1.The Peoples Liberation Army Captures Nanking：Soon after the Anti-Japanese War in 1946 there broke out the Civil War between the armies under Kuomintang and those under the Chinese Communist Party. From September 1 948 to January 1 949，the PeopleS Liberation Army won three smashing victories respectively in Liaoshen Battle，Huaihai Battle，and Pingjin Battle.The greater part of the land beyond the north of the Yangzi River Was under the control of the Peoples Liberation Army.At this critical hour, peace talks were tried but in vain.On April 21，1949，the Peoples Liberation Army launched a general attack upon the line of defense 011 the part of the Kuomintang Armies.On April 23，Nanking，the political centre of the Kuomintang government，Was captured by the Peoples Liberation Army.At the news of the victory, Mao Zedong，wild with joy, rushed off the poem and sent it immediately to the front by telegramme in order to encourage the soldiers and civilians on the front.
This poem Was first published in the 1963 edition of Poems of Chairman Mao（Peoples Literature Press，Peking，1963）.
2.the Bell Mountain：a mountain located in the eastern suburb of Nanking，7 kilometres in length，3 kilometres in breadth，with the main peak of 1，257 feet above the sea level.The mountain in the sunlight looks purple， thus it is also called Purple Gold Mountain（Zijinshan）.
3.Once a den of tigers and dragons：a metaphor used by Zhuge Liang ra famous statesman and military strategist in the Shu State of the Three Kingdoms）to describe the meandering Bell Mountain in Nanking and the steepy Stone City in Nanking respectively as a dragon and a tiger.
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