A library was opened recently in Yancheng city to memorize comrade Liu Shaoqi, former president of China. The library, named Comrade Liu Shaoqi Library, has collected over 1,500 books and materials about Liu Shaoqi. The efforts were done by three generations of Zhang Kaiyue’s family since 1940s.
△Left:Zhang Kaiyue stands in front of Comrade Liu Shaoqi Library.
Right:Students from Yangzhou University come to visit and study.
In 1941, the New Fourth Army rebuilt its military headquarters in Yancheng and Liu Shaoqi served as the commissar. Originally from Qingfeng Town in Jiangsu, the ancestors of Zhang Kaiyue were grain retailers. Zhao Yulan, his grandmother, was helping in the grain retailer at that time.
Following the ship, the 20-year-old girl delivered food to Yancheng for several times. The food was paid by Boarder Region Dollars or Silver Dollars. Liu Shaoqi also gave her a reception once. The military headquarters once didn’t pay the grains by cash. Liu gave her a pocket watch to cover the price. He also gave Zhao a photo, together with the pocket watch.
During the period of “Three Years Famine”, the family of Zhang Kaiyue could barely make a living. In that desperate position, they dismantled the chains of the pocket watch to exchange for some food. However, the pocket watch has been kept carefully.
In 1970, Zhao Yulan was seriously ill. She hoped that one day the pocket watch can be back to the descendants of Liu Shaoqi. In 2017, Zhang Kaiyue made the watch a new chain and gave back to Liu Aiqin, the daughter of Liu Shaoqi in Beijing.
In order to let the future generations know more about the great personality and tremendous contribution of Liu Shaoqi, Zhang Kaiyue collected his items and other materials across the country and opened the Library at his own expense.
(Source: ourjiangsu.com)
