On October 20, the Academic Seminar on the Historical Research of the Northeast Anti-Japanese Allied Forces First Army was held in Panshi City, Jilin Province. Experts and scholars from the three northeastern provinces gathered to discuss the exploration of the history of the Northeast Anti-Japanese Alliance.
Panshi is known as an old revolutionary area in China, where the first armed resistance against Japanese invasion led by the Communist Party emerged, along with the first anti-Japanese base in the northeastern region. The First Army of the Northeast Anti-Japanese Alliance was active on the front lines during this critical period.
Zhang Hongjun, former director of the Local History Research Institute of the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, emphasized the significant leading and exemplary role of the Northeast Anti-Japanese Alliance First Army. He noted how the army grew from small and weak beginnings to become a formidable force, enduring the harshest conditions and suffering the most losses in the fight against Japan. Zhang suggested that the provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning should strengthen their collaboration in red history research and mutual exchanges to better protect their red resources.
Sun Qiguo, vice president of the Northeast Anti-Japanese Alliance First Army Research Association, stated that the Hongshilazi anti-Japanese base serves as a model for supporting the resistance. He explained that Panshi’s county committee had a dual role in leading and ensuring support for the Red Army’s South Manchurian guerrilla forces, with all operations being subordinate to military struggles. The logistical support, intelligence sharing, and cultural resistance efforts were particularly notable.
Ma Jizhi, the grandson of General Yang Jingyu, shared that studying red history also serves as a tribute to the sacrifices of the fallen heroes. He hopes that through such research activities, we can better restore and protect this important part of history.
The event also featured a formal awarding ceremony for the Panshi Center of the Jilin Province Northeast Anti-Japanese Alliance Research Association and the Panshi Center of the National Revolutionary Relics Collaborative Research Center, a joint effort between Jilin University and the Jilin Provincial Museum.
Jin Yongshan, the secretary of the Panshi Municipal Committee, highlighted the local government’s commitment to thoroughly exploring and advancing the development of red cultural resources. He announced that the first phase of the restoration and display project for the Hongshilazi anti-Japanese base site’s core remains has been completed. Looking ahead, Panshi plans to enhance the protection, excavation, transmission, and utilization of Anti-Japanese Alliance resources, working diligently to implement the preservation of these historical relics.
