"January 28th" Monument to the Unknown Heroes

"January 28th" Monument to the Unknown Heroes

The "January 28th" Monument to the Unknown Heroes serves as a patriotic education base.

The monument is located on the campus of Sitang No. 2 Middle School in Zhangmiao Subdistrict, Baoshan District.

In the early hours of January 28, 1932, Japanese troops launched a surprise attack on Chinese forces in Zhabei from Hongkou. Driven by the wave of anti-Japanese sentiment across the country, the 19th Route Army stationed in Shanghai rose up in resistance. The Japanese army launched seven or eight fierce assaults on the defensive lines of the 19th Route Army in areas such as Jinmu Residence, Zhuyuandun, and Sanbai Mu in Miaohang Town. Our patriotic soldiers used houses as strongholds, dug in to hold their ground, and launched multiple counterattacks. They engaged in close combat with the enemy, preventing any advance until the general retreat of the 19th Route Army.

During the Battle of Miaohang, the enemy abandoned 7,000 to 8,000 corpses, while our army suffered 3,000 casualties. After the ceasefire in the Shanghai-Nanjing area, the remains of 19th Route Army officers were transported to Nanjing and buried in the Purple Mountain. To commemorate the 3,000 soldiers of the 19th Route Army who died in the Battle of Miaohang, the people of Shanghai initiated a fundraising campaign at the end of 1932, raising 240,000 silver dollars. The people of Baoshan donated 30 acres of land to build the Monument to the Unknown Heroes. It was completed by the time of the public memorial for the fourth anniversary of the "January 28th Incident" in 1936. The tomb structure was built with granite, featuring a symbolic stone coffin inside. The tombstone stands about 1.5 meters tall, with a cement bridge and symmetrical flagpoles in front of the tomb. The surrounding area was planted with flowers, trees, and enclosed by walls. To facilitate visits, a road named "January 28th Memorial Road" was specially created in front of the tomb entrance.

In the winter of 1937, after the fall of Shanghai, the Japanese army destroyed the Monument to the Unknown Heroes and used some of its building materials to construct the so-called "Three Brave Bombardiers" Tomb, in an attempt to honor the deceased Japanese militarists from the Battle of Miaohang. After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, the tomb was demolished.

In December 1998, a new monument commemorating the site of the Unknown Heroes Tomb was erected on the north side of the running track at Sitang No. 2 Middle School. The front of the monument features broken walls, and the back is inscribed with "Righteousness Soars to the Heavens."

Address: No. 668 Gongjiang Road

Postal Code: 200435

Phone: 56489832

Fax: 56404135

Public Transport: Route 114

Zhangmiao Subdistrict: Located in the southeastern part of Baoshan District, Zhangmiao Subdistrict stretches from Xisitang River in the east to Gonghexin Road in the west, from the January 28th Memorial Road in the south to Zhuzaobang in the north, covering an area of 5.19 square kilometers. It has 66,199 households and a population of 124,675, governed by 40 neighborhood committees. It was established as a workers’ new community in 1959 to accommodate the relocation of industrial projects such as metallurgy and chemical engineering in the Shanghai Wusong Industrial Zone. The Zhangmiao Road Office was set up in 1960, and the Zhangmiao Road Subdistrict Office was established in 1962, then under the jurisdiction of Wusong District. In 1964, Wusong District was abolished and incorporated into Yangpu District. In 1965, it was renamed Sitang New Village Subdistrict... More details about Zhangmiao Subdistrict++