In 1960s, a movie named “Red Sun” became popular quickly throughout China, and its
theme song – “Everyone Loves My Hometown” (谁不说俺家乡好) – was also known to all the Chinese people as one of the best. This movie tells the story that happened in Menglianggu (孟良崮).
Talking about Menglianggu, Menglianggu Campaign is a topic which can’t be avoided. This battle mainly took place in Linyi region of Shandong province, where the East China Field Army won a huge victory against the Kuomintang troops.
Today, Menglianggu Memorial Museum is built to display the glorious history to all the tourists. In this hot July, I was lucky to have the opportunity to visit there. Please follow me to explore those hidden stories happened there.
An Exposure of Menglianggu Campaign
Shandong is the place where Confucius and Mencius were given birth to, where Mount Tai rose up, where the five-thousand-year Chinese civilization originated, where the Yellow

River rushes to the arms of the sea, where the sailing games of the 29th Olympic Games staged, and where big companies like Haier and Tsingtao Beer go global. Besides these famous sites, few people know that Shandong has been a revolutionary base before.
During the period of liberation war, due to the improper strategy and tactics, Kuomintang often felt confused about their defeat in the war. However, Menglianggu Campaign is a hard battle to the both sides: the bilateral strategic intent and tactical solutions were quite clear, and the commanders are also military geniuses.
From March, 1947, Kuomintang abandoned their original plan of all-out assault on every communist position. Instead, they adjusted their strategy to a much more realistic one: concentrating on attacking the communists in northern Shaanxi and Shandong.
In the Shandong Theater of war, Chiang Kai-shek named Gu Zhutong, as the commander-in-chief at the frontline, setting up his headquarter in Xuzhou. Gu Zhutong had 24 army-sized reorganized divisions totaling more than 60 division-sized reorganized brigades at his command, totaling 450,000 troops. Out of the 450,000 troops, over 330,000 in 17 army-sized reorganized divisions totaling more than 43 division-sized reorganized brigades were deployed on the first line, organized into 3 corpses, the I, II, III Corpses, spearheaded by the three crack units of the nationalist forces: 11th Reorganized Division, the 74th Reorganized Division and the 5th Army. Out of the 3 corpses, the I Corps commanded by Tang Enbo was the largest and strongest of all, with near 200,000 troops in 8 army-sized reorganized divisions totaling more than 20 division-sized reorganized brigades, and the I Corps was tasked with main assaults on the communists. Form late March, 1947 to mid April, 1947, Kuomintang succeeded in taking control of the regions along the section of Jinpu railway from Xuzhou to Jinan, and the entire southern Shandong region.
After the destruction of the entire 72nd Reorganized Division in late April, 1947, Kuomintang also became very cautious and concentrated their forces in their movements afterward.
On May 11, 1947, communists learned that the nationalist 5th Army and 48th Reorganized Division had taken regions including Miao Jia Qu and Border Lake by venturing out from He Yang, and was advancing toward Yishui, thus was dangerously exposed. The communists decided to ambush these Kuomintang units and if possible, also ambush the Kuomintang reinforcement as well. After the order was already given, new intelligence revealed Tang Enbo’s plan and that the nationalist 74th Reorganized Division was advancing toward Tanbu. Communist commanders of the East China Field Army immediately begun to analyze the situation and decided that it would be much better to first annihilate the nationalist 74th Reorganized Division because it was most dangerously exposed.
The commander of the nationalist 74th Reorganized Division Zhang Lingfu (张灵甫) was considered by many other Kuomintang commanders as arrogant. He was a favorite of Chiang Kai-shek, worshiped Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, and was not at good terms with other colleagues. Furthermore, Zhang Lingfu’s relationship with his direct superior Tang Enbo was not quite smooth either. Once, he was put into prison for killing his wife.
