Commemorate the 124th Anniversary of Comrade Mao Zedong's Birth

Historical footage rescued from the "fire"

October 1, 1949, is the history of the Chinese nation's most spectacular sunrise of the East. On this day, New China held the "Founding Ceremony" at Tiananmen Square in Beijing. The ceremony was intense and orderly. Chairman Mao Zedong solemnly declared to the entire world on the Tiananmen Gate: "The People's Republic of China and the Central People's Government have been established!" This is a very inspiring historical lens! However, this historical lens was rescued from the "fire."

It turned out that before the founding ceremony, China invited the Moscow film crew from the Soviet Union. On the evening of October 1st , when dozens of film footage were taken after the film was shot, an accidental fire broke out. After the rescue, Mao Zedong was robbed of a group of pictures on the Tiananmen tower in the fierce fire. However, most of the other films were turned into blue smoke and piles of rubble. The filmmakers in Moscow suddenly burst into tears and died. Afterwards, Mao Zedong learned of the fire accident and was shocked and sighed.

At the beginning of 1949 , with the victory of the Liberation War and the disintegration of the Kuomintang government, the various departments of the Chinese People's Liberation Army had begun to take over the major cities’ KMT while carrying out the military struggle to completely overthrow the Kuomintang, in accordance with the strategic deployment of the Party Central Committee. Government departments at all levels make decisions and arrangements, including taking over the police system of the Kuomintang government. The fire protection agencies in the Kuomintang police system are naturally included in the receiving range.

January 31, 1949, the peaceful liberation of Peking. February 2, Beijing Public Security Bureau Police Fire Brigade Military Control Commission took over the former Peking City Police Department is located in the 18th Street Tiananmen Square, Beijing Public Security Bureau appointed Chief Executive PUC Li Yang Yue part-time city fire battalion, Chen Wei is the coach of the brigade. At the time, Beiping Fire Brigade had 7 squadrons, 14 fire engines, and 319 police officers .

Shanghai received 876 fire police officers from former KMT police , 83 fire engines , 61 of which were still available , 9 ambulances , and 1 fireboat . The Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau appointed Zhang Kesheng as Director of Fire Services and served as a political commissioner. Zhou Zhaoxiang was the first deputy chief and Ye Binyong was the second deputy chief.

Tianjin Municipality took over the former KMT’s Tianjin Police Station Fire Corps and its 8 detachments and 5 police stations. The steps taken to receive the KMT fire control agencies at all levels throughout the country are: The military control committees of the cities and regions that are about to take over shall stipulate the takeover targets and formulate the takeover plan. Among them, the organization leaders, guidelines and policies, methods and procedures, organizational discipline, and matters needing attention of the receiving fire-fighting institutions after entering the city have been specified. In order to achieve a stable society and restore order in public security administration, the city quickly resumes work, resumes classes, and resumes business, gradually establishes the public security system of the people's cities, consolidates the new regime, eliminates the relics and influence of the counter-revolution, and defends the interests of the people. The various places are taking over the police departments. Later proposed to use a batch of old police. To use the edge of the transformation, a fire broke out and someone saved it. If these things are not well managed, it will be difficult for the people to support the Communist Party and the people's government, and it will be difficult to mobilize and rely on the masses to develop and build cities. In accordance with this request, the military control committees of various cities destroyed the KMT government police agencies, and took over the police fire brigade to take over military cadres to take over most of the police officers after review.

While receiving and renovating the existing government-run fire brigade, local military management committees also received some non-governmental fire protection organizations, such as the Beijing-Tianjin Water Association, the Shanghai Fire Fighting Association, the Wuhan Public Welfare Association's Volunteer Fire Brigade, and Chongqing’s fire protection. The Federation Standing Fire Corps, the Hangzhou Fire Fighting Committee, the Nanning Civil Fire Committee, the Chengdu Yongyong Fire Brigade, and the fire fighting clubs in Wuxi, Ningbo, and Changsha. A Case of Shanghai, on the eve of 1949, there were 22 fire company (team), with fire trucks, 92 ambulances, firefighters standing nearly 400 people, more than 1,500 firefighters compulsory, in power and "government-run" The fire brigade is comparable. Most members of these folk fire fighting organizations are working people in cities and towns. Accepting these activists who are enthusiastic and have certain skills in firefighting work join the new-born urban people's firefighting team, which is an important way to enrich the people's public security fire fighting power.

