World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseThe first aircraft flight in China took place in Beijing during an air show in 1904. In Aug 1910, the Qing Dynasty government established the country's first airfield at the site of the air show, naming it Nanyuan; an aircraft factory was also built at the same site. In 1913, after the fall of Qing and the establishment of the republic, the country's first air academy was established at Nanyuan, although the academy would cease operations before long. During WW2, after the airfield's capture by the Japanese in 1937, the fields were expanded, and its air traffic control equipment was upgraded. The Japanese mainly used Nanyuan as a training field for its military. At the end of the war, it featured five runways (the longest of which was 1.25 miles long) and a grass infield suitable for takeoffs and landings by fighters. It was home to US Marine Corps night fighter squadrons VMF (N)-533 and VMF (N)-541 shortly after the end of WW2. Between 1945 and 1948, it was the main airport for Nationalist government business at the city of Beiping. It was captured by Communist forces in 1948, and in the following year it became the site of the formation of the first flying brigade of the Communist air force. In 1986, dual civilian-military use began. Nanyuan continues to be used by both military and civilian capacities at the time of this writing in 2017, although its civilian functions are planned to be taken over by the currently-under-construction Daxing airport.

Nanyuan Airfield Interactive Map

Photographs