Wartime Research On The Guangdong Countrymen' Association In Chongqing (1937-1945)

In the early years of the Qing Dynasty,a large number of Guangdong residents moved to Chongqing and established Guangdong Guild Hall based on geopolitical relations in Chongqing.Since the founding of the Republic of China,the Guangdong Guild Hall were unable to adapt to new social developments because of its own backwardness and limitations.In 1920,a group of Cantonese businessmen established a new hometown organization in Guangdong—the Guangdong Countrymen'Association.After the outbreak of the full-scale Anti-Japanese war,especially after the Japanese invasion of Guangdong in 1939,a large number of Guangdong refugees moved to Chongqing.Then the Guangdong Countrymen' Association conducted a reorganization,adding new institutions and new functions,aiming at better protected the basic rights and interests of Guangdong refugees in Chongqing.In terms of organizational structure,during the wartime,the Guangdong Countrymen'Association was jointly led by the General Assembly and the Supervisory Board,which contained The General Management Group,the Finance Group,the Leasing Group,the Accounting Group,the Welfare Group,and the Construction Group.In terms of the management system,in order to strengthen the personnel management and financial management of the Association,the Guangdong Countrymen'Association promulgated some documents,such as the “Guangdong Countrymen'Association in Chongqing Regulations”,the “Guangdong Countrymen'Association in Chongqing Rules” and so on.In terms of membership structure,the leadership was basically composed of people with certain social status and economic strength.Ordinary members were mainly young people,businessmen and politicians.This change was attributed to the social changes,and made a great difference on the Guangdong Countrymen' Association in Chongqing.In addition,as one of the most important associations in Chongqing,the Guangdong Countrymen' Association expanded somenew features.On the one hand,it assisted the Guangdong refugees in Chongqing,relieved the famine in their homeland,and helped the Chongqing local government manage the city,continuing the traditional functions.On the other hand,the Guangdong Countrymen' Association expanded its new functions by participating in the air-raid shelter management and helping overseas Chinese in Chongqing,not only making up for the shortage of government relief force,but also expanding the social influence of the Guangdong Countrymen'Association in the wartime.During the Anti-Japanese War,profound changes had taken place in the organization,management system,and functions of the Guangdong Countrymen'Association,showing that the Guangdong Countrymen'Association had gradually changed from a pre-war traditional countrymen'organization to a new type of modern social organization with modern features.Examining the modern transformation of the Guangdong Countrymen'Association in Chongqing can not only deepen our understanding of the changes of civil society groups during the wartime,but also enrich the research content of the Chongqing City History.