Eight decades ago, Chinese government chose Jianqao to set up the Central Aviation School and the related Chinese Central Aircraft Manufacturing Company. Long before these state important facilities were founded, this multiple-bridges town enjoyed a dynamic trade. Literally, Jiano Qao stands for bamboo-piping and bridge, respectively, Bamboo-piping and Cocoon are homographs in Chinese. Historically, Jianqao was famous for its silk/cocoon production; as over time, Cocoon Bridge became Bamboo-piping Bridge, i.e. Jianqao. Before the full scale Japanese invasion in 1937, this railway and air hub, distant from Japanese in the north, was decided to host the top gun school and the first China-US joint venture plant CAMCO.
At the dawn of Chinese aviation, the Centre’s sky pace was far behind the provincial initiatives, e.g. that of Beijing (1910) and Canton (1924). Instead of a separate domain with the Centre Army Academy, the Aviation School brought the Army’s 5th and 6th classes into the 1st aviation class in Jan 1929. In Dec 1931, the 1st‘s 97 cadets moved to the new site in Jianqao, while 2nd class’s 48 cadets came from the 1932 nation-wide entrance examination. Many of their names would later be engraved on the Airmen Martyrs Monument of the Sino-Japanese War at Purple Mountain, Nanking.
Before the Sino-Japanese War erupted, the Canton Provincial Air Arm was amalgamated into the Chinese Air Force in 1936, thus beefing up the CAF’s size by more than double. Began with joining the 7th and 8th class of the centre aviation school and front line squadrons, more than 700 Cantonese airmen formed the CAF mainstay. During the eight year war, in total 4,321 CAF men were killed, with 1,468 aircraft lost. The casualty included over 260 Cantonese pilots, 39 overseas Chinese pilots, and numerous the Lend-Lease trained staff. In 1937 the Aviation School was withdrawn to Kunming, then moved even further to Lahore, India. In Kunming and Lahore, multiple classes headed for the US for advanced training. The USAAF program extended to 1947, though the Aviation School reclaimed Jianqao in 1945. At least 60 trainees in the US never returned to Jianqao; the Fort Bliss National Cemetery, Texas, is the final resting place for 55 CAF training casualty.
