Huachuan Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery

Huachuan Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery

Huachuan Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery is a cultural tourism attraction and a classic red tourism site.

In 1984, Huachuan County built the Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery. The cemetery is filled with evergreen pines and cypresses, where the loyal remains of many revolutionary martyrs rest in peace. Upon entering the cemetery, a Revolutionary Martyrs' Monument stands prominently in the center. The bold and powerful inscription “Revolutionary Martyrs' Monument” is engraved on it. The monument is surrounded by ornate railings and pillars, with steps encircling it, giving off a solemn and respectful atmosphere. Surrounding the monument and the martyrs’ tombs are clusters of flowers, wild grasses, and a mix of red and green hues that dot the landscape, adding a touch of natural beauty to the cemetery. Towering white poplar trees stand upright around the cemetery, their branches lush and full of birdsong, creating a rather magnificent scene.

The Lengyun Martyrs' Monument also stands among the green pines and cypresses. The heroic deeds of the Eight Women Who Jumped into the River are recorded in the annals of China’s modern revolutionary history. Lengyun’s hometown, Yuelai Town, in honor of this heroine, named the place where she once lived and worked as Lengyun Village and Lengyun Primary School.

Lengyun (1915–1938), female, was born in 1915 (the 4th year of the Republic of China) into a farming family in Yuelai Town, Huachuan County. In the spring of 1931, at the age of 16, Lengyun was admitted to the Huachuan County Girls' Normal School with outstanding results. Less than half a year after enrolling, the shocking “September 18th Incident” occurred, and the vast region of the three northeastern provinces was quickly occupied by Japanese invaders. In 1933, underground party organizations were established in Huachuan Middle School and the Girls' Normal School. At school, Lengyun actively participated in various anti-Japanese activities led by the underground party. After long-term training and examination by the party organization, she gradually grew into a vanguard fighter of the proletariat. In 1936, Lengyun decided to go to the front lines of the resistance to join the fight. With the approval of the party organization, on a summer night filled with drizzling rain, Lengyun and Jin Naichen left their hometown of Yuelai Town to join the Fifth Army of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army. In July 1938, Lengyun followed her unit on the western expedition. During the campaign, she served as the political instructor of the women's regiment. In August, the Fifth Army’s western expedition troops reached the area of Wuchang County. While operating in the Wuchang mountainous region, they were exposed and decided to return to the banks of the Mudan River to report back to the Fifth Army headquarters about the western expedition. Along the way during the expedition and return, the women’s regiment suffered heavy casualties. When the troops arrived at the banks of the Usi River, a tributary of the Mudan River, only eight members remained, led by Instructor Lengyun. In early October, the nights were cold, and the team camped overnight on the oak ridge by the river. To keep warm, they lit around ten bonfires along the banks of the Usi River. The bonfires exposed their location and drew the enemy. At dawn the next day, as the team prepared to cross the river, the unit leaders, to prevent any mishaps, ordered Political Commissar Jin Shifeng—who could swim—and the eight female soldiers to cross the river first. Suddenly, gunfire erupted all around as the troops were ambushed by enemy forces lying in wait nearby, and a fierce battle began. Lengyun calmly directed the seven female soldiers to repel the enemy’s repeated attacks. After throwing their last three grenades, they held hands, supported their wounded comrades, and walked into the depths of the Usi River. Under heavy artillery fire from the enemy, the eight heroines were engulfed in the surging waves, sacrificing their precious lives. At the time, Lengyun was only 23 years old.

Lengyun’s noble character of prioritizing the Party’s cause and maintaining a sense of the greater good, as well as her indomitable revolutionary heroism and readiness to die for her beliefs, make her image shine brightly in the history of China’s revolution, alongside historical heroines such as Hua Mulan, Mu Guiying, and Liu Hulan.