December 1st Movement Memorial Hall in Kunming
The Memorial Hall of the December 1st Movement (一二·一运动纪念馆) is located at 58 Huancheng North Road, Kunming City, Yunnan Province, China. It is a patriotic movement memorial that was completed on March 17, 1946, and officially opened to the public in May 1946.
Background of the December 1st Movement
The December 1st Movement, initiated by youth students in Kunming under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, was a patriotic democratic movement opposing the civil war and advocating for democracy. The movement exposed the reactionary plot of the Kuomintang to start a civil war and marked the ongoing democratic movement developing in the Kuomintang-controlled areas. It left a glorious page in the history of the youth movement in China and the New Democratic Revolution.
Artifacts and Exhibits
The Memorial Hall houses a collection of 78 artifacts, primarily consisting of oil-printed and lead-printed pamphlets from the December 1st Movement, communications from the strike committee, photographs of students promoting the movement on the streets, images of the violence they faced, and historical photos of Southwest United University operating under difficult conditions. It also contains some relics of martyr Pan Yan (潘琰).
- Chinese Name: 一二·一运动纪念馆
- Foreign Name: Memorial Hall of the December 1st Movement
- Category: Patriotic Movement Memorial
- Opening Time: May 1946
- Location: 58 Huancheng North Road, Kunming City, Yunnan Province
- Completion Date: March 17, 1946
- Key Collection: Relics of martyr Pan Yan
Location of the Hall
The Memorial Hall is located at 58 Huancheng North Road, Kunming City, Yunnan Province, within Yunnan Normal University (云南师范大学). Postal Code: 6500.
Administrative Affiliation
The Memorial Hall was officially established on November 27, 1982. Until November 1985, it was named the December 1st Movement Exhibition Room and is under the jurisdiction of Yunnan Normal University. It operates under the guidance of provincial and municipal cultural management departments.
Introduction to the Hall
The tombs of martyrs Yu Zai (于再), Pan Yan (潘琰), Li Lulian (李鲁连), and Zhang Huachang (张华昌), who were sacrificed in the December 1st Incident in 1945, were completed on March 17, 1946. In July of the same year, a tomb for the famous patriotic democratic fighter Mr. Wen Yiduo (闻一多) was built in front of the martyrs’ graves. In May, before the restoration of the Southwest United University, a memorial monument for the National Southwest Associated University (国立西南联合大学) was erected on the west side of the martyrs’ graves.
Notable Writings
Wu Han (吴晗) wrote an article titled “The December 1st Incident and the Record of History” (《一二·一惨案与纪纲》) on December 25, 1945, strongly exposing Chiang Kai-shek (蒋介石). Wu Han stated: “The 300,000 citizens of Kunming are clear about who issued the illegal order to prohibit gatherings, who surrounded the area with troops and opened fire, who organized the anti-strike committee, who sent agents to destroy schools, who provided the grenades, and who ordered the massacre of students.” He pointed out that the so-called “record of history” issue needed clarification of who was actually violating it. He emphasized: “The student strikes were coerced by armed military intervention, by wooden sticks and grenades. In contrast, the current state of anarchy in society and schools is the result of the actions of the party and military authorities before the first of this month. To restore order, they must first be corrected; otherwise, the country will suffer humiliation.”
Commemoration of Martyrs
As the 70th anniversary of the establishment of Yunnan Normal University and the Southwest United University approaches, the outdoor landmark commemorative landscape and audio guide system of the Memorial Hall were successfully completed with funding from the Central Propaganda Department. A grand yet simple inauguration ceremony for the outdoor landmark commemorative landscape took place in front of the December 1st Movement Memorial Hall at Yunnan Normal University.
Key officials, including Wu Guirong (吴贵荣), Vice Minister of the Provincial Propaganda Department, Yi Jidong (伊继东), Secretary of the Party Committee of Yunnan Normal University, and Li Guiwu (李桂武), Deputy Inspector of the Provincial Education Department, attended the inauguration ceremony and unveiled the commemorative landscape.
The outdoor landmark commemorative landscape occupies an area of 1,120 square meters and adopts traditional architectural aesthetics with a circular sky and square earth design. The bronze sculpture in the shape of “12·1” encapsulates the great spirit of the December 1st Movement and Southwest United University, reflecting the noble aspirations of predecessors for freedom, resistance against darkness, and a longing for peace.
As one of the first national bases for patriotic education, the Memorial Hall contains rich historical resources related to the December 1st patriotic democratic movement and Southwest United University. Over the past two decades, the hall has been open to the public free of charge, promoting and nurturing national spirit as its primary task, achieving significant social benefits. It hosts over 40,000 students of various levels annually for various educational activities, becoming a primary venue for moral education and patriotic education.
The completion of the outdoor landmark commemorative landscape extends the rich historical connotations of the Memorial Hall, giving a distinct sense of the times and strong visual inspiration.
The inauguration ceremony of the outdoor landmark commemorative landscape was held on the morning of October 30. Professor Zhang Shifu (张世富), who once participated in the December 1st Movement, also attended the ceremony. Now 87 years old, he recalled the scenes of that year with excitement: “I was fortunate to participate in the December 1st Movement parade, and I felt both anger and sadness for the martyrs. Citizens spontaneously gathered in front of the library to pay homage to the martyrs, creating a sea of people.” The elder remarked, “The spirit of Southwest United University and the spirit of December 1st are actually consistent: patriotism, democracy, and science. I hope that the spirit of December 1st will be passed down forever.”
Collections
The Memorial Hall houses 78 artifacts, primarily oil-printed and lead-printed pamphlets from the December 1st Movement, communications from the strike committee, photographs of students’ street campaigns and assaults, as well as images of Southwest United University during difficult conditions. The hall also holds some relics of martyr Pan Yan.
The museum has published several works, including “Compilation of Historical Materials of the December 1st Movement” (《”一二·一”运动史料汇编》), “Selected Historical Materials of the December 1st Movement” (《”一二·一”运动史料选编》), “The December 1st Movement” (《”一二·一”运动》), “History of the December 1st Movement” (《”一二·一”运动史》), “The December 1st Movement and the Four Martyrs” (《”一二·一”运动与四烈士》), and other internal publications, as well as the periodic publication of the museum’s journal “Memorial Hall of the December 1st Movement” (《”一二·一”运动纪念馆》).
Opening Hours
The Memorial Hall is open to the public from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Sunday.
