The significance of the Spring Festival and the peaceful liberation of Peiping
Spring Festival is one of the most important festivals for Chinese. It not only represents the harvest and hope of a year of hard work, but also people's wish to let their loved ones have a good year. And in the Spring Festival of 1949, for the people of Peiping, it had a special significance. It was around this Spring Festival that Beijing ushered in the peaceful liberation, which became the last Spring Festival in Peiping, and since then, Peiping has officially changed its name to Beijing.
Compared with the liberation of a large city in the form of battle, the peaceful liberation is less of those thrilling battles and gunsmoke-filled scenes. But peaceful liberation is actually a rather complex and difficult task. How to smoothly transfer the armed forces of the two sides, how the PLA's army will be treated, and especially how to effectively manage a large city, this was a difficult problem for the PLA at that time.
On January 14, 1949, Fu Zuoyi's negotiator Deng Baoshan held negotiations with our military representatives Lin Biao, Luo Ronghuan, Nie Rongzhen and others. Deng Baoshan became a popular figure in the northwest region since the beginning of the Xinhai Revolution, and during the War of Resistance he had a deep friendship with Fu Zuoyi and Ma Zhanshan, and at the same time had close contacts with our party and our army. At that time, he was the deputy commander-in-chief of the "General Suppression" in North China, with rich experience and high status, and was able to communicate with all parties, and Fu Zuoyi regarded him as an important figure in the negotiations.
However, negotiations soon reached an impasse when they began. Deng Baoshan and his entourage met Lin Biao, Luo Ronghuan and others at night, but at this time the Battle of Tianjin had begun. Nie Rongzhen said that the general attack on Tianjin has begun, so there is no need to talk about the Tianjin issue. However, Deng Baoshan believed that Tianjin's city was well defended and there were many defenders, and it was impossible to be captured in a short time, and he advised the PLA not to attack Tianjin. But Lin Biao insisted: No matter how long the fight lasts, we must fight Tianjin. The two sides fell silent, and soon after Deng Baoshan asked Zhou Beifeng to seek Fu Zuoyi's opinion. As a result, the negotiations ended unhappily.
Fu Zuoyi's opinion was actually considered and suggested through Deng Baoshan. On the morning of the 15th, Deng Baoshan and Zhou Beifeng again sat down with Lin Biao, Luo Ronghuan, and Nie Rongzhen on behalf of Fu Zuoyi for negotiations. The content of this negotiation no longer includes the Tianjin issue. The two sides talked late at night, while Tianjin had been liberated. Fu Zuoyi hurriedly sent a telegram to Deng Baoshan, hoping that he would reach an agreement with our army as soon as possible. On the 16th, negotiators on both sides received instructions from their superiors, hoping that they could reach an agreement as soon as possible. In the afternoon of the same day, the two sides reached the "Fourteen Points for the Peaceful Settlement of Peiping," and the peaceful liberation of Peiping was just around the corner.
On the eve of the peaceful liberation of Beiping, Fu Zuoyi had to deal with the children of the Jiang family in Nanjing on the one hand, and on the other hand, he had to discuss many matters for the peaceful liberation with his officers. Soon, the representatives of the two sides drafted the "Agreement on the Peaceful Settlement of the Settlement in Peiping" on the basis of the "14 Articles". In addition to making arrangements for various matters in Peiping, the agreement also stipulated that the two sides would stop fighting from 10 a.m. on January 22. In addition, the agreement also set up an office responsible for receiving Beiping, with a total of seven people participating, among which the representatives of our army were Ye Jianying, Tao Zhu, Rong Zihe, and Xu Bing.
On January 21, 1949, Fu Zuoyi read the contents of the agreement to his officials. Except for a few generals of the Jiang family, no one else had any objections. On January 22, the agreement was announced on all interfaces in Peiping, and the citizens were immediately immersed in joy, they were about to usher in not only the Spring Festival, but also liberation!
At 10 a.m. on the day of the official ceasefire, Fu Zuoyi's troops officially ceased. Except for some of Fu Zuoyi's troops, which were responsible for guard duties, the other units left Beiping in turn and accepted the reorganization. Fu Zuoyi was a very self-respecting person, and he was reluctant to appear in front of the citizens of Peiping as a loser. Therefore, he deliberately put his elite troops, the 4th Cavalry Division, first when drawing up the order in which his troops went out of the city. The division commander of this unit, Liu Chunsheng, was Fu Zuoyi's right-hand man, and he knew Fu Zuoyi's intentions very well. On the day he left the city, he ordered the cavalry to pedal, saddle his horses, hold his head high, and not squint. Liu Chunsheng himself rode a white horse and led the entire division out of Xizhimen in a beautiful manner, attracting the attention of countless citizens. It was under the appearance of the 4th Cavalry Division that the other units also left the city in turn. Although some troops had fought fierce and bloody battles with our army many times, and they were still a little unwilling in their hearts, under Fu Zuoyi's persuasion, they all obediently walked out of Beiping. In order to appease these troops, Fu Zuoyi also issued each soldier a silver dollar, and the officers gave five pieces, and gave all the cans in the warehouse to the officers and soldiers, so that everyone could have a good year.
The first day of the Chinese New Year in 1949 fell on January 29. On this day, the citizens of Peiping saw that Jiang Jun had walked out of Peiping one after another to accept the reorganization. The joy of the impending peace blended with the festive atmosphere, and the citizens of Peiping finally had a happy year.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the two sides also held a tea party in Gyeongbokgok and set up a joint office in Peiping to manage Peiping's affairs together. On January 31, at 12:30 p.m. on the third day of the Lunar New Year, the 10th Division of the 41st Army of the Fourth Field Army of the People's Liberation Army entered Peiping, becoming the first PLA unit to enter the city, marking the official completion of the peaceful liberation of Peiping. According to the custom of the north, under normal circumstances, people do not go out until the "breaking five", but on this day, the PLA entered the city and was welcomed by the citizens of Beiping. For the newly liberated citizens of Peiping, this year's Spring Festival is of great significance! They can finally usher in a free and peaceful Spring Festival.
It was such a meaningful Spring Festival that not only Peiping, but also Jiang Jun officials in Rugao County, Jiangsu Province, fled Rugao on the day of the Spring Festival in 1949, announcing the liberation of the entire county.
As a national self-media creator, I would like to tell you the story of the peaceful liberation of Peiping during the Spring Festival in 1949 through this article. This is an event of great historical significance, which represents the peaceful completion of the liberation of Peiping by the People's Liberation Army and the fact that the people of the whole country are about to enter a new historical period. We should cherish peace, understand its importance, and be proud of the progress and development of our country. At the same time, I also hope that everyone can live a happy and healthy Spring Festival in the new year.
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