Several times before and after, I visited the Xi'an Incident Memorial Hall. Every time I visit, I feel different. Last year, coinciding with the centenary of the founding of the Party, I feel even more filled with emotion when I visit again.

The memorial hall is located at No. 69 Jianguo Road, Xi'an City. It is a special memorial hall established on the basis of General Zhang Xueliang's Mansion and General Yang Hucheng's Zhiyuan Villa, an important site of the Xi'an Incident. The memorial hall is surrounded by old communities full of life. Various specialty snacks and people coming and going along the street make the memorial hall more lively.

Looking back at history, in the turbulent years, the Communists overcame obstacles and thorns amidst ups and downs. They have struggled for a century and still have not changed their original aspirations. They have been prosperous for a hundred years, and at the beginning of a hundred years, their hearts are like a rock.

Review of the Xi'an Incident

The Xi'an Incident, also known as the Double 12th Incident, was an internal coup by the National Government of the Republic of China. On December 12, 1936, Zhang Xueliang, the leader of the Northeast Army, then deputy commander-in-chief of the Northwest Bandits Suppression, and Yang Hucheng, the leader of the Northwest Army, then commander-in-chief of the 17th Route of the National Revolutionary Army, launched a "military remonstrance" in Xi'an to detain Chiang Kai-shek, then chairman of the Military Committee of the National Government and commander-in-chief of the Northwest Bandits Suppression, in order to make Chiang Kai-shek "stop suppressing the Communists, reorganize the government, and send troops to resist Japan." The Xi'an Incident was finally released after Chiang Kai-shek accepted the idea of stopping the suppression of the Communists and uniting to resist Japan. Forced the National Government to abandon the basic national policy of "resisting foreign forces must first stabilize the domestic forces" and formally established an anti-Japanese united front.
The peaceful settlement of the Xi'an Incident marked the basic realization of domestic peace and a major victory in the implementation of the Party's anti-Japanese national united front policy. It played a major historical role in promoting the resumption of cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party and the resistance to Japan, and became a turning point from the domestic revolutionary war to the anti-Japanese national war. The peaceful settlement of the Xi'an Incident became the hub of the transformation of the current situation, indicating that domestic cooperation was formed under the new situation and the nationwide War of Resistance Against Japan was launched.

Inheriting the red gene and awakening new forces

On the morning of June 30, 2021, the "Beginning of the Spark-Photo Exhibition of Cultural Relics and Historical Materials of the Early Organization of the Communist Party and the Founding of the Communist Party of China" organized by the Xi'an Incident Memorial Hall and the Memorial Hall of the First Shanghai Congress was held in the middle floor of the Xi'an Incident Memorial Hall. The exhibition is divided into three parts: "The Times Calls for New Revolutionary Leadership Forces","The Brewing and Establishment of the Early Organization of the Communist Party" and "The Early Organization of the Communist Party of China and the Official Establishment of the Communist Party of China". More than 200 precious historical pictures are used to deeply explore the history of the Communist Party of China from its inception to its birth, and explore the historical logic, practical logic and theoretical logic of the Communist Party of China becoming the leading force in China's revolution, construction, and reform.
"The photo exhibition records the entire process of the Communist Party of China from scratch and came into being. It can inspire people not to forget their original aspirations, keep their mission in mind, and celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Party with a more high-spirited attitude." Fan Jianguo, director of the Xi'an Incident Memorial Hall, commented on the photo exhibition.

"After watching the TV series" Age of Awakening "and browsing through these beautiful pictures, many stories suddenly connected together. I feel enlightened and understand them all." Tourist Zhang Yanguang said that watching the historical materials exhibition is a real learning process, and it's really worth the trip!
Zhang Yanguang added his views on this popular drama. In his view, the major revolutionary historical drama "Age of Awakening" runs through the publication of "Youth Magazine" in 1915 to the publication of "New Youth" in 1921, which shows the New Cultural Movement, the May 4th Movement and the establishment of the Communist Party of China. This magnificent historical picture tells the social customs and various lives in the Awakening era, and artistically reproduces the pursuit of truth performed by China's advanced elements and a group of passionate young people a hundred years ago. The surging years of burning ideals.
Spread the red story and feel the sweetness of truth