After completing the acceptance combination of the former Kuomintang fire-fighting agency and some of the local folk fire-fighting organizations, the education and transformation of this fire brigade, which was born out of old China, has become the primary issue for the take-over. In order to form a police firefighting police force like the People's Liberation Army, in addition to members of the original fire-fighting police and folk firefighting organizations, a number of progressive young people have been enriched throughout the country.

After the formation of a new public security police firefighting police team, according to the Chinese Communist Party's "Party Command Gun" principle and the "branch built on the company," the traditional practice, the fire protection agencies throughout the country set up political members, instructors, instructors in the Corps, brigade and squadron. The cadres of the People's Liberation Army, who took over the responsibilities, served as leading activists for the leadership of the masses. Subsequently, the party's general branch and branch were set up accordingly. Military representatives and commissars, instructors, and instructors served as general branch and branch secretaries. Later, the Communist Youth League was established as an aide to the party to carry out various political and ideological work. After education and training, new and old players are actively involved in the work with a new political outlook and full political enthusiasm, and have made contributions to defending the new regime and the people’s lives and property.

1950 July 7, Shanghai Deli Bay Road transport companies stack fire, the Shanghai Fire extinguishing rapid mobilization of forces, protect and salvage value of more than 3 billion yuan (old currency) property. July 12, Shanghai Mayor Chen Yi signed the Shanghai Municipal People's Government in recognition of heroic fighting spirit of the fire police. July 13, Vice Mayor of Shanghai Pan Hannian, Pi Sheng Hua respectively inscription bravery fire officers. The inscription of Pan Hannian is: “Fighting the body and bravely defending the people’s lives and property is the excellent quality of the people’s police.” The inscription of Sheng Yuhua is: “It is worth commending to protect the people’s lives and property and try to rescue this kind of spirit.”

June 13, 1949, Peking City People's Government issued the "Interim Measures deal with squatter," This is the earliest in Beijing related to fire safety regulations of the Communist Party leadership.

August 2, 1949, Peking City Mayor Ye Jianying issued a "rigorous inspection of each unit Beiping fire order", this is the first liberation of Peking issued in the form of government administrative rules to make fire. This regulation requires all units, agencies, and factories to organize fire prevention teams to conduct detailed inspections of all firefighting facilities and equipment. In October of the same year , the Municipal Fire Brigade formulated the "Organization Regulations" and "Fire Prevention Convention" to promote the construction of the city's self-defense fire protection organization and safeguard the security of the new-born regime and the city. A large number of fire prevention and fire prevention publicity materials have also been printed and distributed to the public free of charge. The fire safety awareness of the general public has been enhanced.

In the war years and peace times, Mao Zedong paid great attention to fire prevention

Old firefighters in Beijing will never forget this:

Shortly after the founding of New China, Mao Zedong was admitted to Fengze Park in Zhongnanhai and often held meetings and received foreign guests at Huairen Church in Zhongnanhai. Due to the disrepair of Huairen Church and the serious aging of wires, the relevant leaders of the Central Security Bureau reported to the State Council Vice Premier and Minister of Public Security Luo Ruiqing. Luo Ruiqing after investigation and understanding, and immediately reported the matter to Mao Zedong, and proceeded to carry out maintenance on Huairen Church, rectification of fire risk.

Mao Zedong sighed with emotion and solemnly pointed out: "Fire in Zhongnanhai is of the utmost importance. If anyone dereliction of duty causes Huairen Church to be burned by fire, anyone who is a historical sinner will be decapitated for sin."

What is it that makes Mao Tse-tung, who is “heavily enemed by the enemies?” In the fresh memory of the Republic, there seem to be only two things that can cause Mao Zedong to feel very headache:

One is the corruption of Communist Party officials at the time. April 21, 1952, Mao Zedong in the name of the President of the Central People's Government ordered to "People's Republic of China to punish corruption regulations" promulgated. At that time, Tianjin Party Committee Secretary Liu Qingshan and Tianjin Party Committee Deputy Commissioner and Commissioner Zhang Zishan became the first anti-corruption case in the Republic because of alleged corruption of public funds of 1,716.72 billion yuan (this is an old currency of 10,000 yuan equivalent to 1 yuan). Mao Zedong felt anxious, sad and angry. Ever since, he lifted the tears to bring up the seven-inch sheep and agreed to impose punishment on Liu and Zhang. February 10, 1952, Chin-San Liu, Zhang Zishan two guilty tied to the execution site, to be executed.