The communists predicted that if the nationalist 74th Reorganized Division was under attack, other nationalist commanders would not be very enthusiastic in saving it. The rugged terrain would limit the mobility of the mechanized nationalist force while communists could take the geographical advantages to hide and move their troops. The nationalist 74th Reorganized Division was one of the top five crack units of the nationalist force, and once it was completely destroyed, it would be a huge psychological blow to the nationalist morale and good propaganda piece for the communists. Another political reason to destroy the nationalist 74th Reorganized Division was that its commander, Zhang Lingfu had openly proclaimed his goal many times: to driven Chen Yi and his followers into the East China Sea and have them eaten by fish. Communists were therefore determined to destroy their nemesis.
When the nationalist 74th Reorganized Division was first attacked by the enemy on the evening of May 13, 1947, the Kuomintang did not realize how grave the situation was going to be. After fierce battle in the Menglianggu and Lu


Mountains, the communist 8th Column succeeded in taking Wan Quan Mountain. By the end of May 15, 1947, the communist 1st, 6th and 8th Columns had succeeded in achieving their objective of completely cutting off the nationalist 74th Reorganized Division, which was totally surrounded just like the communists had planned.
After the failed attempt to breakout in the south, the nationalist 74th Reorganized Division withdrew to the Menglianggu mountains. Realizing that they were being in endangered being surrounded from behind, as well as facing counterassault in front if 74th Reorganized Division was not destroyed immediately, the communists decided that they must destroy the 74th Reorganized Division in time, at all cost.
On May 16th, 1947, Zhang Lingfu was killed by communist soldiers at last. After the news of the commander’s death was spread, the Kuomintang morale collapsed completely and the battle soon ended in the cloudy afternoon on May 16, 1947. The communist had fired over 33,000 rounds of artillery shells on the Kuomintang position at Menglianggu, a shock to the Kuomintangs who believed their communist enemy lacked artilleries and could not achieve such dense firepower. As the communist units reported the Kuomintang casualties, the total number did not add up right: there was a difference around 10,000 between the sum and the supposed strength of the Kuomintang Reorganized 74th Division. Su Yu ordered all communist units to search the battlefield again, and it was soon discovered that Kuomintang survivors were quietly hidden in a valley between the main peak of Menglianggu and Mount 570, waiting for the communists withdraw from the battlefield so that they would be linked up with the Kuomintang reinforcement afterward. These Kuomintang troops were observed earlier by various communist units at the higher ground but all mistakenly be- lieved that they were the friendly forces. As the communist 4th, 6th, 8th and 9th Columns approached the surviving Kuomintangs who had run out of ammunition, water and supplies, the only option the surviving Kuomintangs had was to surrender and there was not much of a fight, and by 5:00 pm on May 16, 1947, the campaign was over with the victory of communist.
Unlike most other Kuomintang generals killed by the communists during the Chinese Civil War, the Zhang Lingfu was buried with full military honor after the campaign by his communist enemy, who had recognized his capability and contribution during Second Sino-Japanese War.
The might of the People
Besides successful military strategy, the victory was also due to communists ability to mobilize 200,000 civilian’s support – a number greater than the actual number of combatants they could muster.
The communists met the enemy with both the technical and numerical superiority head on, and the entire nationalist Reorganized 74th Division, one of the top five nationalist crack troop units, was completely lost with 12,000 of its 30,000 troops killed and the remaining 18,000 captured.
Most of the communists are not familiar with the terrain in Shandong, but the local people did offer key support: leading the way, conveying food, looking after the wounded. Besides, no matter where the Kuomintang army went, the civilians knew at the first time, and the communists knew aswell.
In 2009, a tribute film called “Six Sisters of Yimeng Mountains” was set on CCTV, which showed a true story of the heroic accomplishment of six women during war time in the 1940s China.
The title of “Six Sisters of Yimeng Mountains” was




named by Marshal Chenyi. When hearing of the news of war, the six women shouldered the heavy burden initiatively– supporting the front, taking care of the young and old in the village, getting ammunition, transporting forage, baking pancake, washing uniforms, making military shoes, nursing the sick and wounded, etc. They often sang to the soldiers to boost their morale. Stories like this were very common during the liberation war.
