Hello readers. Nestled in the remote and rugged mountains of Shanxi Province, Yenan has emerged as an epicenter of hope, ideology and revolution in China. My editor has made me travel here to investigate why people of all backgrounds from all over China are flocking to this relatively obscure town. After being here for a few days, it is evident that Yenan has become more than just a geographical location; it symbolizes a vision of a different China and offers a unique appeal that attracts individuals from all corners of the country.
The greatest threat to Chinese people, both Communists and Nationalists alike, is the Japanese invasion. Although Japanese troops have occupied Manchuria since 1931, they have progressively advanced south and west into mainland China. In 1937, the Japanese launched a full scale invasion of China, aiming to conquer the whole country. They have already captured vital cities such as Beijing, Wuhan, Shanghai and Canton. Along the way, the Japanese have been committing atrocities that are hard to imagine. I have spoken with two peasants who escaped to Yenan from a village that was ravaged by the Japanese. One described how her father was stripped naked and then tied in line with 10 other men. The Japanese burned and killed for three days and three nights and then they left. When the peasant went back, she found her father in a pit with several bullet wounds in his chest. The other peasant described how he was able to escape the village at night but when he came back to his house, there was nothing but silence. He remembers how he found his wife and three year old child dead in a well and found his parents and grandparents in a mass grave the Japanese made. He told me with tears in his eyes how he gave them all a proper burial.
With these atrocities in mind, Chiang’s response to the Japanese invasion has also left many Chinese people feeling irritated. In the beginning of the invasion, Chiang actually refused to fight the Japanese and even bowed to Japanese demands. It took him being kidnapped and returned to elicit a response to oppose the Japanese. When they did engage the Japanese, they were defeated handedly and pushed back from Nanjing to Chongqing. Contrary to this, Mao and the CCP have confronted the Japanese straight on. They marched to Yenan, which is not too far from Manchuria, to oppose the Japanese invasion. Their guerilla warfare tactics have also helped them to win battles against the Japanese, even though the Japanese have superior military weapons. There is a sense here in Yenan that the CCP -and not Chiang’s government- are the true soldiers fighting for China.
The other reason for the mass migration to Yenan is the improved life that many people are enjoying here. To start, Yenan offers a safe and stable environment for these peasants to begin their new life. Many have come here to escape the atrocities of the Japanese but they are also escaping corruption and lawlessness from government officials and landlords. The CCP’s effective governance and control over the region has created an environment where law and order prevail. An example of this order can be seen in The Little Red Book where Mao lays out the Three Main Rules of Discipline and the Eight Points For Attention. The people at Yenan not only accept but study Mao’s teachings. I think this is because they believe Mao is one of them. He lives modestly amongst the people and if someone had not pointed it out to me, I would have never recognized him among the people (he looks different in person than in pictures in my opinion). Through Mao’s teachings, peasants have also been able to receive an education. Mao is helping peasants to become literate and teaching the peasants how to write. For those that are unable to learn to read, Mao has called upon the artists to create pictures that can convey the same messages being taught. Everything that happens here is for the people. Mao and the CCP are first and foremost concerned about the people of China and this concern attracts many people to want to be here.Â
Readers, I have only been here a few days but I understand why thousands of people are flocking to Yenan. The energy here is addicting. I do not want to leave. I want to stay and be a part of a new China.
I was fortunate to be away from my home in Beijing when the Invasion came, but I too have heard and seen a great deal of suffering in the country side as I traveled to Yenan which confirms the reports of brutality on the part of the Japanese. We can only hope that the war will be brought to a swift and victorious end before the people are destroyed.
Hello Yi Cheng Zhang, I am sorry to hear about the peasant farmer who found those dead bodies in the well. Sadly I have been hearing more and more stories very similar to that one and my heart goes out to the people of China who have lost loved ones. I wanted to let you know that I agree with you very much about how the CCP are the true warriors while the Nationalist have done little to help the people of China. The Nationalists, from the start, have been more focused on the internal conflicts with the CCP and ignored the true threat to China which is the Japanese. The CCP has, from the beginning, understood the true threat and fought to combat the Japanese.
I have written before about how I believed that the Communists would eventually bring about a revolution. The invasion of our great nation by the Japanese has only strengthened that belief as the Nationalists have done almost nothing to help the people of China. The Communists are fighting the good fight right now, and a time will come where they will fight to take back all of China.