The other is to forget the responsibilities on their shoulders, because of insensitivity to the country and people's lives and property to bring about a great disaster to the squatters. Mao Zedong’s abhorrence of corrupt people and dereliction of hatred. Whoever is the sinner of history should be decapitated for sin!

Mao Zedong's concern for disaster and care for people's livelihood is consistent. In the past war years, during the journey of revolutionary practice, he also attached great importance to fire prevention and paid attention to the protection of national wealth. He was strict with himself, observing discipline and observing the law, and was popularized by people. These firefighting practices have also laid a strong foundation for his concept of revolutionary firefighting.

According to historical records, the young age of Mao Zedong, would like to develop a good habit of reading in the library, in April 1912, Mao admitted to the first secondary school in Hunan Province. When he left for the summer vacation, he left school and came to the Hunan Provincial Library to begin self-study. The Hunan Provincial Library is located in Dingwangtai, Changsha. In more than six months, he was the reader who must visit the library every day. In the morning, I would come to the door to open the door and leave at night to get off work, rain or shine, day after day. At the time, the Hunan Library was in the process of being built. Conditions were poor. There were no fans in the reading room during the summer and there was no heating in the winter. There was only a coal ball stove in the porter, which was the only equipment for heating and boiling water. In order to prevent rat and fire, the reading room is not allowed to eat indoors, and readers are not allowed to roast.

Mao Zedong is one of the most respected readers. He doesn't eat in the reading room, doesn't cook in the reading room, and doesn't smoke here.

An administrator who had surnamed Kim saw that Mao Zedong had eaten cold cakes in the Corridor Corridor. He called him to go to the concierge to cook fire, toast the cake, and drink hot water. Li Dabo, who guarded the door, praised Mao Zedong as a good future and often provided convenience for his life. In the spring of 1913 , Mao Zedong entered the Fourth Normal School in Hunan Province, which ended the self-study life in the Hunan Library.

September 1918, Mao Zedong came to Beijing, Peking University as an assistant administrator at the library, living in three wells alley. The Beijing University Library is located in this May Fourth Street and is called the Red House. Mao Zedong's rented three-hole well alley was behind the Imperial Horse Marshal and was close to the Imperial Horse Temple. Here in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it was the cottage where the horse eunuchs of the Yumajian lived. Due to the fear of catching fire in the adjacent rooms adjacent to the connected wooden structures, each well before the joint venture, a well is drilled, a triple joint, a three-eye well, and water for eunuchs are usually provided. In the event of a fire, water is saved by three eyes. The. This is the origin of the three-eye well alley.

The American journalist Snow's "Mirvana on the West Bank" recorded Mao Zedong's memory of his former residence, Sanyanjing: "I live in a place called Sanyanjing and live in a small room with 7 other people. We all When I was sleeping on my bed, I was almost crushed. Every time I had to turn around, I had to say hello to the people on both sides...” Old Beijingers’ old-fashioned homes were full of fire. The fire pit is made of bricks. There is a fire path under the surface of the fire. The fire is burning and the house is warm. However, fires have to be fireproof. There are two drawbacks to this kind of fire. First, when the coal fire is too prosperous, it is easy to catch fire; second, when the oxygen supply to the coal stove is insufficient, carbon monoxide is easily generated and poisoning people. According to the owner's descendants, Aunt Li , who is now nearly 90 years old, said that Mao Zedong rented the house, housing many people, conditions are hard, use the fire very carefully, and go to bed at night. "Long lived up high and you were sleeping together." No accidental fire accident occurred.

According to historical records, in November 1934 , the Red Army's Long March entered the area where Miao nationalities in Guangxi lived. Once the Red Army entered the village, it helped the villagers clean the yard and fill the tank.

The houses of the Hmong brothers are built with grass and bamboo, and fire protection conditions are very poor. In order to prevent the fire, Chairman Mao assigned a special person to check the fire candle. The same is true of central agencies.

It is strange to say that even though the fire prevention work is very strict, the fire still happens from time to time.

Sometimes the Red Army’s dwellings do not have a fire candle, and they suddenly catch fire. These fires took place on the dead of night and the dark winds of the moon, far from the sentinels, until it was discovered that the fire had burned.

One day, the Red Army’s central authority was stationed in Longping Town. Just after midnight, Zhou Enlai’s house had smoke and sparks behind his house. Vice Chairman Zhou quickly picked up a military blanket and slid into the tank and rushed out of the house. Within a short while, the shabby room was engulfed by a raging fire. The fighters hailed Vice Chairman Zhou and were happy for his safety. At the same time, he also asked questions: Why do you often catch fire? Vice Chairman Zhou said: "After the fire is repeated, there must be a cause for it." So the guards were ordered to put out an undercover whistle and vigilance might enlighten the enemy.

