The past geographical features of Chadao Village
2 min readNear Chadao Village there once was a deep trench, which became less distinct afteryears of weathering. In the 19403, here occurred an extreme brutality committed by theJ apanese invaders.
From 1939 to 1944, to reinforce its occupancy over China and cut off the connectionbetween the resistant army under the leadership of the Communist Party of China and theordinary Chinese people, the J apanese aggressors conceived of a blocking trench betweenChadao Village, Changping, in the west and Yongning Town, Yanqing, in the east. Accordingto the plan, the trench would measure 40 kilometers long, 8.3 meters wide, and 2.9 metersdeep, marked with a blockhouse every one kilometer.
The Japanese army forced Chinesecitizens to dig this trench.In March 1943, some 6,000 Chinese workers were transported by train from Suiyuan,Zhangjiakou and Zhangbei areas to begin construction of the trench. They worked nearly18 hours a day, and their living conditions were extremely poor. It was in spring, whencholera was prevalent, and those afflicted had no access to medical treatment. The sadresult was casualties of 200 workers a month.The Chinese laborers finally stood up to resist Japanese army’s violence.
Theydismantled the ditch walls, beat to death Japanese supervisors, and fled. But following theirresistance were even more cruel acts committed by J apanese aggressors.To save the Chinese workers suffering in Chadao and break the enemy’s blockage, inthe autumn of 1943, three companies of the Eighth Route Army assaulted the J apanesetroops and saved the remaining 2,000 workers. The construction of the trench thus ended infailure.This sad history should not be forgotten. In 1965, the Civil Affairs Bureau of YanqingCounty conducted an excavation of the ditch in Chadao and discovered some 800 bodies.
To commemorate the passed compatriots and educate people of the following generations,a memorial pavilion and monument were erected on the site, as evidence to the unforgivablecrime committed by the J apanese aggressors.Recently, the local government earmarked a sum to reconstruct the memorial pavilion.Over recent decades, each year countless people visited this place to pay homage to theheroic souls. Among the visitors were even some from Japan, who expressed regret at thecriminal deeds of the Japanese army.Today, the ancient street in Chadao Village has regained its historical look, and the trench, although no longer distinct in shape, still serves as an historical reminder of sad daysand aggression overcome.
