Communications in Humanities Research ISSN: 2753-7072
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Research Article

A Study on the Grassroots Dynamics of Frontier Customs Houses During the Full-scale War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression — Focusing on the Longzhou Customs in Guangxi

Jinchen HeMinzu University of China*

* Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract

Located on the Guangxi section of the China - Vietnam border, Longzhou has been home to the Longzhou Customs to administer import and export affairs since it was opened as a treaty port. During the full - scale War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, the operation of the Longzhou Customs and the activities of its staff were shaped by the war. An abnormal life of fleeing disasters, seeking refuge, and relocating became an inevitable reality for the staff and the institution itself. Around the end of the war, as local reconstruction gradually kicked off, customs staff conducted a series of surveys on local conditions to restore the operation of the Longzhou Customs, and addressed issues such as internal personnel affairs, staff living conditions, and salary disbursement. By examining the historical predicaments faced by the grassroots work of the Longzhou Customs, a frontier administrative agency, amid the evolution and reconstruction of the wartime social situation, we can understand the operational characteristics of frontier customs houses. This study provides a detailed case study for the in - depth research on the history of frontier customs in China.

Keywords: the full - scale War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression; Longzhou Customs; grassroots dynamics
Published: December 10, 2025
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7064/2025.30546
Volume: CHR Vol.90
pp. 147-158
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