Vice Chairman Zhou briefed Chairman Mao on this situation. Chairman Mao was very angry and said: "If it is an enemy who set fire, we must find out the arsonists." To expose the enemy's plot to exploit the enemy, he also publicized the masses at the masses. Red Army policy and appropriate relief for the affected people. It was also a high moon night. Three people with arson apparatus quietly came to the Red Army to prepare for arson. The guards who stood on the whistle sniper captured them on the spot.

In the war years, Mao Zedong was also very concerned about the fire safety of historical sites in China. In the spring of 1948 , Mao Zedong climbed Baiyun Mountain in Song County, northern Shaanxi, and went to visit the Baiyun Temple. A security guard understands it. It said: "That's all feudal superstitions!" Mao Zedong said: "One-sided. It is culture, it is a historical and cultural heritage." Mao Zedong viewed the visit to the temple as an important way to conduct social investigations and to understand public sentiments. He took a wooden stick and walked along the pine tree-lined road in Panshan. Walking toward Baiyun Mountain, the county magistrate went straight to the top of the mountain. There are 50 temples in this ancient temple, which are magnificent, with a variety of statues, lifelike. Mao Zedong looked very carefully at the sculptures, buildings, statues, stone tablets and plaques. Some of them also read them word by word and their expressions were solemn. From time to time, they sighed. He said: "These historical and cultural heritages are the precious treasures of our nation. We must protect them well. Don't be burned." The old monk hurriedly nodded, "Yes, yes." Then Mao Zedong said to the county chief. : "The county must allocate funds to repair the temple."

This year began the Battle of Pingjin. The People's Liberation Army led by Mao Zedong attacked Suiyuan, the new security guard and Zhangjiakou in one fell swoop, and then surrounded Tianjin and prepared to attack Peiping. Peiping is a cultural ancient city with a total of world-renowned cultural relics. This is an invaluable treasure and must not be destroyed by soldiers. Mao Zedong announced eight conditions for peace. He dispatched Nie Rongzhen, Luo Rongji, Liu Yalou and other senior generals to negotiate with Fu Zuoyi and He Siyuan, and proposed to advocate the peaceful liberation of Peiping, and ordered the frontline headquarters of the Pingjin Campaign. If the peace talks break down, they must be forced to siege. At the time, it is not allowed to open fire on cultural relics and historic sites. Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, Taimiao Temple, Peking University, Tsinghua University, Red Beach Building, Peking Library, Bell and Drum Tower, and Dazhong Temple are among the key protection goals he proposed.

Since Mao's wise decision, the success of the peace talks, January 22, 1949 officially announced peace talks agreement, the same day, led by General Cheng Zihua People's Liberation Army took over the peace Peking city defense. The vast ancient city of Beijing was not destroyed by the war.

Mao Zedong also takes great care in smoking cigarettes. September 9, 1959, Mao visited soon to be completed at the time of the Great Hall, accompanied by vice mayor of Beijing, Comrade thousands of miles. In the lobby, Mao Zedong stopped and listened to the introduction of the project in Wanli. At this point, he took a cigarette out of his pocket and put it in his mouth. He lit and ignited. Inhaled two, fiercely raised his head, in front of the "Jiang Shan so much Jiao" giant painting erected a placard, wrote "note fire, do not smoke," eight characters.

Mao Zedong quickly bent down and blew out the smoke in a pot full of water and soil. He said to himself, “Mo smokes, Mo smokes.” He walked two or three steps forward and turned back. Return and pick up the cigarette butt to see if it has gone out. It shows that Mao Zedong was very cautious. At the time, Yue Xin, Director of the Security Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security, and Xie Lizhi, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau's fire department, were present. Mao Zedong was the day 2:30 arrival of the Great Hall, was being held because full load testing for electrical lighting, fire brigade firefighter when he was in Beijing at the time of Jane Wang Ming served as member of the Great Hall of acceptance in electrical engineering, he and Beijing Wang Shiyi, an electrical engineer at the Architectural Design Institute, also witnessed this scene.

Mao Zedong's adherence to the concept of revolutionary fire is a vivid manifestation of his revolutionary outlook on life and world outlook. It was also a rational crystallization of the special historical period before and after the establishment of the New Republic.

Author: Wang Li, the Director of Publicity Department of the Ministry of Public Security Fire Department of the original