Where is Li Zongren’s headquarters in Xuzhou during the Battle of Taierzhuang?

The Daotai Yamen located on Wenting Street in Xuzhou City is the headquarters of Li Zongren, the commander of the Fifth War Zone.

After October 1937, the National Army occupied the urban area of ??Xuzhou and appointed Li Zongren as its commander. The headquarters was located in Xuzhou.

At the end of 1937, ten theaters were established on the Chinese battlefield. As the commander of the fifth theater, Li Zongren defended Xuzhou in accordance with Chiang Kai-shek's instructions. After the July 7th Incident, in order to quickly realize the invasion plan of destroying China and connect the northern and southern battlefields, the Japanese invaders decided to use Nanjing and Jinan as bases and attack Xuzhou from the north and south along the Jinpu Railway.

During the Anti-Japanese War, Li Zongren adopted the correct strategy of attacking from the north and blocking the south. In the north, Han Fuju retreated without a fight, casting a shadow over the Battle of Xuzhou. From the end of 1937 to the beginning of 1938, after the Japanese army occupied Nanjing, they thought that they had occupied major cities such as Shanghai and Nanjing, and they would soon join forces in Xuzhou. The Japanese army said that this was a brigade march, that is, it could reach Xuzhou just like traveling. On the way the Japanese army went north, the Chinese army launched three major blocking battles: the Mingguang Blocking Battle, the Huaihe Blocking Battle, and the Mengcheng Blocking Battle, which bought time for the victory of the Taierzhuang Battle. The victory of the Taierzhuang Battle was also the success of the strategy of fighting from the north to the south.

At that time, people in Xuzhou were panicked and the market was depressed. In order to calm people's hearts, Li Zongren would ride out from Daotai Yamen every day and patrol the main streets in the city such as Wenting Street, Datong Street, and Laodongmen.

Li Zongren's calm inspection and insistence not to move the headquarters to the south not only boosted morale and popular support, but also showed his confidence in winning the war.