History of the Currency in the Huainan Anti-Japanese Base Area

Author: Zhang Shufan
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-05-01
Features: After the preliminary draft of The History of Currency in the Huainan Anti-Japanese Base Area was completed, I read it three times in a row, but still wanted to read it more. There are two reasons for this: First, in the early 1980s, the Anhui Provincial Branch of the People's Bank of China, following the requirements of the central bank, planned to compile and organize historical materials of several revolutionary base area banks and silver offices established by the Party in Anhui Province during the revolutionary war years into a small booklet. Due to a lack of historical materials, they adopted a "rescue" approach by taking advantage of the time when the key figures were still alive. In 1984, the provincial branch held a symposium on the history of the Huainan Bank in Chuzhou (now Chuzhou City), and most of the older comrades who had worked at the Huainan Bank attended the meeting. The attending comrades enthusiastically recalled the history of the Huainan Bank: some recalled the background of its establishment, others recalled the process of its founding, some recounted how the Huainan Bank printed currency and how it used currency and finance to fight against the enemy and the puppet regime, and others recalled how, in the face of extreme economic difficulties, they overcame challenges with revolutionary optimism and achieved victory in the fight against the enemy. Comrade Lü Fengsha, who was in charge of engraving at the time, recalled the process of designing and producing the Huainan currency and his personal experience of how the leadership valued its printing and issuance. After the meeting, he even went to the former site of the Huainan Bank's printing factory, where he had worked, and sketched it with a pencil. The highly respected first president of the Huainan Bank, Comrade Gong Yinong, attended the meeting despite his illness. I (then Vice President of the Anhui Provincial Branch of the People's Bank of China) did not know Comrade Gong at the time, but after being introduced, he immediately said, "You're here, so it's all settled!" I deeply understood the profound meaning behind his words at that time. Some comrades mentioned "Comrade Gong" in their speeches, and when I summarized the meeting, I also mentioned "Comrade Gong." He was very modest and said in his speech, "I heard some people mention 'Comrade Gong' a few times. Please don't do that. The work was done according to the Party's instructions and was a collective effort. If you must mention me, you must call me Gong Yinong, not 'Comrade Gong'." His modest and amiable demeanor remains deeply engraved in my mind. Every time I recall this history, I feel as though I owe a debt to these older comrades. Now, after years of further excavation and meticulous organization by the Chuzhou Coin Society, the book The History of Currency in the Huainan Anti-Japanese Base Area has been published. I feel relieved and believe that I have finally made amends to these older comrades. Second, the book The History of Currency in the Huainan Anti-Japanese Base Area is written in a fluent style, with clear narratives and strong readability. After reading it, I deeply feel the importance of the Huainan Revolutionary Base Area during the Party-led Anti-Japanese War. It is located between the Yangtze and Huai Rivers, stretching from the Grand Canal in the east to the Dabie Mountains in the west, with the Yangtze River to the south and the Huai River to the north, covering parts of Anhui and Jiangsu provinces. It served as the hub connecting the five revolutionary base areas under the Party's leadership: the eastern Shuizhong and Yansu, the northern Huaibei, and the southwestern Anjiang and Eyu-Huainan. From winter 1939 to winter 1940, it was the site of the Central Committee's Central Plains Bureau and the New Fourth Army's North Jianghuai Command. From January 1943 to August 1945, it was the residence of the Central Committee's Central Huaiyang Bureau and the New Fourth Army Headquarters. Comrade Liu Shaoqi, a great proletarian revolutionary, led the work of the Central Plains Bureau and the rebuilding of the New Fourth Army after the Anhui Incident from here. On this revolutionary base area, the Party not only led the people in an arduous and indomitable Anti-Japanese War, defeating the Japanese army's brutal sweeps time and again in military terms, but also successfully used revolutionary currency and finance to engage in economic struggles against the Japanese puppet regime and the Kuomintang, develop the base area's economy, meet the needs of the revolutionary war, and improve people's lives. The historical narrative is clear, and the historical records are relatively complete. Through the descriptions of specific events and individuals, we can clearly understand how the revolutionary predecessors, in the tough years of the Anti-Japanese War, devoted their hearts and souls to issuing base area currency, overcoming countless difficulties from securing printing machines and paper to engraving. Comrade Lü Fengsha's story of learning engraving, practicing his skills day and night until he collapsed at his desk, and being hailed as the "diligent and fearless man" by his colleagues, vividly portrays the lofty image of the revolutionary predecessors. Under complex historical conditions, the Party skillfully handled the relationships between the enemy, ourselves, and friends while using currency in its struggles, showing how much the Party values policies and strategies. In the specific organization of currency issuance, the determination of exchange rates, the fight against counterfeit currency, and the timely recall of issued currency all concretely demonstrate that the Communist Party of China works for the interests of the broad masses of the people. In conclusion, The History of Currency in the Huainan Anti-Japanese Base Area is an excellent teaching material for preserving history and nurturing people.