1.The protest against US military atrocities

On January 7, 1947, following the “Shen Chong case”, students from NSYSU organized a large-scale demonstration gathering university and middle school students in Guangzhou to protest against US military atrocities.

Photo 1: Scene of the demonstration protesting against US military atrocities

Photo 2: Conflict between students and military police during the demonstration in Guangzhou

2.Investigation trip to the Xisha Qundao (the Xisha Islands)

After the victory of the War of Resistance against Japanese Agression, NSYSU participated in the National Government’s takeover of the Xisha Islands, advancing the investigation and research into the Xisha Islands to a new stage. In April 1947, the National Government dispatched investigation teams to the Xisha Islands. The team of NSYSU, led by Wang Guangwei from the Department of Geography, conducted plant surveys led by Zhang Hongda from the Department of Biology, animal surveys led by Li Guofan from the Department of Biology, and soil surveys led by Lu Faxi from the College of Agriculture.

Photo: On April 15, 1947, News Report featured experts such as Wang Guangwei and Cen Jiawu accompanying the investigation team to the Xisha Islands.

3.The “May 31st Movement Against Civil War, Starvation, and Persecution”

On May 31, 1947, under the leadership of the underground organization of the Communist Party of China in Guangzhou, more than 3,200 students from NSYSU and other schools took part in a strike and demonstration “against civil war, starvation, and persecution”. The movement was brutally suppressed by the authorities and became known as the “May 31st Massacre”.

Photo 1: Students from the College of Agriculture at NSYSU staging a demonstration against starvation and civil war at the Beijing Road intersection of Zhongshan 5th Road in Guangzhou

Photo 2: A Bloody Crime: Memorial Handbook for the May 31st Movement compiled by the Student Affairs Committee of NSYSU

4.The establishment of the Department of Astronomy as an independent department

In 1926, the Department of Mathematics and Astronomy had been established at NSYSU. In June 1929, the NSYSU Observatory had been officially completed, becoming the first university observatory in China. In July 1947, the Department of Astronomy was separated from the Department of Mathematics and Astronomy and became an independent department.

Photo: NSYSU established the Department of Astronomy and appointed distinguished professors in the Department of Mathematics.

5.The establishment of the Patriotic Democratic Movement Association of NSYSU by front organizations of the Communist Party of China

The front organization of the Communist Party of China was initially established at NSYSU with the name “Patriotic Democratic Movement Association of NSYSU ” (abbreviated as the “Patriotic Association”)  by 14 Communist Party members who could only be contacted directly by the Party. The members were led by Hu Zequn, the underground party leader of NSYSU. By the time its establishment was officially announced on March 29, 1947, the association had grown to around 50 members. As the association gradually expanded its scope to the entire city of Guangzhou, its name was changed to the  “Guangzhou Patriotic Democratic Association”. Throughout the entire period of the War of Liberation, Hu Zequn, the underground party leader of NSYSU, served as the head of the city’s main contact of the underground student union. From March 1947 to October 14, 1949, the Guangzhou Patriotic Democratic Association recruited a total of 1,392 members.

Photo: Members of the underground student union at NSYSU with progressive students