?Zhang Song?
From the life-and-death covert struggles on the clandestine front during the Anti-Japanese War, to the people-pleasing footsteps of the Party and state leaders after the founding of the People’s Republic of China, and then to the long elegiac years of military glory in Hongxing Village—sea breezes from Heishijiao carry and pass on red stories.
“An Unfading Radio Signal”
After the full outbreak of the Second World War, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China consulted with the Soviet Red Army’s General Staff and decided to select Communist Party members who had undergone rigorous training to infiltrate Dalian and secretly establish an underground radio station, providing intelligence for the global war against fascism.
With its unique geographic advantages, Heishijiao became the first choice for this secret mission. Sheltered by mountains and facing the sea, its complex terrain can effectively weaken the accuracy of radio signal tracking. The tram lines connecting to the urban districts facilitate personnel movement and the transfer of intelligence. Meanwhile, the scattered Japanese puppet officials’ residences and civilians’ homes make the composition of personnel complex and highly mobile, easily creating a hidden advantage of “darkness under the lamp.”
In July 1941, Shen Delong, a member of the Communist Party of China, and Li Zhensheng, who mastered photographic techniques, came to Dalian to carry out intelligence work under the cover of operating a photo studio. They ultimately chose No. 153 Heishi Jiao Gao Sandai Town (now No. 198, Xicun, Heishi Jiao) as their base. “Xingya Photo Studio” officially opened on December 20, 1941.
On April 14, 1942, the first underground radio station in Heishi Jiao, Dalian, was officially completed and began communications. Using the photo studio as the center, Shen Delong and others established liaison connections in places such as Dalian, Shenyang, Benxi, and Tianjin, forming an intelligence network. They collected crucial information, including Japanese troop movements in Benxi, Shenyang, and Dalian, the number of military supplies in the dock warehouses and the Zhoushuizi warehouses, and the locations where these supplies were stored.
Because the enemy carried out long-term surveillance and radio monitoring, at the dawn of October 2, 1943, Shen Delong and Li Zhensheng were arrested. In November 1943, the Japanese troops secretly transferred Shen Delong and several other key intelligence figures to the Unit 731 in Harbin, and then brutally murdered them through inhumane live-animal experiments.
In June 1942, Liu Fengchuan and He Hanqing were assigned by the Party organization to enter Dalian from Shandong and begin establishing an underground intelligence network. In late November 1943, He Hanqing rented two thatched-roof houses at No. 212 Heishi Town (now Heishi Jiao). In October 1944, the second underground radio station at Heishi Jiao successfully established communications with the Soviet intelligence headquarters. In a very short time, they gathered a large amount of strategically valuable intelligence, including production capacity reserves of the Manchuria Oil Company, shipbuilding capacity of the Dalian dockyard, and the status of the return and recovery of materials by the Kwantung Army.
Danger struck again. At the dawn of December 4, 1944, Liu Fengchuan and He Hanqing were arrested. On August 16, 1945, the two were secretly executed.
Premier Zhou Enlai’s Days in Heishi Jiao
In May 1951, Premier Zhou Enlai came to the Heishi Jiao Guesthouse in Dalian to recuperate. During this stay in Dalian, Premier Zhou set for himself “Three Rules”: no accompanying him, no visiting him, and no arranging special activities.
Even during his recuperation, Premier Zhou Enlai always remained concerned about the construction and development of Dalian. At that time, the people across Dalian were actively restoring production and needed to report their work to the premier. The mayor of Dalian originally planned to go to the Heishi Jiao Guesthouse where Premier Zhou was staying. But Premier Zhou took the initiative and said, “You’re busy, so you should work and I’ll rest. I’m free, so I should go and see you.” Premier Zhou went to the Dalian municipal government, listened carefully to detailed reports on all kinds of work, and affirmed Dalian’s achievements in restoring production and improving people’s livelihoods.
There was also something that deeply moved the staff serving at the Heishi Jiao Guesthouse. The night before Premier Zhou left, he specifically worked with Comrade Deng Yingchao to serve the staff as well. That evening, Premier Zhou and Deng Yingchao arrived at the dining hall early, set out tables, chairs, and utensils, and invited all the service staff over. Premier Zhou served rice for the waiters, and Deng Yingchao brought dishes to everyone. When the service staff tried to stop them, Premier Zhou smiled and said, “Comrades, we are in a socialist country—there is no distinction between high and low in people’s status. You are service workers; I am the premier of the state. It’s only a matter of different revolutionary assignments—we are all servants of the people. Today, it’s only natural that I serve you a bit!”
The Romantic Ties Between Mao Anqing and Shao Hua
In a corner of the Eight-Seven Yard in Heishi Jiao, a two-story Gothic-style small Western house built in 1927 stands tall. Because Mao Anqing and Shao Hua lived here twice, it is known as the “Mao Anqing Villa.”
In the late autumn of 1959, Mao Zedong’s second son, Mao Anqing, came from the Soviet Union to recuperate in Heishi Jiao, Dalian. In January 1960, Shao Hua, who was studying at Peking University, arrived in Dalian and met Mao Anqing. The two hit it off immediately and became close. After Shao Hua returned to Beijing, the two exchanged letters, and their feelings grew deeper. In the spring of the same year, Shao Hua came back to Dalian again with her sister Liu Siqi, bringing Mao Zedong’s handwritten letter. The letter said, “Shao Hua (Shao Hua) is a good child—you can talk with her,” clearly supporting their relationship. Later, Shao Hua transferred to Liaoning Normal College (now Liaoning Normal University) to study Chinese as a special student, allowing her to accompany Mao Anqing more often.
On the eve of the May Day holiday in 1960, the wedding of Mao Anqing and Shao Hua was held at the Dalian Hotel. After their marriage, they moved into this red small house and spent nearly a year of happy time together.
A Red Star Glitters Over Heishi Jiao
On this land, there is another well-known place—Hongxing Village (also known as “General’s Village”)—located in the southern part of Heishi Jiao. Since 1956, it has successively received 38 old generals of the corps level or above to live and recuperate there. Among them, 23 were veteran Red Army soldiers who experienced the Long March and fought bloody battles against the enemy.
To ensure that these precious revolutionary memories are passed down from generation to generation, in August 1995, the original Dalian service office of the Shenyang Military Region and the Heishi Jiao Subdistrict officially established the Hongxing Village Patriotic Education Base in a joint effort between the military and local communities. They turned the generals’ revolutionary stories into vivid Party-history teaching materials.
Today, in the Heishi Jiao area, natural scenery and red historical traces coexist, displaying a unique charm and vitality.