Town, Lai'an County, Chuzhou City, Anhui Province — located in the southwest corner of the Anhui Eastern Martyrs’ Cemetery
• Protection Level:
  • ✅ Listed as an Anhui Provincial Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit in 1982
  • ✅ Designated as a 7th Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units by the State Council in March 2013 (included within the expanded project of "Former Headquarters of the New Fourth Army")
• Affiliated System: Core memorial zone of the Anhui Eastern Martyrs’ Cemetery; national base for patriotic education, one of China’s classic red tourism sites, and a national AAA-rated tourist attraction

⚔️ Historical Retrospective: A Decisive Strategic Defense Battle

The Defense of Bantà took place from March to April 1940, marking a pivotal strategic defensive campaign for the New Fourth Army in the anti-Japanese guerrilla theater of central China:

• Historical Context:

  • In early 1940, approximately one thousand personnel from the 8th Regiment of the New Fourth Army’s 4th Brigade and the direct units of the North Jiangbei Command were stationed in Bantà Village (now Bantà Town), establishing a forward hub for the newly formed Anhui Eastern Anti-Japanese Base Area.
  • The hardline faction of the Kuomintang mobilized ten battalions, nearly ten thousand troops, launching a three-pronged attack on Bantà with the aim of crushing the emerging anti-Japanese force.

• Course of the Battle:

  • The New Fourth Army, with fewer than a thousand soldiers, fortified positions using surrounding hills, ancestral halls, and earthen ramparts, holding out heroically for seven days and nights (March 21–27);
  • Ye Ting and Xiang Ying urgently ordered Chen Yi and Zhang Yunyi to lead their main forces in relief; on April 8, coordinated attacks from inside and outside encircled the enemy, annihilating over 3,000 troops and securing a comprehensive victory;
  • This battle shattered the first wave of the Kuomintang’s anti-communist offensive in the Anhui Eastern region, directly contributing to the consolidation and expansion of the Jinpu Railway East Anti-Japanese Base Area. It was later recognized by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China as the foundation for establishing the Huainan Anti-Japanese Base Area.

• Historical Assessment:

  “The Defense of Bantà was a crucial turning point for the New Fourth Army’s sustained resistance behind enemy lines in central China. Its strategic significance is no less than that of the Huangqiao Campaign.”
  —— History of the New Fourth Army (PLA Publishing House, 2000)

🏛️ Remains Layout and Core Structures

The site preserves a complete and historically accurate layout, faithfully reflecting the original battlefield topography and embodying the wartime architectural wisdom of “adapting to terrain and integrating military and civilian efforts”:

• Main Remains (Southwest Core Zone):
  • 🌲 Monument to the Defense of Bantà (built in 1958, renovated in 1990):
    • Constructed with white marble, standing 15.8 meters tall; the tower body bears the inscription by Zhang Yunyi: “Eternal Glory to the Revolutionary Martyrs of the Defense of Bantà”;
    • The four sides of the base feature relief carvings depicting historical scenes such as “military-civilian united defense,” “night raid on the watchtower,” and “delivering food supplies to the front.”
  • 🏯 Exhibition Hall of the Defense of Bantà (formerly the Bantà Primary School building):
    • Originally constructed during the late Qing Dynasty, this brick-and-wood structure once served as the political department headquarters of the New Fourth Army’s North Jiangbei Command and a wartime field hospital;
    • Now hosts a permanent exhibition titled Iron and Blood at Bantà – Special Exhibition on the 1940 Defense of Bantà, featuring 127 historical photographs, 43 archival documents, and 29 physical artifacts.
  • 🛡️ Battle Trench Ruins:
    • Preserved stretch of original field fortifications measuring about 800 meters long, including command post shelters, machine gun emplacements, communication trenches, and ammunition storage caves; some sections have been archaeologically cleared and covered with soil, marked with interpretive signage.
  • 🕯️ Martyrs’ Cemetery (Extended Southwest Zone):
    • Burial site of 276 martyrs who died defending Bantà; tombstones are uniformly carved in dark gray stone, arranged by unit;
    • At the center stands the List of Martyrs Monument, inscribed with all known names and hometowns of those who perished.

