In the summer rain. The Haihe River winds softly and flows gently from the city of Tianjin. Standing at the head of the Jintang Bridge and looking up - the east bank is the retro old Jinmen, and the exotic buildings of the old "Ten Mile Ocean Field" are becoming more and more vicissitudes in the rain and fog; on the west bank, is the new Tianjin of Guangsha, and on the streets that are slightly empty due to rainfall, shiny cars pass by, showing the prosperous beauty of the modern city. In this city run by rivers, bridges connect people from different places and carry an unforgettable history. In the ancient and modern city of Tianjin, among the many bridges across the Haihe River, the Jintang Bridge is particularly thick. 72 years ago, the People's Liberation Army broke through the strong defensive line of the enemy at Jinmen Gate, and the eastern and western armies met at Jintang Bridge and firmly planted the red flag at the head of the bridge. This battle became a key historical node in the liberation of Tianjin, marking a comprehensive rout of the defense system of the Kuomintang defenders. Standing for a hundred years, jintang bridge, I have experienced the rebirth of a city. Pedestrians on the bridge witness the changes of the city; the river under the bridge flows with the light and shadow of history. Stepping onto the Jintang Bridge, the scene of the PLA officers marching forward and charging bravely is still in front of them. In the battle 72 years ago, the fate of the "Jintang Bridge" was exactly the opposite of the name, and the cruise ship slowly passed through the dark steel bridge in the long sound of the river. More than a century ago, the huge and solid Jintang Bridge was built on the Haihe River, and its name was taken from "Impregnable Jintang". On the eve of July 1st, the reporter walked on the rebuilt Jintang Bridge. The total length of the bridge is about 76 meters, and the reporter walked through the bridge deck, and the whole journey was only 2 minutes. If the two of them walk from east to west, they can meet in just 1 minute. 72 years ago, in order to walk through this short distance of 1 minute, platters and soldiers fought fiercely for 19 hours continuously day and night. Today, a sculpture of "Huishi Jintang" stands at the head of the bridge. The trumpeter raised his head high and blew the horn of attack. Looking up at the sky from the angle of the military trumpet, the agitated charge trumpet seemed to ring in the ears. Attacking Tianjin, a large city with a population of more than 2 million and factories, shops and banks, was unprecedentedly difficult for the People's Liberation Army. Before the war, in the front-line headquarters about 20 kilometers away from Jintang Bridge, a detailed map of city defense was laid out on the desk of Liu Yalou, commander-in-chief of the Tianjin Campaign of the People's Liberation Army. Tianjin's terrain is complex, the city is cut into several areas by rivers, and the surrounding is coastal depression, which is easy to defend and difficult to attack. A moat of more than 40 kilometers surrounds Tianjin. In the cold winter months, every day the defenders went to dig the ice and break the river. There is a power grid on the castle tower next to the moat, and there is a bunker every 20 to 30 meters. Inside and outside the city, there are more than 1,000 large and small bunkers. Liu Yalou's opponent is Chen Changjie, an 18-year-old Fujian compatriot who is 18 years old. With complex terrain, strong fortifications and 130,000 troops, Chen Changjie boasted that Tianjin's urban defense system was "impregnable" and had an "absolute grasp" of stubbornness. Before the war, a song was widely sung - "Attack Tianjin, Tianjin is well built, there are trenches outside the city, there are bunkers in the city... Attacking Tianjin, the soldiers are enthusiastic, you write the war book, I put the determination table ah..." According to research, the original song of this song was composed after the People's Liberation Army entered the northeast. With the pace of the Northeast Field Army's southward attack on Tianjin, it was adapted into the current "Siege Battle Song". The determination and fighting spirit of the soldiers were vividly displayed in the high song. The capture of Tianjin will be an extremely arduous battle. The superiors limited the 3 days to capture Tianjin, but Liu Yalou's statement was unexpected: "Within 30 hours, we will guarantee that Chen Changjie's boasted 'Greater Tianjin Fortressization' will be beaten to pieces!" Standing in the parking lot next to the East Avenue of Yaowangmiao in Yangliuqing Town, the reporter and his party stopped and looked around, looking for traces of the "Exhibition Hall of the Former Site of the Tianjin Frontline Headquarters of the Pingjin Campaign." No one expected that the famous headquarters would be hidden in such a remote place. Step into a very era-inspired courtyard house, and history is in front of you. In the room, a simulated statue of Liu Yaxia downstairs to the general attack order restores a moment in history - in the early morning of January 14, 1949, the fog over Tianjin was thick. Taking advantage of the thick fog, the siege troops entered the position. Inside the headquarters, Liu Yalou held in his right hand the telephone that had been connected to the command posts of the various columns, and his eyes were fixed on the watch on his left wrist. At exactly 10 o'clock, Liu Yalou ordered: "The total attack begins!" As the 3 green flares took off, the cannon roared in unison. Because Tianjin's urban area is long from north to south and narrow from east to west, the PLA frontline command has formulated the operational policy of "advancing from east to west, cutting off the waist, first going