Langya Mountain, situated in Yixian County of Hebei Province in north China, derives its name from its towering and rugged peaks that resemble wolf teeth. It served as one of the Communist Party of China (CPC)'s key guerrilla bases in western Hebei during the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.
The mountain's Xiaolianhua Feng or Little Lotus Peak, is where five Chinese soldiers would rather jump off the cliff than be captured by enemies after they helped 40,000 people move to safety 84 years ago.
In 1941, the Japanese troops launched a massive mopping-up campaign against Communist-led forces across the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei border region in North China.
As they advanced, they massacred civilians, torched villages, and plundered everything in their path.
"In mid-September, Japanese and their puppet troops initiated a major sweep operation in the Langya Mountain region, targeting the core forces of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Border Region’s First Sub-district," said Li Fang, curator of Langya Mountain Five Heroes Memorial Hall.
Japanese Imperial Army General Yasuji Okamura's 'iron-rolling' encirclement sealed off the region.
Communist-led troops launched a diversionary attack in the southwest to draw enemy reinforcements away from the northeast, opening a gap for evacuation.
But some soldiers had to stay behind to hold the enemy at bay, buying time for the main force and the civilians.
"The five soldiers of Squad 6, Company 7, Ma Baoyu, Ge Zhenlin, Hu Delin, Hu Fucai, and Song Xueyi, volunteered to cover the retreat," said Li.
After the main forces withdrew, the five soldiers stood at a fateful crossroads.
To the north, they could rejoin their comrades and the civilians, but risk leading the enemy straight to them. To the south, where steep cliffs offered no escape, only a chance to lure the enemy away.
A choice between duty and survival. To protect the people, they would have to become the last line of defense.
With its steep cliffs, dense foliage and labyrinthine caves, Langya Mountains provided perfect conditions for ambush combat and irregular combat operations.
"Vastly outnumbered, the five soldiers conducted hit-and-run ambushes across Langya Mountain’s cliffs - mimicking a larger force to lure enemy troops toward Little Lotus Peak," said Dong Xiaofang, head of Party History Research, Yixian County CPC Committee.
With their last bullets spent, the five soldiers honored their pledge.
Ma Baoyu, Hu Delin and Hu Fucai sacrificed their lives, while Ge Zhenlin and Song Xueyi survived and rejoined their unit.
The five soldiers' devotion - putting others before themselves in the face of certain death - resonates across decades. Now their story lives on in folk songs, films, and textbooks, and their legacy stands as a monument to the courage that shaped modern China.
Story of five heroes of Langya Mountain
