In 1984, Chinese artist Ya Ming created this painting to reflect on the 1947 Menglianggu Campaign.

It depicts CPC soldiers marching enemy captives off the battlefield after the campaign victory.

This battle between the CPC troops and Kuomintang (KMT) forces in mid-May 1947 was a turning point for the CPC in China’s War of Liberation (1945-1949).

In March 1947, KMT forces mobilized 450,000 forces to focus an attack on a CPC area located east China’s Shandong province.

The 74th Reorganized Division was one of the top five crack units of the KMT forces, fully equipped with advanced weapons.

Commander and KMT army leader, Zhang Lingfu was confident about taking advantage of the Menglianggu mountain terrain and aiming to wipe out the main force of the CPC’s East China Field Army.

Commanders of the CPC’s East China Field Army decided to take an unusual approach.

They ordered the CPC troops to first annihilate Zhang’s forces, the most powerful unit.

Meanwhile, CPC forces broke through the strongest point of the KMT’s battle formation and isolated Zhang’s unit from its neighboring units.

CPC forces wiped out the 74th Reorganized Division after four days of fierce attacks and killed its commander Zhang Lingfu.

The CPC’s victory in Menglianggu also demonstrates its strong ability to unite and mobilize civilians.

More than 200,000 civilians supported the CPC army’s war efforts.

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