Longhua Revolutionary Martyrs' Memorial Site

Longhua Revolutionary Martyrs' Memorial Site

Longhua Revolutionary Martyrs' Memorial Site is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Longhua Revolutionary Martyrs' Memorial Site

In April 1950, at one of the execution grounds of the former Shanghai Garrison Command Headquarters—now No. 1, Lane 2501, Longhua Road—based on clues provided by local residents, 18 complete sets of remains along with several partial remains including skulls, torsos, and limbs were unearthed. Some bones were still bound with shackles and ankle cuffs. At the same time, other relics belonging to the martyrs such as copper coins and silver coins were also excavated. Among them was an unspoiled woolen vest, which was later identified by multiple witnesses as belonging to Feng Kang, one of the “Five Martyrs of the League of Left-Wing Writers.” This confirmed that the remains were those of the Twenty-Four Martyrs. The remains and relics were later buried and displayed separately at the Shanghai Martyrs' Cemetery. The names of the martyrs that have been confirmed include Lin Yunan, He Mengxiong, Li Qiushi, Rou Shi, Hu Yepin, Yin Fu, Feng Kang (female), Long Dadao, Luo Shibing, Ouyang Li’an, Yun Yutang, Li Wen (female), Wu Zhongwen (female), Wang Qingshi, Cai Bozhen, Duan Nan (A’Gang), Peng Yanggan, Fei Dafu, Liu Zheng, He Zhiping, Tang Shilun, Tang Shilü, and Qian Geping. In 1981, the Shanghai Martyrs' Cemetery designated the site where the Twenty-Four Martyrs were executed as a memorial area, covering four acres. That same year, a monument titled “Execution Site of the Longhua Revolutionary Martyrs” was erected. On either side of the monument, galleries were built to display photos and biographies of 21 martyrs. Behind the monument stands a dead tree, its trunk riddled with bullet holes.

“Longhua’s nobility echoes through the ages; the brave may have fallen, but their will endures. Peach blossoms bloom beyond the wall, blood stains within—both equally red.”

Longhua Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery is located on Longhua Road in Shanghai, adjacent to the ancient Longhua Temple. Originally the site of the former Kuomintang Shanghai Garrison Command Headquarters and the execution ground of Longhua Revolutionary Martyrs, it was here that thousands of communists and revolutionary martyrs were imprisoned and executed. Part of the former Kuomintang Shanghai Garrison Command Headquarters has been restored, along with the execution site, all preserved as a protected memorial for revolutionary martyrs.

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units