On 25^th Sept of 1937, the Eighth Route Army ambushed Japanese troops successfully at the Pingxingguan Pass and achieved a great victory.

　　In mid-September 1937, the Japanese invading troops pushing west along the Beiping-Suiyuan Railway first attacked and captured Datong. Afterwards it continued its advance by dividing its forces into two routes: one advanced towards the Yanmen Pass, and the other marched towards Pingxinguan pass, in an attempt to close in on Taiyuan. In order to coordinate the operation of the friendly forces and resist the offensive of the Japanese troops, the 115th Division, commanded by Commander Lin Biao and Deputy Commander Nie Rongzhen, was ordered to lay ambush at Pingxingguan area.

　　At around 19:00 on 25th, the follow-up units of the 21st Brigade of the Japanese Fifth Division (the Itagaki Division) entered the ambushed area. The officers and men of the 115th Division divided up the enemy, and then surround and annihilate them one by one. After a full day of fierce fighting, the Eighth Route Army won the total victory.

　　In this campaign, the Eighth Route Army wiped out over 1,000 Japanese troops, destroyed some 100 trucks and 200 horse carts, captured some 1,000 rifles, 20 machineguns, one piece of artillery and large amount of military materials. This was the first great victory won by the Chinese armed forces since the start of the nationwide War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.