Site of General Zhao Shangzhi's Death

Site of General Zhao Shangzhi's Death

The Site of General Zhao Shangzhi's Death is a cultural relic protection unit of Heilongjiang Province and a classic red tourism attraction.

[Site of General Zhao Shangzhi's Death] The Site of General Zhao Shangzhi's Death is located 9 kilometers from the Xianjin Forest Farm of Heshi Forestry Bureau and 60 kilometers from Heshi Town.

At the site of General Zhao Shangzhi's death, the people of Heshi erected this memorial monument to commemorate the heroic deeds of General Zhao Shangzhi and the brave martyrs of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army who risked their lives to fight the Japanese in the upper reaches of the Wutong River.

In the early hours of February 12, 1942, during the harsh winter, deep in the virgin forests of the Lesser Khingan Mountains, Zhao Shangzhi led two small squads from Jiang Batou’s cabin, heading straight for the Wutong River Police Substation and the Japanese puppet garrison, planning to attack the Japanese outpost before dawn. When the team reached the vicinity of Lüjiacaiyuanzi, about 2 kilometers from the Japanese puppet police station, the spy Liu Deshan, who was hidden within the squad, asked to step aside to relieve himself. Taking advantage of the moment when no one was paying attention, he shot Zhao Shangzhi in the back. The bullet entered his lower back and exited through his left lower abdomen, causing heavy bleeding. As Liu Deshan tried to flee, Zhao Shangzhi, enduring the intense pain, raised his gun and shot Liu Deshan on the spot. Liu Deshan, a traitor to the Chinese people and a lackey of the Japanese invaders, met his just desserts.

The gunfire alerted the Japanese puppet garrison, which quickly engaged the anti-Japanese squad in fierce combat. To protect his comrades, Zhao Shangzhi fought bravely but was eventually severely wounded and exhausted. He was captured while unconscious. Despite facing the enemy, he remained resolute and unyielding until his heroic death eight hours later. He was only 34 years old at the time.

The story of the national anti-Japanese hero Zhao Shangzhi spread across the Black Dragon River and the White Mountains. Later generations produced a popular TV series of the same name based on his deeds to honor and remember the hero. May the spirit of General Zhao Shangzhi rest in peace in the netherworld forever.

Source: Hegang Tourism Bureau

Zhao Shangzhi was born in October 1908 in Chaoyang County, Liaoning Province. In 1919, he moved with his family to Harbin. In his early years, he devoted himself to student activism. In the summer of 1925, he joined the Communist Party of China, becoming one of the earliest party members in the Northeast. That winter, he was sent by the Party organization to study at the fifth term of the Whampoa Military Academy in Guangzhou, where he also joined the Young Soldiers’ Federation under the leadership of the Communist Party. In May 1926, dissatisfied with Chiang Kai-shek’s instigation of the “Zhongshan Warship Incident” and the “Reorganization of Party Affairs,” he resolutely withdrew from the Whampoa Military Academy. In accordance with the Party’s instructions, he returned to Harbin to participate in revolutionary activities... More detailed information about Zhao Shangzhi++