📜 Cultural Relics and Historical Value

• Key Artifacts in Collection (Selected Examples):

  • 🔹 A copy of the New Fourth Army North Jiangbei Command Combat Order dated March 1940 (original housed in the Second Historical Archives of China);
  • 🔹 A U.S.-made M1917 bayonet used by a New Fourth Army soldier, bearing visible battle scratches from the Bantà engagement;
  • 🔹 Everyday items donated by local civilians supporting the frontlines — oil lamps made from tung oil, bamboo stretchers, and cloth shoe soles with stitching boards (designated as National Grade III Cultural Relics);
  • 🔹 Original front-page edition of Kangdi Bao (Anti-Enemy Newspaper) from 1941 reporting the “Bantà Victory News” (loaned from Anhui Museum).

• Academic Significance:

  • The only site in China where the original battlefield landscape and command system remains fully preserved from the Defense of Bantà;
  • Provides tangible evidence of the New Fourth Army’s military philosophy of “overcoming superior forces with fewer troops, defeating strength with resilience” and its model of “unified military and political leadership, integration of soldiers and civilians” in base area construction;
  • Offers irreplaceable material evidence for studying the early development of anti-Japanese base areas in central China, including governance, mass mobilization, and logistical support systems.

🌟 Cultural Value and Contemporary Relevance

• Spiritual Essence:

  • Embodies the foundational values of the New Fourth Army: “obeying the party’s command, firm belief, relying on the people, daring to win”;
  • The “Bantà Spirit” has been formally incorporated into the Anhui Province Regulations on the Protection and Inheritance of Red Resources (effective since 2022), designated as a core component of on-site training for provincial cadres.

• Modern Legacy:

  • Annual ceremonies held during Qingming Festival, “July 1st” Party Founding Day, and the “September 3rd Victory in the War of Resistance” commemoration, featuring thousand-person oaths, immersive scenario-based education, and lectures by veterans sharing personal war memories;
  • Collaborations with Nanjing University and Anhui University to establish the Anhui Eastern Red Culture Research Center, publishing Oral History of the Defense of Bantà (2021) and Atlas of Bantà (2023).

🧭 Traveler’s Practical Information

• Opening Hours:

  • Open year-round (closed on Mondays for maintenance)
  • Summer (May–October): 8:00–17:30 | Winter (November–April): 8:30–17:00
  • Free admission; advance reservation required via WeChat official account “Anhui Eastern Martyrs’ Cemetery” or the “Wanyitong” APP

• Transportation Guide:

  • 🚌 Public Transit: Take the intercity bus from Chuzhou Bus Station to Bantà (approx. 1.5 hours); the final stop is the Anhui Eastern Martyrs’ Cemetery;
  • 🚗 Self-Driving: Navigate to “Anhui Eastern Martyrs’ Cemetery”; a dedicated parking lot (P3 Zone) is located at the southwest corner of the site;
  • 🚶‍♂️ Guided Walking Tour: Pick up a bilingual audio guide (Chinese-English) at the entrance, featuring AR-enhanced real-time battlefield reconstructions (scan QR code to view 3D reconstruction of the 1940 battlefield).

• Special Experiences:

  • 🌿 “Re-trace the Trench Line” Immersive Learning Program (requires prior booking; includes simulated sentry duty and battlefield first aid training);
  • 📜 “Fireside Letters” Interactive Exhibit: Hand-copy a letter written by a New Fourth Army soldier to his mother, then stamp it with the “Defense of Bantà Commemorative Seal”;
  • 🎨 Held annually in September: “Bantà Red Arts Week,” showcasing a series of intangible cultural heritage paper-cut artworks from Lai’an County themed Seven Days and Nights at Bantà.

• Visitor Tips:

  ⚠️ The site is a solemn memorial area; please dress appropriately and refrain from loud noises or frivolous behavior;
  ⚠️ The trench ruins are protected under soil cover — no stepping or climbing allowed;
  ⚠️ Flash photography is prohibited in the martyrs’ cemetery; flowers should be placed at designated remembrance platforms.

Remembering is not to dwell in the past;
Honoring is to move forward toward broader horizons.
—— Epigraph by the Management Office of the Site of the Defense of Bantà