Jinzhou Liberation Martyrs' Cemetery

Jinzhou Liberation Martyrs' Cemetery

The Jinzhou Liberation Martyrs' Cemetery is a classic red tourism destination and a national defense education base.

The Jinzhou Liberation Martyrs' Cemetery is located in the northwest of Jinzhou City, backed by Ma'er Mountain and overlooking the city. Construction began on April 5, 1997, and it was officially completed on October 15, 1998, the 50th anniversary of Jinzhou's liberation. With a total investment of over 10 million yuan, including 5.8 million yuan donated by various sectors in Jinzhou, the cemetery covers an area of 170,000 square meters, making it one of the larger martyrs' cemeteries in the province in terms of architectural scale. It consists of a memorial monument, individual martyr tombs, a mass grave for unnamed martyrs, a forest of steles, a relief wall, a memorial square, the cemetery gate, a large parking lot, a green landscaping area, and office zones.

The 1948 battle to liberate Jinzhou was a historic turning point in the victory of the Liaoshen Campaign and a pivotal fight, with over 20,000 martyrs laid to rest here.

The cemetery environment is solemn and respectful. Upon entering, the first sight is the Victory Gate, designed in the classical Chinese archway style, symbolizing the return of the martyrs. The avenue is 338 meters long and 25 meters wide, with 108 steps leading up. Walking along the avenue leads to the memorial square, which spans 6,500 square meters and can accommodate tens of thousands of visitors. At the center of the square stands a 30-meter-high monument shaped like an ancient weapon "ge" (dagger-axe), symbolizing war and peace, and representing the reverence of 3 million Jinzhou residents for the revolutionary martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the liberation of Jinzhou. The front of the monument bears an inscription by Liu Huaqing, former Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission and member of the Standing Committee of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee, reading: “Eternal glory to the revolutionary martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the liberation of Jinzhou.” Above the monument are five five-pointed stars, and below are three wreaths, symbolizing the eternal remembrance of the people for the martyrs who gave their lives for Jinzhou’s liberation. On both sides of the monument are reliefs of victory drums, symbolizing the celebration of the victory of the Liaoshen Campaign and the liberation of Jinzhou. The back of the monument features an inscription erected by the People’s Government of Jinzhou City. To the east and west of the monument are the tombs of 239 named martyrs, while to the north lies a mass grave for over 12,000 unnamed martyrs. The forest of steles is made up of original tombstones collected from before the renovation. Notable martyrs include Ye Zonghan (alias Ma Yunfei), the underground Party branch secretary of Jinzhou; Jia Lantian, commander of a certain column; Zhang Shijie, the political commissar; Zhan Dongchang, a combat hero; Long Jiaquan, political commissioner of the First Red Army Corps; and Qiu Biao, who died during the uprising of the Nationalist flagship cruiser Chongqing. In the southwest corner of the cemetery, there is a park for martyrs of the Korean War and another for soldiers, police, and civilians who died during the socialist construction period.

Guided by the principle of “people-oriented, service-first,” the cemetery is committed to promoting and strengthening national defense education for all citizens. With a focus on reviewing history and commemorating martyrs, it serves to publicize, educate, guide, inspire, and motivate. Placing social benefit as the top priority, the entire cemetery is open to the public free of charge. According to statistics, it receives an average of over 200 groups and nearly 60,000 visitors each year, with daily attendance from various sectors such as government offices, enterprises, social organizations, military units, schools, and religious groups. Since its establishment, the cemetery has formed partnership programs with units such as the Jinzhou Military Sub-district, the Anti-Aircraft Artillery Brigade, and the Air Force Flight Academy, becoming a model for military-civilian collaboration. It also partners with the Jinzhou Honors Home, military retirement homes, and primary and secondary schools to jointly carry out patriotic and national defense education activities, widely promoting the battle history of Jinzhou’s liberation and the heroic deeds of the martyrs.

The cemetery has been successively recognized as a provincial-level cultural relics protection unit, a youth education base, and a Party history education base. In January 2002 and April 2007, it was designated as a “Liaoning Provincial National Defense Education Base” by the Provincial National Defense Education Committee and the Provincial Government, respectively.