Memorial Park of the World War II Termination Site

Memorial Park of the World War II Termination Site

The Memorial Park of the World War II Termination Site is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit and a patriotic education base.

The Memorial Park of the World War II Termination Site is located in the northern part of Hutou Tourist Town, atop Zhongmenghushan Mountain, the main position of the Hutou Fortress. This site was once the command center of the Japanese invaders' Hutou Fortress and also the location of the fiercest battle, longest siege, and the place with the most casualties and Japanese soldiers eliminated during the Soviet Red Army’s campaign to take the fortress. To commemorate the 50 million people who sacrificed in the global anti-fascist struggle, educate future generations not to forget national humiliation, and demonstrate the world's commitment to peace, the city of Hulin invested 5.6 million yuan starting in 2009 to construct the Memorial Park of the World War II Termination Site. Covering an area of 29.3 hectares, the park includes a 17-meter-wide, 260-meter-long stepped historical event display platform, sculptures of major WWII events, the WWII Termination Site Monument Plaza, the Laborers Memorial Plaza, and the Martyrs Memorial Plaza.

The WWII Memorial Park follows the timeline from the war’s gestation and outbreak, through its full-scale engagement, to its final showdown and conclusion. It begins with Nazi Germany’s invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, and ends with the war’s last shot fired in Hutou on August 26, 1945, highlighting some of the most influential and renowned battles of World War II. With commemoration as its theme, the park uses scenic walls and sculptures to briefly revisit WWII history, showcasing the cruelty of war and the suffering it inflicted on humanity, inspiring people to cherish today’s happy life and the peace of the world.

The memorial monument in the park stands 21 meters tall, symbolizing the 21st century. The entire monument is divided into four sections and five elements, representing the year 1945.

The base of the monument covers an area of 324 square meters and is 5 meters high, symbolizing the 5,000-year-old civilization of the Chinese nation. The base is surrounded by fifteen steps and eight-sided railings, signifying Japan’s surrender on August 15, 1945. On both sides of the base are two sets of reliefs depicting the Soviet Red Army’s capture of the Hutou Fortress and the global people’s resistance against fascism. The front features inscriptions in both Chinese and English recounting the brief history of WWII. At the back are two wheel-like structures symbolizing the wheel of war being halted by the forces of justice in China’s Hutou, where the chariot of WWII came to a stop and the war concluded.

The lower half of the monument is 4 meters high, made from grey granite flamed stone and mushroom stone, symbolizing the already dark and fractured landscape of old China ravaged by warlord conflicts and further trampled by Japanese imperialism. Within the fractured stonework lies the indomitable spirit of the Chinese people and their iron will forged during the eight-year war of resistance.

The upper half of the monument is 7 meters high, constructed from nearly white machine-planed granite, smooth and orderly, standing upright and tall—symbolizing the vigorous development of New China. The front of the monument bears the inscription “Memorial Monument of the World War II Termination Site,” personally inscribed by a veteran Red Army soldier who fought in the war and later became the Minister of National Defense—a general.

The top of the monument features a 5-meter-high bronze statue of a peaceful maiden standing proudly, holding a dove of peace and gazing at the blue sky. Around the maiden, four doves fly freely amidst colorful ribbons, symbolizing the aspirations for peace cherished by the people of China and the world.