Abstract: In 1939, in order to mobilize the masses to participate in the second phase of the Anti-Japanese War, the New Life Movement Promotion Association hosted a donation contest in Chongqing in the name of celebrating the fifth anniversary of the New Life Movement. Under the guidance of publicity and action, all walks of life in Chongqing were actively mobilized and finally achieved excellent donation results. The 1939 Chongqing donation contest was the first large-scale donation campaign after the Kuomintang moved the capital. It not only started the mass mobilization on the home front under the rule of the Kuomintang, but also strengthened the Kuomintang’s control and influence over the home front. The 1939 Chongqing donation contest was not only an important part of the national donation movement during the Anti-Japanese War, but also a microcosm of the Kuomintang mass mobilization during the Anti-Japanese War. By examining the entire process with the reports and official letters at that time, we can understand the interaction between Kuomintang mass mobilization and mass response during the Anti-Japanese War, and reflect on the problem of the Kuomintang mass mobilization during the war.

Key words: New Life Movement Promotion Association, Chongqing, donation, mass mobilization