Memorial Hall of the Xiushuihe River Battle

Memorial Hall of the Xiushuihe River Battle

The Memorial Hall of the Xiushuihe River Battle is a national AA-level tourist attraction, a classic red tourism site, and a patriotic education base.

The Memorial Hall of the Xiushuihe River Battle is located in the Martyrs' Cemetery of Xiushuihe River, on the eastern side of the picturesque Xiushui Lake Nature Reserve, 40 kilometers west of Faku.

During the Liberation War, the first battle between the PLA entering the northeast and the Nationalist Army was the Xiushuihe River Battle, known as the “First Spring of the Northeast’s Liberation.”

This battle was commanded by Lin Biao.

In February 1946, Chiang Kai-shek sent troops to attack the liberated areas of western Liaoning. The 265th Battalion and 266th Regiment of the 89th Division of the 13th Army of the Nationalist Army occupied Xiushuihe Village.

Our army, the New Fourth Army’s 7th Brigade, completely surrounded the enemy at Xiushuihe. At 5 p.m. on February 13, 1946, an annihilation battle was launched against the outer enemy forces at Xiushuihe. First, the artillery battalion of the Nationalist 265th Regiment on Dajiazi Mountain was defeated, then the New Fourth Army’s 7th Brigade penetrated into the center of Xiushuihe Street. The 1st Division attacked the high ground north of the village and finally launched a general offensive. Our troops engaged in close combat with the enemy in the streets, while enemy reinforcements were blocked. The enemy forces at Xiushuihe were crushed, with over 1,800 killed. 32 large trucks and more than 490 pieces of American firearms and artillery were captured. A victory celebration was held in Faku County.

To commemorate the revolutionary martyrs who sacrificed their lives in this battle, the government built the Martyrs’ Cemetery of the Xiushuihe River Battle on the hill north of Xiushuihe Village and established the Memorial Hall of the Xiushuihe River Battle there. Construction began in 1968, and the main structure was completed in 1970. In September 1997, it was designated as a Patriotic Education Base of Shenyang City by the municipal Party committee and government. In March 1998, Hong Xuezhi, former commander of the 7th Brigade of the 3rd Division of the New Fourth Army, former Chief of Staff of the 3rd Division of the New Fourth Army, and Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, personally inscribed the epitaph for the Xiushuihe Martyrs’ Monument and the name of the Memorial Hall.

The cemetery covers an area of 12,250 square meters. It is enclosed by red-brick walls, with four tall gate pillars at the main entrance bearing a cement plaque. Fifty-seven meters inside the gate is a cross wall with a second gate, flanked by tree-lined paths of dense pine and cypress. On both sides of the two gates stand seven back-raised cement tile-roofed houses. In the middle of the path stands a memorial monument, which is 15.7 meters high and built on an 18.5-meter-high square base. The main body of the monument features eight large characters in clerical script: “Eternal Glory to Revolutionary Martyrs,” with a five-pointed star above. Behind the monument lie the remains of more than 800 revolutionary martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the Xiushuihe River Battle. The cemetery, with its lofty pines and cypresses, presents a solemn and respectful atmosphere.

The exhibition hall of the Memorial Hall houses revolutionary relics from the battle, including pens, badges, watches, and other items left by the martyrs. The Memorial Hall of the Xiushuihe River Battle has drawn nationwide attention and sees continuous visitors. Battle heroes such as Zhi Shunyi, Lin Biao’s daughter Lin Doudou, as well as veteran generals who participated in the Xiushuihe River Battle—such as General Li Fenggui, former deputy political commissar of the Chifeng Garrison, and General Liu Haiqing, former commander of the Xinjiang Military Region and member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference—have visited the site to pay tribute to their fallen comrades. Veteran generals from the Shenyang Military District’s retirement home also come here every year to honor the martyrs.

Source: Website of the People’s Government of Faku County

Xiushuihezi Town: A town under the jurisdiction of Faku County. Established as a township in 1956, reorganized as Xinghuo Commune in 1958, renamed Xiushuihezi Commune in 1961, re-established as a township in 1984, and upgraded to a town in 1985. Located in the western part of the county, on the western bank of the Xiushuihe River, it is 35 kilometers from the county seat. Covering an area of 214 square kilometers, it has a population of 30,000. It is the starting point of the Xiushuihezi–Lishu Highway, and the Beijing–Shenyang North Highway passes through it. The town administers Xiushuihe, Qiantun, Bazijia, Gaosanjia, Huangjiabao, Wulishan, Yangjiabao, Sijiazi, Sanjiazi, Yihetun, Huanghuangdi, -ying, Liushutun, Pengjiabao, Wuji... Detailed information about Xiushuihezi Town++