The 3rd Guard Division (Chinese: 警卫第三师) was created in February 1949 under the Regulation of the Redesignations of All Organizations and Units of the Army, issued by Central Military Commission on November 1, 1948,[1] basing on the 16th Division, 6th Column of the PLA Huadong Field Army.

Its history can be traced to the 2nd Detachment of New Fourth Army, formed in February 1940.

Under the flag of 70th division it took part in several major battles in the Chinese Civil War.

In October 1955 the division pulled out from Korea and redeployed in the then Beijing Military Region.

The division participated in the crackdown on the civil unrest and protests in Beijing in 1989.