Zhang Zhonghan, whose name may not be well known to most people, is a pivotal figure in the history of New China. His life is full of legends, especially in the marriage event, which has attracted the attention of national leaders and has become a "national event".
Zhang Zhonghan came from a good background, he was born in 1915 in a family of eunuchs in Cangzhou, Hebei Province, and showed extraordinary talent under the influence of his grandfather since he was a child. His grandfather served as a cabinet servant in the Hanlin Academy, and won the admiration of the Empress Dowager Cixi for his good handwriting, and the ink treasure is still treasured by the family today. Under such a family background, Zhang Zhonghan developed a strong interest in ancient literature from an early age, and his extraordinary wisdom also made him stand out among his many children and grandchildren.
However, Zhang Zhonghan's life did not develop according to the family's expectations. Although he came from a wealthy background, he did not indulge in the pleasures of a gentleman. On the contrary, he was strict with himself and erudite, not only in literary creation and Peking Opera performances, but also in the anti-Japanese activities in Beijing as a teenager.
His revolutionary path began with an acquaintance with Cao Youmin, an underground party member. Under Cao Youmin's leadership, Zhang Zhonghan began to participate in the editorial work of the progressive weekly "Xinfan", using words as a weapon to challenge the old forces and spread progressive ideas. In 1933, he secretly joined the Communist Party of China under the introduction of Cao Youmin, and began his revolutionary career.
In the early years, he entered the government under the arrangement of his uncle, and rose all the way to the position of director of the public security bureau, but his real identity was that he was an underground party member who insisted on the revolutionary struggle. He used the power in his hands to protect many underground party members, so that the local underground party organizations could survive safely, which also laid a solid foundation for him to create anti-Japanese armed forces in the future.
After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, Zhang Zhonghan, with his extraordinary courage and military talent, successively formed two anti-Japanese armed forces. He unreservedly handed over the command of the first team to Lü Zhengcao, which eventually became part of the third column of the Eighth Route Army, and Lü Zhengcao thus became the commander of the Jizhong Military Region. And Zhang Zhonghan himself led the second anti-Japanese team he created, the Jinnan Anti-Japanese Self-Defense Army, and joined the Eighth Route Army led by Mr. He.
Because the Self-Defense Army, under the leadership of Zhang Zhonghan, fought many battles with the Japanese puppet army and won victories, it became famous. In order to show his recognition of Zhang Zhonghan, Mr. He appointed him as the head of the 719 regiment. However, this appointment has caused a lot of dissatisfaction. After all, when the Red Army was reorganized into the Eighth Route Army at that time, due to the limited establishment, many Red Army generals with outstanding achievements failed to serve as regiment commanders, and some even did not even have official titles. As soon as Zhang Zhonghan joined the Eighth Route Army, he became the head of the main regiment, which naturally caused dissatisfaction among some people.
In the face of this situation, Zhang Zhonghan did not say much, but proved his ability with practical actions. He led his troops to engage in a series of fierce battles with the Japanese puppet army, and each time he was able to be fearless in the face of danger, commanded steadfastly, and achieved brilliant results. Over time, his performances have gradually won everyone's recognition. People began to accept the new head of the regiment, and some people even commented: "Zhang Zhonghan, the head of the regiment, is still doing a good job." ”
Time flies, and by the end of 1948, Zhang Zhonghan has been promoted to the commander of the Sixth Division of the First Field. A few months later, Tao Zhiyue, commander-in-chief of the Xinjiang garrison, telegraphed an uprising, and Xinjiang was declared peacefully liberated. This historic moment has opened a new chapter in Xinjiang's development.
Soon after, General Wang Zhen was ordered to lead his army into Xinjiang. His mission is not only to enter this northwest frontier, but also to develop and utilize this thousand-mile wasteland.
Before the army is stationed, it is important to have an in-depth understanding of the destination and to be well prepared. Commander Wang was well aware of this, so he decided to send an advanced force with extensive experience and professional skills to the Korla area for exploration and deployment work. After careful consideration, he entrusted this important task to Zhang Zhonghan.
Commander Wang placed high hopes on Zhang Zhonghan, and he solemnly explained the task: "You need to quickly set up an advance team, including leading cadres and backbone personnel of agriculture, forestry, and water conservancy technology, to be the first to arrive in the Korla area, conduct on-the-spot surveys and make arrangements, and make full preparations for the subsequent stationing of the army, the reclamation of the frontiers, and the construction of Xinjiang." Zhang Zhonghan felt a heavy responsibility, and he acted quickly, carefully selected personnel, and formed a vanguard force of more than 40 people.
On 13 October, the vanguard set out on its journey to Korla in four vehicles. In the small town of Kumish, they also co-opted an exploration team, which undoubtedly breathed new life into their mission. With the joint efforts of these professionals, they soon successfully completed the exploration and deployment tasks, laying a solid foundation for the garrison of the army.
With the arrival of the army, Xinjiang's development and construction has entered a new stage. In order to respond to the call of the central authorities and speed up the process of reclamation and garrisoning, at the beginning of the second year, Zhang Zhonghan and Tao Zhiyue accompanied Commander Wang Zhen and many water conservancy and soil experts to brave the severe cold and march to the border areas of the Junggar Basin. They went deep into the field and put a lot of effort into it, and finally drew up a perfect development blueprint.
Thanks to the joint efforts of the officers and soldiers, the Gobi Desert, which had been dormant for a long time, played the prelude to the large-scale production movement of reclamation and garrisoning the frontiers. They laid down their arms, picked up iron picks and earthen ploughs, and reclaimed oases with their own hands and sweat. In 1954, the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps was formally established, with Tao Zhiyue as the commander of the Corps, Wang Enmao as the political commissar of the Corps, and Zhang Zhonghan as the deputy political commissar of the Corps.
As a major contributor to Xinjiang's development, Zhang Zhonghan was later transferred to the vice minister of agriculture and reclamation, so he missed the opportunity to be conferred the title. Although he was in Xinjiang for many years, his name was widely known, and even great men praised his deeds. In particular, his marriage has become a "national event" that the leaders are concerned about.
Over the years, Zhang Zhonghan's comrades-in-arms and old leaders have been worried about his marriage problems, and have arranged blind dates many times, but they have failed several times. Coupled with his busy schedule and enthusiasm for work, he gradually delayed his life's major events. However, in his later years, Zhang Zhonghan was not alone. He adopted a child as a righteous son in his early years, and now the child has grown up and started a family, and he is by his side to take care of him, allowing him to spend a happy old age.
On March 9, 1980, Zhang Zhonghan died of illness at the age of 65. Although his life was full of hardships and challenges, he always adhered to his original intention and made great efforts and painstaking efforts for the development and construction of Xinjiang. His deeds will forever be engraved in the long history of Xinjiang and inspire future generations to keep moving forward.