south and then north, first dividing and then encircling and annihilating." With artillery bombardment, the siege troops crossed the trenches with bridges, rushed through the cold moat, and opened gaps in the fortified city wall defense system. The heroic People's Liberation Army fought street by street and advanced in street battles, and the two assault teams advanced step by step towards Jintang Bridge. In that battle 72 years ago, the fate of the "Jintang Bridge" was exactly the opposite of the name. In the early morning of the 15th, the People's Liberation Army completed the established strategy of "advancing from east to west, stopping and cutting off the waist" and met on the Jintang Bridge. It coincides with the middle of winter, and the Haihe River is covered with thick layers of ice. On the bridge deck of the Jintang Bridge and on the ice under the bridge, tens of thousands of commanders and fighters either raised their guns and cheered, or hugged each other and cried, or jumped and laughed. The battle was still not over, and the officers and men of the division did not have time to enjoy the joy of victory and rushed to their respective battlefields. Ten hours later, north China's largest industrial and commercial city was declared victoriously liberated. "The war of liberation cannot be delayed" was a famous thesis made by Mao Zedong in those years. Today, we look back on this 29-hour quick victory and once again admire those PLA soldiers who are brave and resourceful and fearless of sacrifice - 340,000 siege troops suffered 20,000 casualties, and the casualty rate was only 6%, compared with Taiyuan, Jinan and other battles that were won after large-scale urban offensives, setting a record for the lowest casualty rate. The liberation of Tianjin greatly promoted the process of the Peiping Peace Talks. On January 31, Peiping was peacefully liberated, and the birth of a new China was expected. On the brick wall behind her, there were four big characters made of white snow - "Greeting the Light" On the dark red flag, the five big characters of "Kill open the door of civil rights" were majestic and solemn. In the Pingjin Battle Memorial Hall, the curator Wang Peijun told reporters the story of this flag and the little soldier Zhong Yingen. The Minquan Gate is an important breakthrough point for the People's Liberation Army to attack Tianjin. After the battle began, Zhong Yingen's sharp knife company broke through the civil rights gate in only 3 minutes with a lightning speed that could not cover his ears. The flag bearer Zhong Yingen rushed to the head of the city and planted the banner of "Killing and Opening the Gate of Civil Rights" granted to the company by the head of the war on the city wall. This fiery red flag stung the enemy, who was not willing to fail and concentrated all their firepower on the Platon Army in an attempt to compete with our army for position. The red flag was submerged in smoke and fog. "Defend the Red Flag!" Zhong Yinggen rushed up for the second time and firmly grasped the flagpole. At this moment, a shell fell, and Zhong Yinggen's legs went numb and he fainted. When he awoke from his brief coma, a great pain struck. There was blood under him, and he tried to stand up in pain, only to find that he had lost both legs. However, the belief in defending the red flag underpins Zhong Yinggen. Slowly, he moved his body, which had been blown off by the explosion, grabbed the flagpole, and with the help of a large stone, he erected the red flag again. Under the artillery fire, the red flag fell several times, and Zhong Yingen put up the red flag several times. Enduring the immense pain, he moved forward little by little, leaning his body heavily against a slope... Zhong Yingen was half lying there, gritting his teeth and desperately pressing his shoulder against the flagpole. From a distance, he is one with the flagpole, and his body is the flagpole! The guns are still sounding, the fighting is still going on... "I am the flag bearer, I can't fall, I want the red flag to guide my comrades-in-arms!" This was the last sentence left by the dying Zhong Yinggen. He poured all his strength into the ground, propped his elbows on the ground, held his cheeks high, and held the red flag high. The red flag that does not fall is flying again over the civil rights gate! Zhong Yinggen, who was only 16 years old, slowly closed his eyes amid the shouts of his comrades-in-arms. Looking at the flag in the memorial hall that passed through the smoke of gunfire and was soaked in blood, the visitors present were all moved. The red flag never falls! In the campaign to liberate Tianjin, many officers and men like Zhong Yingen sacrificed their lives and forgot their deaths, charged bravely, and planted red flags on the enemy's city walls and pillboxes and planted them at the head of the Jintang Bridge. "The troops are on the way to march, and we will bury you by the Hai River. Like a seed leaving the soil, let the flower of bravery bloom in the spring. Before dying, Zhang Yunting, a "special tank hero", never forgot to "hit the Jintang Bridge." His comrades buried him on the banks of the Hai River. The next year, I don't know who sent the wreath, one, two, three... The country is the people, and the people are the country. Along the Hai River, the reporter walked from the neighborhood where old buildings were clustered to the fresh and beautiful leisure park. Looking at the happy smiling faces of the passers-by, we suddenly understand: what a deep and great force is supporting the flag that will never fall! In that year, the People's Liberation Army invaded the city of Tianjin, and on the way to Huishidi, it encountered students from Nankai University who came to support them. When they learned