Recommender's Words "Zhang Yuanqi"

Cover of Shanghai Jiao Tong University Press's 2007 book Fortress of Democracy: The Underground Communist Party Fighting at Jiaotong University 1925-1949

Zhang Yonghe, an early Yunnan communist who came out of the depths of the Yunling Mountains to study in Beijing, Tianjin, and Shanghai, and joined the Communist Party of China at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, was also the first person to return to Yunnan from outside the province to spread the seeds of revolution.

In the book "Fortress of Democracy" edited and published by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, there are many accounts involving Zhang Yonghe's revolutionary activities at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, which are worth reading.

Shanghai Jiao Tong University has a long history and a glorious revolutionary tradition. Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the forerunner of China's democratic revolution, and Chen Duxiu, the founder of the Communist Party of China, have both given speeches at Jiaotong University.

During the first Kuomintang-Communist cooperation, Shanghai Jiao Tong University became a base for the left wing of the Kuomintang and communists with communists as the core backbone to develop party organizations and promote revolution in the school. Shi Cuntong, Yun Daiying, He Chang and other early Chinese Communists often went to Jiaotong University to propagate revolutionary ideas and carry out revolutionary work.

Zhang Yonghe, a student of Dian Jiaotong University who joined the Socialist Youth League and the Communist Party of China before the May Thirtieth Movement, was the first youth league member and the first Communist Party member of Shanghai Jiao Tong University. During the May Thirtieth Movement, Zhang Yonghe actively participated in the student movement, was elected as a member of the Executive Committee of the All-China Federation of Students and the director of the Executive Committee of the Shanghai Federation of Students, and under the leadership and command of Yun Daiying and He Chang of the Central Committee of the League, directly participated in the launching and organization of the May Thirtieth Movement, and secretly carried out the construction of party organizations in the course of the movement. In August 1925, Zhang Yonghe took advantage of his summer vacation to return to Kunming on behalf of the All-China Federation of Students and the Shanghai Federation of Students to publicize the May Thirtieth Movement, introducing Li Guozhu, Chen Zuwu, Yan Yingjun, and Wu Cheng of the Yunnan Youth Effort Association to join the Communist Youth League, and bringing their organizational relations back to the Shanghai Jiaotong League Central Committee, and with the approval of the League Central Committee, he founded the Yunnan Provincial Special Branch of the Communist Youth League, and in January 1926, he introduced Li Guozhu to become a communist party member, making Li Guozhu the first member to join the league and the first party member to join the party in Yunnan Province. And the work of the Yunnan Provincial Communist Youth League was directly integrated into the leadership of the Party Central Committee and the League Central Committee. At Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Zhang Yonghe successively introduced Lu Dingyi, Chen Yusheng, and others to join the Communist Youth League and the Communist Party. At the end of 1925, under the guidance of the Shanghai District Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Xujiahui Independent Branch, Jiaotong University independently established the Branch of the Communist Party of China and the Branch of the Communist Youth League. The first secretary of the party branch was Zhang Yonghe, and the secretary of the league branch was Lu Dingyi. The Communist Party of China and the Youth League Branch of Jiaotong University are one of the earliest communist party and communist youth league organizations established in Chinese universities.

In this column, we will publish the relevant content of the article written by Mr. Ou Qijin (et al.), deputy director of the Cultural and Expo Management Center of Jiaotong University, in the book "Fortress of Democracy", for the benefit of readers.