nd half of 1938, Wuhan and Guangzhou weresuccessively occupied by the Japanese invaders. Later, a large number of domesticcultural organizations, publishing houses of book and newspaper, and men of letters fromliterature, art and press circles retreated to Guilin from Shanghai, Wuhan and Guangzhou.Since there were so many scholars, bookstores and publishing houses，a culturallyprosperous scene came into being in Guilin, a small southern city that enjoyed fantasticnatural scenery. “From the autumn of 1938 to that of 1944 during the 6 years' Xiang-guiRetreat，over 1000 writers, artists, reporters and scholars gathered in Guilin." (mytranslation)(李建平，1996: 2). "More than 80 bookstore and publishing houses and 30printing houses were everywhere throughout Guilin with 15 kinds of newspaper, 300kinds of journal and over 1000 literature and art books published(my translation)(潘其旭，1984: 584;钟小枉.1997 ： 394-395) With 126 plays, there were nearly 1000performers and theater workers attending in the Play Fair of Guangxi, Guangdong, Hunan，Jiangxi and Yunnan that was held from February to May in 1944. (my translation) (李建平，1996: 2;瞿白音等，1984： 406-436) A variety of cultural activities were in full swing.This prosperous cultural condition won for Guilin, a previous city with low culturaldegree the laurel of-“The anti-Japanese war cultural city”。
2.2 Cultural Activities as a Way of Resistance
On December 8 1941, the Japanese surprise attacked the Pearl Harbor andlaunched the Pacific War. In order to avoid the war, the Chinese Communist Partyimmediately assisted more than 800 talents in literature and art and other social sciencesto move from Hong Kong to Guilin. The fruitful literary creations of these talents madeGuilin, the small city in souttiem China that originally was a cultural desert unexpectedlybecome one of the anti-Japanese cultural centers in the Kuomintang controlled areawithin a few months. Progressive cultural organizations, associations and institutions like Guilin branch ofthe All-China's Writers Association for anti-Japanese War, Guilin branch of the ChinaWood Carving Industry Association for anti-Japanese War Southwest branch of theChina Drama Association for anti-Japanese War and Guilin l?ranch of the ChinaJournalist Association for anti-Japanese War have set up one after another like mushrooms after rain. Some national associations such as International News Service i，China Youth Press Association and Life Education Agency also set up theirheadquarters in Guilin.Establishments of the press and magazines were also prosperous in the wartimeGuilin. The only newspaper that was issued in Guilin before the anti-Japanese War wasGuangxi Daily#. In 1938 when Guangzhou and Wuhan were occupied by the Japaneseaggressors, numerous journalists came to Guilin to continue publication of newspapersand magazines. Newspapers that resumed their publication or started their publicationinclude Xinhua Daily (aeronautic edition Sweeping (Guilin edition Jiuwang Daily，PowerTa Kung Pao" Guilin Evening, Ta Kung Evening Guangxi Eveningi:,Freedom Evening PeopleLittle Spring and Autumn, Truth and Week. “Thenewspapering industry in Guilin thus developed unprecedentedly.