Even today, we can see the phantoms of things in the past. In the museum, all the pictures, wax figures, and audio and image documents are trying to reestablishing a complete history.
Beautiful Scenery of Mengshan Mountain
Shandong enjoys a long history with numerous cultural relics and historic sites. It possesses beautiful mountains and clear waters, which have formed unique tour routes and sightseeing lines. Heroic Menglianggu gives us a good lecture of revolution history, while the Mengyin Mengshan nearby is a scenery you shouldn’t miss.
Mengshan is under Mengyin County, Linyi City. Linyi has a long history, splendid culture and a galaxy of talents and heroes. It is a famous historical cultural town. Linyi city came into being 2400 years ago. It is the hometown of historical celebrities of Zhuge Liang, an ancient famous prime minist, Wang Xizhi, the sage of calligraphy, Yan Zhenqing, a great calligrapher, Liu Hong, sage of mathematics, Wang Xiang, one of the 24 “most dutiful sons”, Zeng Zi, one of the 72 wisest disciples of Confucious, Xun Zi, a thinker, and many more. The simultaneous discovery of the bamboo slips of Sun Zi’s Art of War and Sun bin’s Art of War here in Linyi has caused a senstion throughout the world. It has become one of the ten major archaeological discoveries of China since 1949.
Mengshan itself is also full of natural resources and rich culture. Ancient emperors and men of letters have wrote many famous verses for it ─ Confucius said “By ascending Meng Mountain, you will find the Country of Lu very small” (登东山而小鲁); Li Bai and Du Fu also left beautiful poems when visiting here; not to mention numerous folk stories, Qin brick tile, ancient temples, stone stele and other remains of a lengthy everywhere.
Monitored by the Institute of Ecological Research Cen- ter in 1999, the air in Mongshan has 854,167 negative ions per cubic centimeter, which is 195 times of Beijing, ranking first among Chinese cities, being honored as the“Natural Oxygen Bar” and “ Ultra-clean Areas”.
Since ancient times, Mengshan is famous for “72 Peaks”, “99 Valleys” and “36 Caves”. The Waterfall Cave is one of the most magnificent sites there: dropping down from 60 meters above, like an upside down Milky Way, which is very rare in the north of Yangtze River. Unfortunately, due to the drought, the waterfall is cut out this year, and I missed this wonderful scenery.
There is a cave in the middle of the cliff. It is said Gui Gu Zi (Master of Ghost Valley) had reflected here (Taoists try to make pills of immortality and cultivate vital energy, etc.). The story that Sun Bin and Pang Juan learned from him as apprentices is still circulating there.
From the middle of Menshan to the top of the mountain, there is a 3,000-kilometer Plank Road, all of which are made of pine wood. Stepping on it, you can be so relaxed like being fairies.
Somebody says that Linyi has various physiognomies integrated with rough sight in the north and the charm of small water-town in the south. There lie continuous mountains in the north, winding hills in the middle and spacious alluvial plains in the south. Exquisite song of“Yimeng Mountain minor” expresses the graceful sight of Linyi.
When wandering in the Mongshan Mountain, birds are chirping, a stream flows by your side, and the sunshine filters through the leaves, I think nobody who wants to get out of the bustle of the city would refuse such serenity.
Although it’s not a rich region, but simple and hardworking people impressed me the most. Linyi boasts a wide variety of high quality mineral resources that are widely distributed, easy to recover and have a huge potential to develop. Sixty-six kinds of minerals have been found and their reserves have been proven in the city. It is one of the two major gold production areas in Shandong Province. The reserves of some minerals such as diamond, granite, dolomite, quartz, pottery clay, and limestone are among the top list of the whole country or whole province. “The gold will glint wherever it is.” I think people will find its fully potential someday.