Two Open Letters to Welcome the Liberation of Peiping

There are two revolutionary historical relics in the Second Middle School History Museum of Xinxiang City, Henan Province, both of which are open letters to welcome the liberation of Peiping. One is "A Letter to Peiping's Fathers, Brothers and Sisters" and the other is "A Letter to Students".

On January 31, 1949, the People's Liberation Army marched into Beiping City, and Beiping declared peaceful liberation. At the same time, in order to welcome this great historical moment, the teachers and students of Yanjing University have successively printed and distributed several important propositions, including "Guangweiran Talking about the Main Points of Propaganda Content", "The Chinese People's Liberation Army Beiping Military Control Committee's Letter to Compatriots from All walks of life in Beiping City", "The Letter to All Peiping's Elders, Brothers and Sisters", and "The Letter to Students" to make various preparations for the liberation of Beiping.

The content of the "Letter to Peiping's Elders, Brothers and Sisters" shows that it should be issued on the day of the peaceful liberation of Peiping and the entry of the People's Liberation Army into the city, that is, January 31, 1949. According to the China Railway Long Archives, which also has a collection of this cultural relic, it was issued by the Yenching University Welcome Liberation Action Committee. In this letter, Yanjing teachers and students called on people from all walks of life to act together and actively participate in the construction of New China.

In this letter, teachers and students of Yanjing proudly announced: "Today, the heroic People's Liberation Army has entered Beiping City, and the criminal reactionary rulers of Chiang Kai-shek can no longer withstand the thunderous power of the People's Liberation Army and have collapsed." "Peiping has been liberated, and we ordinary people have become masters, that is, we ordinary people have turned over, and our days will gradually get better."

They shouted enthusiastically: "Fathers, brothers and sisters, let us rejoice and celebrate the bright and happy days of today and the future!" "Long live the people's turning over! Long live the liberation of Beiping!"

They widely publicized: "Don't listen to the deceptions, propaganda and rumors of the Kuomintang, and we believe that the facts will also tell us that a democratic government is a government that truly saves and loves the people, a government of the people themselves. The PLA is also an army that truly saves and loves the people, and is a soldier of the common people."

They appealed loudly: "Our fathers, brothers and sisters in the city should not disturb each other, immediately return to normal life, return to everyone's jobs, resume work, resume classes, resume education, and resume the city!" "Resist all real spies, fake eight routes and all thieves and petty children, arrest, report and accuse them, and assist the democratic government in eliminating them!"

The "Letter to Students" is an open letter issued in the name of "North China Federation of Students. The letter is passionate, inspiring, full of longing for a new society and a new life, and shows calm wisdom in struggle. It reflects that at that special historical juncture, our party's underground organizations carried out intense, orderly and fruitful work.

Source: "Learning Power" Learning Platform

(Henan Provincial Party Committee Party History Learning and Education Leading Group Office Submitted)