Siping Martyrs' Cemetery

Siping Martyrs' Cemetery

Siping Martyrs' Cemetery is a classic red tourism destination and a patriotic education base.

Siping City Martyrs' Cemetery covers an area of nearly 200,000 square meters and is the burial site of tens of thousands of martyrs who gave their lives for the liberation and construction of Siping, including 10,083 recorded individuals. Established as a Revolutionary Martyrs’ Cemetery in 1951 and officially founded as a Martyrs' Cemetery in 1974, it has since been listed as a provincial patriotic education base, one of China’s Top 100 Patriotic Education Demonstration Bases, a National Key Martyrs' Memorial Protection Unit, and one of China’s Top 100 Red Tourism Classic Sites.

Over the years, the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Provincial Department of Civil Affairs, the Siping Municipal Party Committee and Government, and various sectors of society have raised funds and invested over 10 million yuan in two large-scale construction projects at the cemetery, transforming it into a modern park-style memorial that serves both commemoration and sightseeing purposes. While focusing on infrastructure improvement, the cemetery adheres to the mission of "commemorating martyrs and educating future generations," emphasizing its role as a window for patriotic education. Since opening to the public free of charge, Siping Martyrs' Cemetery has gradually become an important venue for people from all walks of life—especially youth—for patriotic and revolutionary tradition education.

The Battle of Siping was a defensive campaign fought by the Northeast Democratic Allied Forces against the offensive of the Nationalist army in the key northeastern military town of Siping during the Chinese Civil War.

From March 1946 to March 1948, both the Communist and Nationalist forces deployed large numbers of troops and engaged in four major battles in Siping: the first was the Siping Liberation Battle; the second was the Siping Defense Battle; the third was the Siping Assault Battle; and the fourth was the Siping Campaign.

These four battles involved a total of 400,000 troops and spanned 52 days of combat, known worldwide as the “Four Battles of Siping.” Among them, the Siping Defense Battle and the Siping Assault Battle were particularly noted for their prolonged duration, massive troop deployments, and heavy casualties.

The Battle of Siping not only liberated the city but also held significant importance for the nationwide liberation effort. Throughout the campaign, the Northeast Democratic Allied Forces suffered over 30,000 casualties and eliminated more than 50,000 enemy soldiers. The heroes gave their young lives, earning Siping the honored title of “Heroic City.”

The cemetery’s castle-style gate is grand and imposing, flanked by two tall, majestic stone lions that enhance its solemn and majestic atmosphere. Chen Yun, former Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and then Secretary of the Northeast Bureau, inscribed a dedication for the Siping Martyrs' Cemetery.

At the center of the cemetery’s main axis stands the Four Battles of Siping Monument, composed of four pointed swords. On the base of the monument are engraved the words “Eternal Glory to the Martyrs of Siping,” written by Peng Zhen, then Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress.

The Siping Heroes’ Deeds Exhibition Hall was completed in 1993, with its name inscribed by Liang Biye, former Director of the General Political Department of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.

The interior exhibition is divided into two floors. The first floor displays inscriptions by proletarian revolutionaries such as Peng Zhen and Hong Xuezhi, who commanded the Battle of Siping, as well as a Martyrs’ Roll inscribed with the names of 10,083 martyrs, headed by the anti-Japanese hero, Regiment Commander Li Hongguang. The second floor mainly showcases the heroic deeds of eight martyrs, including the indomitable Ji Xingzhou and the immortal hero Wang Xilan. The two exhibition halls collectively display 111 artifacts, 58 photographs, 31 charts, and house 800,000 characters of written martyr materials.