Whampoa Military Academy

The Whampoa Military Academy or Huangpu Military Academy (黃埔軍校, Pinyin huang2 pu3 jun1 xiao4) was a military academy founded on June 16, 1924 to train military commanders for the National Revolutionary Army of the Kuomintang in preparation of the Northern Expedition. It eventually became a major pool of Chinese army commanders in the Chinese Civil War and Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945).

Originally named Chinese Nationalist Party Army Officer Institute (中國國民黨陸軍軍官學校), the academy was located on the Chengzhou island offshore of the Whampoa dock in Guangzhou, thus earning its common name. It was comprised of six departments - political, instruction, training, management, medic and supplies.

The academy concentrated the revolutionary talents at the time. Chiang Kai-shek was appointed the first principal of the academy. Zhou Enlai, Hu Han-min (胡漢文) and Wang Ching-wei once instructed in the political department. He Yingqin (何應欽) and Ye Jianyin (葉劍英) were once military instructors.

Many prestigious commanders of KMT and Communist Party of China graduated from this academy, including:

CPC: Xu Xiangqian, Peng Dehuai, Lin Biao

KMT: Hu Zongnan (胡宗南), Du Yuming , Chen Cheng

The academy was relocated to Fengshan, Kaohsiung County, Taiwan in 1950 after the communist victory on the mainland where it remains today.

External Link

Audio file: RTHK broadcast in Cantonese