Address: No 2, Kunlun section, Nanwu second-class highway, Kunlun town, Xingning district, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region Opening hours: 9 am to 5 pm (Closed Mondays) Admission: Free
The site of the Battle of Kunlun Pass in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region [Photo/IC]
The site of the Battle of Kunlun Pass in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, also known as the Kunlun Pass Memorial Site of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45), covers an area of approximately 127,500 square meters. It is one of the largest, most well-preserved memorial sites of the war against Japanese aggression in China, known for its large number of extant stone artifacts .
The site stands as evidence of Japanese imperialist aggression against China. In 1939, in an attempt to cut off China’s international transport routes to the southwest, intimidate Yunnan and Guizhou, and undermine the rear base of the Chinese resistance, the Japanese army dispatched 50,000 to 60,000 troops to seize Kunlun Pass—a strategic stronghold on the outskirts of Nanning in Guangxi. A month later, the Guilin Command launched the counteroffensive against Nanning, and the attack began at dawn on December 18.
China’s Fifth Army led by the Kuomingtang government concentrated its superior forces and adopted strategies such as isolating and eliminating enemy units one by one, flanking maneuvers, and night raids. These efforts gradually secured control of the high ground surrounding Kunlun Pass. On February 24, 1940, Chinese forces successfully captured Kunlun Pass, annihilating elite Japanese divisions and achieving a decisive victory.
The site includes the Cemetery of Fallen Soldiers of the Fifth Army in the Battle of Kunlun Pass, which features several historical remains such as the South Memorial Archway, 331 granite steps, the Memorial Tower for Fallen Soldiers, the military cemetery, the Battle Monument Pavilion, the North Memorial Archway, as well as former battle positions and fortifications from the Kunlun Pass campaign.
The extant stone artifacts at the site preserve original inscriptions, couplets, and stele engravings by 15 prominent Kuomintang military and political leaders, including Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975), Li Zongren (1891-1969), and Bai Chongxi (1893-1966).