In addition to holding photo exhibitions, the commentators at the memorial hall also told tourists and citizens moving stories of the long years in a simple way.
At the Xi'an Incident Memorial Hall, I met commentators Li Jing and Hou Xingmin. In the finals of the "Always Follow the Party" Xi'an Red Story Interpreter Competition, both of them won good places. Among them, Li Jing narrated "Belt Knife Tracks: Yang Hucheng, a Heroic Hero through the ages"; Hou Xingmin narrated "We Should Do This". Yang Hucheng and Xie Baozhen's 22-year-old daughter Yang Zhenglu led a team in the Santanghu Basin on the China-Mongolia border in Xinjiang. When conducting petroleum geological exploration, he encountered a cold current and died heroically. In her arms, she held a newly drawn geological map with her newly painted reliable colors to identify geological conditions.

"My job is to carefully tell the story behind each cultural relic for visitors, carefully answer every question from tourists, and let the stories and patriotic spirit of the martyrs be passed down. This is the best respect for them." Hou Xingmin said that years of explanation work have given her deep feelings for the Xi'an Incident Memorial Hall. Every time she explains, she will be moved by the martyrs' indomitable patriotism and unafraid of sacrifice.

"After going through the preliminary and semi-finals, I feel that participating in the explanation competition will test the psychological quality of the commentators, and they must have good ability to withstand pressure! The so-called 'one minute on stage, ten years of work off-stage' is a test and refinement of daily explanation work, and it is also a promotion of the level of explanation and research." Li Jing said that telling red stories well and inheriting red genes has a long way to go, and we still need to persevere in improving our skills!
In the 3rd Shaanxi Outstanding Cultural and Creative Works Selection Activity, the Xi'an Incident Memorial Hall's cultural creativity "Paper-cut Animation Propaganda Film on the Site of the Xi'an Incident" won the first prize. For the first time, the memorial hall combines red classics with paper-cutting culture, an intangible cultural heritage that is popular with the masses. It uses the important sites and characters in the historical event of the Xi'an Incident as paper-cutting materials. It not only highlights the red theme of the Xi'an Incident, but also uses cartoons. This popular expression organically combines the red gene with intangible cultural heritage. It is also an innovative practice that comprehensively serves the public. This will enable the public to more intuitively and vividly understand the history of the Xi'an Incident and the profound patriotic spirit it contains, thereby promoting revolutionary culture and inheriting Chinese traditional culture.
"I am a veteran. I have worked here for many years and have a more different understanding of the memorial hall." Mi Binru said that he used to be a commentator and has always been very interested in red stories. From being a commentator to a management position, he has a deeper understanding of historical stories.
In the exhibition room of the historical facts of the Xi'an Incident, Chairman Mao Zedong's evaluation of the Xi'an Incident shines brightly under the light: "The peaceful settlement of the Xi'an Incident has become the hub of the transformation of the current situation: domestic cooperation has been formed under the new situation, and the national War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression has been launched."
"The reason why the Xi'an Incident was a turning point in history mainly lies in the united front work of the Communist Party of China, uniting more people and concentrating the forces of all parties to jointly resist foreign enemies." According to Shi Bamin, a research librarian at the Xi'an Incident Memorial Hall, it was the anti-Japanese national united front strategy of the Communist Party of China that laid a solid foundation for the peaceful settlement of the Xi'an Incident.
Today, the Xi'an Incident Memorial Hall has become a base for red education and patriotic education. Historical photos, cultural relics documents, and cultural relics buildings tell the story of those unforgettable and extraordinary years. The Xi'an Incident Memorial Hall has been named as one of the first 100 patriotic education demonstration bases in the country, one of the first batch of national classic red tourism scenic spots, and the first batch of national-level anti-Japanese war memorial facilities and sites. The memorial hall has also been designated as a base for patriotic education, national defense education, etc. or a joint construction and contact unit.

Source: Beilin Culture, Tourism and Sports