During the Republic of China period, Henan, which is located in the land of four wars, was plagued by natural disasters and man-made disasters, and the great powers, bandits, warlords, local tycoons, and inferior gentry ran rampant, and the people of Henan lived in deep water. However, in the Wanxi area of Nanyang, Henan, because of one person, the Wanxi area is like a paradise:
Here, there is a perfect education throughout the countryside, a strict armor protection system, and an army protection of tens of thousands of guns. Here not only developed agriculture, convenient transportation, but also opened a series of modern industries, the society is orderly, production has been fully developed, education and cultural undertakings are prosperous, and it is not exaggerated to describe it as "the road is not left behind, and the night is not closed". The chaotic, backward, and isolated Wanxi region was the Warlord Bei Tingfang who governed the chaotic, backward, and isolated Wanxi region into the paradise of the Republic of China.
Don't Tingfang
As a local warlord in Henan who ruled the thirteen counties of Nanyang for decades, if you compare Bei Tingfang with other warlords in the Republic of China, I think that Bei Tingfang is actually a nickname "King of Shanxi" Yan Xishan.
For the "King of Shanxi" Yan Xishan, I think most people are not strangers, from the Xinhai Revolution to the founding of New China, for 38 years, Yan Xishan has been firmly in control of Shanxi, is the only warlord who really crossed the Republic of China during the Republic of China. And Yan Xishan's ability to reign for such a long time was not because the Jin Sui army under his command was superior in combat effectiveness and invincible, but because of Yan Xishan's own ability.
Yan Xishan
In addition to Yan Xishan's superb political means, his governance of Shanxi was also an extremely important reason why he maintained his rule in Shanxi for so long. Under the administration of Yan Xishan, Shanxi also became a famous "model county" in the Republic of China, and Bei Tingfang's rule and governance of the Wanxi region was almost the same.
Bie Tingfang, born in 1883 in Zhangtang Village, Yangcheng Township, Xixia County, studied private school for ten years. In the Wanxi region, where the economy was backward, warlords were constantly fighting, and bandits were rampant, when he became an adult, Bie Tingfang started from a cottage, Tiger Village, and successively served as the commander of the fourth regiment of the First Supplementary Brigade of Nanyang in the Northwest Army, the commander of the militia regiment of Neixiang County, the commander of the joint defense of 13 counties in Wanzhou, and the commander of the Anti-Japanese Self-Defense Regiment in the Sixth District of Henan, and other positions, mastering tens of thousands of guns and becoming the emperor of the 13 counties of western Henan.
After becoming the tu emperor of the ruling side, what distinguished Bei Tingfang from most warlords in the Republic of China was his excellent ability to govern the localities. After becoming the ruler of Wanxi, Bie Tingfang did not conquer and tyrannically like other warlords, satisfying his own ambitions and selfish desires. On the contrary, Bie Tingfang, who had the political ideal of protecting the border and the people, began to implement the autonomy of Wanxi.
First of all, in view of the constant chaos between warlords in Wanxi and the rampant situation of bandits and inferior gentry, Bie Tingfang began to learn from Zeng Guofan, established a strict armor protection system in the Wanxi region, and implemented cruel joint sitting to sort out and deter the localities. At the same time, Bie Tingfang led the army to vigorously encircle and suppress the bandits, making the bandits completely extinct in Wanxi.
Wanxi Local Self-Government Hall
With a stable place, the next step is naturally development. Bie Tingfang carried out comprehensive reforms in military, political, economic, educational and other aspects. In the military field, he vigorously promoted the armor protection system, and all males between the ages of 16 and 40 in the county, except for civil servants, students, and the wounded, sick and disabled, were all organized into standing and reserve battalions. At the same time, the far-sighted Bie Tingfang also began to establish an arsenal and an officer school in the Wanxi area.
The gun factory he founded, the Arsenal, has produced more than 20,000 rifles, 5,000 light and heavy machine guns, and more than 150 mortars in more than a decade. It can be said that in terms of military weapons and equipment, Bei Tingfang's army has achieved basic self-sufficiency.
Nanyang Wanxi area
In order to maintain the independent status of the ruling area, Bie Tingfang fought with various forces, whether it was local warlords, bandits, Kuomintang troops, or the Communist Party. After the outbreak of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Bie Tingfang also led nearly 10,000 troops to cooperate with the Kuomintang army in a fierce battle with the Japanese in the Battle of the New Tang Dynasty, inflicting great casualties on the Japanese.
In terms of economy, in addition to vigorously developing agriculture, building water conservancy, and planting trees, Bie Tingfang also selflessly measured and inventoried the land and changed the chaotic situation of land endowment. At the same time, Bie Tingfang also knows the importance of industry to the local economy. He built modern factories such as hydropower plants, glass factories, and paper mills, and in the interior, where he did not know what light bulbs were, Wanxi took the lead in using hydropower.
The Beigong Weir organized by Bei Tingfang
At the same time, Bei Tingfang issued the "five major prohibitions", including the prohibition of smoking large cigarettes, which made the local atmosphere a great improvement. Even in order to truly control the locality, Bie Tingfang also issued local coins in the name of circulation coupons. It can be said that under the administration of Bei Tingfang, Wanxi has completely become his independent kingdom.
Circulating coupons issued by Bei Tingfang
In terms of education, Bie Tingfang, who is deeply affected by traditional education, is naturally no exception, he vigorously promotes education and promotes talents, and by 1938, there were 235 primary schools in Neixiang County alone, which basically ensured that the county's school-age children could carry out literacy and literacy education. At the same time, Bei Tingfang is a person of integrity and integrity, and can also lead by example, so the corruption in his jurisdiction has been greatly reduced, and the people's lives are very stable.
Local self-government
However, although Bei Tingfang has so many achievements, he is by no means an invulnerable and perfect person. Although local self-government in the areas of rule has been effective, some policies and means have been too harsh. Once, When Bie Tingfang found a child stealing corn in the field, he actually shot him after angrily scolding him that "he was like this when he was a child, and he didn't become a big thief when he grew up."
In the process of attacking the localities, there were also many bloody cases, and there were even records of burying all the old and young people alive in the village, and the means were extremely cruel. Moreover, during the decades of ruling the 13 counties of Wanzhou, Bie Tingfang also clashed with the Communists many times, and he led troops to surround the Red Army troops in transit and killed Red Army soldiers.
Tomb of Bei Tingfang
In 1940, Bie Tingfang died of illness at the age of 57. Many high-ranking Kuomintang officials and dignitaries, such as Lin Sen, Chiang Kai-shek, Feng Yuxiang, Sun Ke, and others, presented plaques for their inscriptions. Throughout Bei Tingfang's life, perhaps Feng Yuxiang's inscription is the most accurate and pertinent: the great deeds of the strange people.