Changzhou Martyrs' Cemetery

Changzhou Martyrs' Cemetery

The Changzhou Martyrs' Cemetery is a classic red tourism destination and a patriotic education base.

The Changzhou Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery and the "Three Heroes of Changzhou" Memorial Site (hereinafter referred to as the Changzhou Martyrs' Cemetery) is located at No. 315, North Lanling Road, Tianning District, Changzhou City. Its preparatory work began in 1976, and it was officially established in 1978. Covering an area of 64,200 square meters with a green coverage rate of approximately 80%, it is under the administration of the Changzhou Civil Affairs Bureau. It is a fully funded public institution with 22 staff members. The main structures within the site include the Revolutionary Martyrs' Monument, the "Three Heroes of Changzhou" Sculpture Group, the Three Heroes Hall, the Changzhou Revolutionary History Memorial Hall, the Changzhou Revolutionary Martyrs Memorial Hall, the Revolutionary Martyrs' Poetry Stele Corridor, and the Life Mottos Wall—seven major memorial facilities dedicated to the martyrs.

Centered around its mission to "honor the martyrs and educate the public," the Changzhou Martyrs' Cemetery has carried out various forms of patriotic education activities every year since 1996. These activities are regular, diverse, and collaborative. Publications such as "Changzhou Through the Ages" and the "Changzhou Martyrs Newspaper" have been produced, and online memorial services have been launched. The cemetery has fully leveraged its role as a red education base in Changzhou, becoming an important classroom for patriotic and revolutionary tradition education.

The Changzhou Martyrs' Cemetery is a National Key Martyrs' Memorial Building Protection Unit, an Advanced Unit in Martyrs' Memorial Building Management by the Ministry of Civil Affairs, one of the first Patriotic Education Bases designated by the Ministry of Civil Affairs, one of the first Model Bases for Professional Ethics Development, and the first National Patriotic Education Demonstration Base named by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee in Changzhou.

Three Heroes Hall

To further promote the spirit of the "Three Heroes of Changzhou," honor the revolutionary martyrs, and maximize the role of the cemetery as a national patriotic education base, the Changzhou Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government decided in 2009 to rebuild the former Revolutionary Martyrs' Memorial Hall and rename it the Three Heroes Hall. It was completed and opened to the public in March 2011. The Three Heroes Hall has two floors, covering a total area of over 4,000 square meters, and is divided into the "Three Heroes of Changzhou" Memorial Hall and the Martyrs' Memorial Hall. "To die for the people is to die in the right cause, heavier than Mount Tai." The Martyrs' Memorial Hall enshrines 121 revolutionary martyrs, including 10 unnamed ones. The revolutionary martyrs sacrificed themselves for the nation, their blood staining the land and moving heaven and earth, their heroic spirit and unwavering ideals immortal. Let us remember the martyrs, never forget the glorious history, the revolutionary traditions, the demands of the times, or our noble mission. The martyrs live on with the green hills and the eternal earth. The revolutionary martyrs shall be immortalized forever.

Changzhou Three Heroes Sculpture Plaza

Among the key leaders during the founding period of the Communist Party of China, three names are remembered deeply by the people of Changzhou: Qu Qiubai, Zhang Tailei, and Yun Daiying. As fellow natives of Changzhou, Jiangsu, they are proudly revered by the people as the "Three Heroes of Changzhou." In 2007, the Three Heroes Sculpture Plaza was completed. The sculpture group consists of statues of Qu Qiubai, Zhang Tailei, and Yun Daiying, along with a background relief, all carved from granite. The group stands 5 meters tall, with Qu Qiubai in the center, Yun Daiying on the left, and Zhang Tailei on the right. The 34-meter-long and 3.5-meter-high relief background depicts the May Fourth Movement on the left, the Nanchang Uprising and Guangzhou Uprising on the right, and a V-shaped pattern in the center symbolizing victory. The phrase "The Internationale must be realized" within the V-shape, along with the musical notes below, are the lyrics of "The Internationale" translated by Qu Qiubai. The sculpture embodies the spirit of the "Three Heroes of Changzhou," and its simple design conveys the reverence and admiration of the people of Changzhou for them.

