After moving into Fujian and fighting against the northern forces of Li Houji [zh], Chen's Guangdong Army established control over the southern part of the region.

[8] The warlords of the Anhui and Zhili cliques sent their forces south to pacify the rebellion in Guangdong, acting with the assistance of Fujian's military governor Li Houji [zh].

Chen responded by ordering the Guangdong Army to "assist Fujian" (Chinese: 援閩粵軍; pinyin: Yuánmǐn yuèjūn) and bring it under the rule of the Constitutional Protection Junta.

[9] He established an arsenal in Shanwei, laid out an extensive military logistics network by building new roads and supply stations, and organised local militia to counter banditry and carry out guerrilla warfare against invading forces.

By the end of the month,[12] they had captured the province's southern capital of Zhangzhou, which Chen established as his base of operations,[13] while Li's army held onto its territory in Xiamen.

[12] Although Li received reinforcements from the north, the looting and arbitrary attacks carried out by the northern soldiers against the local population alienated the people of Fujian, who began cooperating with the Guangdong Army.

[14] With a new base area in Minnan, Chen Jiongming began putting his ideas for reform into practice, building strong civilian institutions while maintaining his military strength.

[15] By this time, members of the New Culture Movement had begun calling for far-reaching modernizing reforms, including democratization, humanitarianism, scientific progress and mutual assistance.

[16] Chen's former teacher Zhu Zhixin invited members of the New Culture Movement to Zhangzhou, in order to carry out reforms, educate the populace and transform southern Fujian into a sustainable autonomous region.

[17] Some of the new invitees established a semi-weekly magazine, Minxing[18] (Chinese: 閩星; English: Fujian Star), which was dedicated to discussion of reformist ideas; they also established a daily newspaper, Minxing rikan[18] (Chinese: 閩星日刊; English: Fujian Star Daily News), which reported on global and local affairs and criticised existing traditions.

[19] Chen Jiongming himself frequently wrote for the magazine, penning critiques of the reform programs of Kang Youwei and Dai Jitao, publishing letters to and from the Chinese Women's Association, and even contributing poems to the publication.

Aiming to reach the greatest number of readers, the magazine's editor Chen Qiulin (陳秋霖) made sure that all its works were published in written vernacular Chinese.

When Chen Duxiu started transforming New Youth into a nucleus for the foundation of the Chinese Communist Party, he appointed the Fujian anarchist Yuan Zhenying as its editor.

[42] Chen never intended to stay for long in southern Fujian; his aim was to eventually return to Guangdong and oust the Guangxi clique, who themselves knew this was his plan.

22 battalions stayed behind in southern Fujian, but by January 1921, they had formed an agreement with Li Houji to relinquish the south to his rule, so that they could themselves return to Guangdong.

[18] With Zhou Xingnan appointed to head public works, the regional administration undertook a program to reform municipal infrastructure, aiming to turn Zhangzhou into China's first modern city.

Additionally, a factory for the poor, a grand hotel for guests, and a special district for prostitutes were established, and advanced agricultural production equipment was introduced.

[48] According to the American consul in Amoy, these public works were funded by progressive taxation, which was lower even than the Northern government's own taxes, and were largely welcomed by the general population.

Lectures were given by Wu Zhihui, who discussed the simplification of Chinese characters and the adoption of a phonetic alphabet, and Li Shizeng, who talked about democratic revolution.

[55] The French study program was enthusiastically supported by Nationalist intellectual Wang Jingwei, who, in a speech to a teachers' college in Zhangzhou, proposed the creation of a university in southern China.

[53] Chen Jiongming actively recruited talents nationwide, including a group of "liberal socialists" (followers of Chinese anarchist Liu Shifu), to assist him in educational efforts and the establishment of the university.