that the troops were going to Jintang Bridge, they eagerly stepped forward: "Comrades of the People's Liberation Army, I know Jintang Bridge, and I will take you away." At that time, Nankai University had many patriotic students who were concerned about the fate of the country, and Zeng Changning, a female underground party member, was one of them. During the Battle of Tianjin, with the help of her father's special status, she managed to grasp the intelligence of Kuomintang military and political leaders, military deployment, and urban defense facilities, and provided it to the party organization in a timely manner, which played an important role in the liberation of Tianjin. In the Pingjin Battle Memorial Hall, the reporter stared at a photo of Zeng Changning in that year - a white scarf, a neat student's head, and the youthful eyes looking at the camera were full of smiles. On the brick wall behind her were four big words made of white snow — "Welcome to the Light." That winter, the new city of Tianjin, the red sun reflected the snow, and the red flag fluttered in the wind. Like Zeng Changning, millions of people in Tianjin are looking forward to spring. In the Golden Hall of the Great Hall of the People, a solemn salute from a 92-year-old veteran's wheelchair declares that "sacrificing for the party is incomparably glorious" When the name of a bridge is connected to a unit, the bridge has a broader life. On June 29, 2021, in the Golden Hall of the Great Hall of the People, Wang Zhanshan, a combat hero and outstanding Communist Party member, was awarded the "July 1st Medal". In a wheelchair, the 92-year-old veteran of the "Jintang Bridge Company" stood up and saluted a solemn military salute. "Communists must fight bravely, not afraid of suffering, and second, not afraid of death. Sacrificing for the party is incomparably honorable. Wang Zhanshan will never forget what Ma Zhanhai, the introducer and old instructor for joining the party, said to him. 72 years ago, Wang Zhanshan's Seventh Company of the 404th Regiment of the 135th Division of the 45th Army participated in the battle to liberate Tianjin. Under the leadership of instructor Ma Zhanhai, Wang Zhanshan, who had only been in the party for 3 months, and his comrades-in-arms bravely threw themselves into battle. On the way to the Jintang Bridge, the instructor Ma Zhanhai was unfortunately shot, leaving a sentence to his comrades-in-arms, "Command for me", and closed his eyes. The officers and men of the Seventh Company charged desperately, repelled the enemy's counterattack many times, and completely occupied the Jintang Bridge, opening a passage for the capture of Tianjin. At the end of the battle, the field photographer took pictures of the officers and men of the seventh company who were awarded the honorary title of "Jintang bridge company", and the original company of more than 100 people fought only 24 people. Looking at the sacrificed comrades-in-arms, the 20-year-old Wang Zhanshan burst into tears. After returning from a visit to Jintang Bridge, the reporter dialed the phone of Yu Heng, the current instructor of the "Jintang Bridge Company." "After the bloody battle at the Jintang Bridge, the group photo of the remaining 24 people is now hanging in the honor room of our company." Yu Heng said, "The person who raised the flag in the team is the old hero Wang Zhanshan. The War of Liberation, the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, the War of Self-Defense and Counterattack on the Border ... Starting from Jintang Bridge, the officers and men of the "Jintang Bridge Company" continued to write new victories. On October 1, 2019, officers and soldiers walked through Tiananmen Square carrying the "Jintang Bridge Company" battle flag to accept the inspection of the party and the people. "This year, we have written two letters to each of us, one to our ancestors and one to the future." Yu Heng told this reporter that the Battle of Jintang Bridge has always been the most glorious battle flag of the company, inspiring officers and men to practice their skills in killing the enemy, fight for the people, and fight for victory. The majestic Jintang Bridge connects the present and the past. The officers and men who fought on the bridge left an indelible red mark on this iron bridge; the people who grew up and lived on the bridge remembered this glorious history and forged ahead in a new journey of pursuing their dreams. In June graduation season, youth soared. 5 kilometers south from Jintang Bridge, on the campus of Nankai University, the 2021 graduation ceremony is being held. "Today, we are about to rush to the future, and I choose to guard peace in Xinjiang..." Sonorous and powerful speeches came from the graduate representative Ashar Nurtai. In 2017, President Xi Jinping wrote back to eight newly recruited students at Nankai University, saying that they "turned their patriotism into a trip to serve the country and set a new example for the vast number of aspiring young people", and Ashar was one of these eight students. After two years of military experience, Ashar joined the party and his belief in dedicating himself to the barracks became even firmer. Now, after completing his studies, he has been recruited through selection and recruitment, and is about to return to the army. "In those years, the victory won by our army at Jintang Bridge was not easy to come by; today, we must also pass on this spirit from generation to generation!" Asgar said. Rong Media Report Text Writing: Reporter Wei Yumeng Field Reporter Li Weixin Zhao Wanshu Special Correspondent Xing Bangming Rong Media Production: Zhao Wanshu Wang Wei Interview Expert: Academy of Military Sciences Xu Fei Drone Pilot: Liu Yuxin Zhao Wanshu Layout Design: Liang Chen