Yan Hongyan (; 13 September 1909 – 8 January 1967) was a general of the

People's Liberation Army The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the military of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the People's Republic of China (PRC). It consists of four Military branch, services—People's Liberation Army Ground Force, Ground Force, People's ...

of China. Yan was born in Anding County,

Shaanxi Shaanxi is a Provinces of China, province in north Northwestern China. It borders the province-level divisions of Inner Mongolia to the north; Shanxi and Henan to the east; Hubei, Chongqing, and Sichuan to the south; and Gansu and Ningxia to t ...

province in 1909. He joined the

Chinese Communist Party The Communist Party of China (CPC), also translated into English as Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is the founding and One-party state, sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Founded in 1921, the CCP emerged victorious in the ...

in 1924. He participated in the North Expedition. Later he became the commander of the Red 30th Army. After the

Second Sino-Japanese War The Second Sino-Japanese War was fought between the Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic of China and the Empire of Japan between 1937 and 1945, following a period of war localized to Manchuria that started in 1931. It is considered part ...

, he was the vice political commissar and director of the political department of the third army group in the No. 2 Field Army. After the formation of the People's Republic of China, he was the vice governor and vice secretary of CCP's committee in

Sichuan Sichuan is a province in Southwestern China, occupying the Sichuan Basin and Tibetan Plateau—between the Jinsha River to the west, the Daba Mountains to the north, and the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau to the south. Its capital city is Cheng ...

Province. He was made a general in 1955. In August 1959, he became the No. 1 secretary of the CCP's committee in

Yunnan Yunnan; is an inland Provinces of China, province in Southwestern China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 47.2 million (as of 2020). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the Chinese provinces ...

Province, No.1 political commissar of Kunming Military Region, and secretary of secretariat in the Southwest bureau of CCP. In December 1963, he became the chairman of the Yunnan commission of

Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) is a political advisory body in the People's Republic of China and a central part of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s United front (China), united front system. Its members adv ...

, and also an alternative member of the 8th CCP Central Committee. He ran afoul of the Maoist leadership in Beijing shortly after the beginning of the

Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a Social movement, sociopolitical movement in the China, People's Republic of China (PRC). It was launched by Mao Zedong in 1966 and lasted until his de ...

and committed suicide on 8 January 1967, one of the most senior so-called " capitalist roaders" to do so.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yan, Hongyan 1909 births 1967 deaths People's Liberation Army generals from Shaanxi Politicians from Yan'an Suicides during the Cultural Revolution Chinese Communist Party politicians from Shaanxi People's Republic of China politicians from Shaanxi Political office-holders in Chongqing Political office-holders in Yunnan Chinese politicians who died by suicide Chairpersons of the CPPCC Yunnan Provincial Committee

See also

References