Background
He was born at Loting, Kwangtung in 1892.
He was born at Loting, Kwangtung in 1892.
He received his training at the Kwangtung Military Training School and the Army Officers' Corps.
After graduation, Mr. Tan followed the late Leader Dr. Sun Yat-sen in his revolutionary activities and successively served as batallion, regimental, brigadier and divisional commander.
Chi-hsiu Tan participated and rendered meritorious services in various campaigns against Lu Yung-ting, Chen Chiung-min, Yang Hsi-min and other reactionary generals in Kwangtung and the various revolutionary campaigns when the Japanese invaded Shanghai in the spring of 1932. Mr. Tan was appointed garrison commander of Woosung Forts and succeeded in repulsing all attacks of the Japanese in their attempt to land at Woosung.
After the conclusion of the hostilities, he returned to Canton when the Southwest organised an expeditionary force against the Japanese in the North, he was appointed commander of the 2nd Column of the Force, but when he arrived with his troops in southern Hunan, the Tangku Armistice was signed and the.
He then went to Fukien and was appointed a divisional commander in the 19th Route Army. Upon establishment of the Fukien People's Government, he was appointed Commander of the 5th Army of the 19th Route Army. When Gen. Tsai Ting-kai, famed commander of the 19th Route Army and one of the leaders of the Fukien Independence Movement, retired and went abroad, he accompanied him on the trip.