Changzhou Revolutionary History Memorial Hall

After the Opium Wars, internal strife and external aggression plagued the nation, leaving the country impoverished and the people suffering. The mountains bowed their heads, and the canals wept silently. Where was the way out? Where was the light? Countless patriots and visionaries, in their quest to save the nation and its people, devoted themselves wholeheartedly, struggled relentlessly, and fought courageously, only to meet repeated failures. The light of Marxism pierced through the darkness, and the Communist Party of China emerged in accordance with the historical tide, stepping onto the stage of China. Raising the red flag, gathering the finest minds, relying on the people, and united in purpose, they turned the tide. Like a spark igniting a prairie fire, the flames burned brightly as they fought against internal strife and external aggression. The loyal souls remain in history, their heroic spirit enduring through the ages, ultimately overthrowing the rule of imperialism, feudalism, and bureaucratic capitalism in China, and achieving victory in the New Democratic Revolution. The history of blood and fire forged unyielding strength and created an immortal monument, forming the spiritual foundation and source of strength for modern society. To fully leverage the educational and inspirational power of revolutionary history, the Changzhou Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government decided to establish the Changzhou Revolutionary History Memorial Hall. On December 26, 2004, the memorial hall was completed and opened to the public. The exhibition is divided into four sections: Exploration, Spark, Flame, and Dawn, vividly portraying the revolutionary struggle history of Changzhou from 1840 to its liberation in April 1949. It confirms the truth that without the Communist Party, there would be no New China. As history continues to write new chapters, it inspires people to inherit glorious traditions, uphold national spirit, and bravely shoulder responsibilities to create an even brighter future.

Changzhou Revolutionary Martyrs Memorial Hall

Changzhou, with its long history and rich cultural heritage, has nurtured generations of notable figures. Over the past century, amidst the tremendous transformations in China, many outstanding sons and daughters of Changzhou sacrificed their lives for the liberation of the Chinese people, becoming revolutionary martyrs whose achievements shine as brightly as the sun and moon and whose names are immortalized in history. Among them, Qu Qiubai, Zhang Tailei, and Yun Daiying, key leaders during the founding period of the Communist Party of China, are outstanding representatives. To honor their great contributions, in 1984, the Changzhou Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government decided to build the Changzhou Revolutionary Martyrs' Exhibition Hall on the north side of the Changzhou Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery, which opened to the public in October 1987. In 2003, the Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government decided to expand the exhibition hall, increasing its floor area from 880 square meters to 2,140 square meters, and renamed it the Changzhou Revolutionary Martyrs Memorial Hall. It officially opened to the public on December 26, 2004. The hall is divided into twelve sections, showcasing the touching stories of 228 martyrs who pursued truth and sacrificed themselves through a wealth of photographs, precious relics, and vivid artworks. It also highlights major historical events such as the August 7th Meeting, the Guangzhou Uprising, and the Nanchang Uprising. This is an epic that celebrates life, a textbook that interprets existence, and a series of paintings that depict revolutionary history. Let us forever remember these awe-inspiring spirits and the indomitable soul of the nation.

Revolutionary Martyrs' Monument

The Revolutionary Martyrs' Monument is located in the center of the memorial square within the Changzhou Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery. The monument, along with the mourning square, was completed and inaugurated on December 25, 1982, covering an area of 1,300 square meters. The main monument stands 9.3 meters high, 13.6 meters long, and 3 meters wide, while each auxiliary monument (base) is 1.55 meters high, 2.7 meters long, and 1.8 meters wide. The main body of the monument is clad in polished granite from Suzhou's Jinshan, with the eight gilded clerical script characters "Revolutionary Martyrs Shall Be Immortalized" engraved on the front, each measuring 90 cm × 78 cm, beneath which wreath patterns are carved. The back bears the inscription by the CPC Changzhou Committee, the Standing Committee of the Changzhou People's Congress, the Changzhou Municipal People's Government, and the Changzhou Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, dated September 1981. It stands solemnly at the center of the memorial square. At the time, it was a uniquely designed horizontal monument in China. On April 23, 1984, after a grand unveiling ceremony presided over by the four leading bodies of Changzhou, it was officially opened for public commemoration and mourning.

Qu Qiubai (1899–1935), male, Han ethnicity, from Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, member of the Communist Party of China.

In 1919, during the May Fourth Movement, Qu Qiubai participated in leading student protests in Beijing. In early 1920, he joined the Marxist Theory Study Society. Later, he went to Soviet Russia as a journalist. He joined the Communist Party of China in 1922. After the failure of the Great Revolution, he presided over the August 7th Meeting, establishing the Party’s general guidelines for land revolution and armed resistance against the reactionary rule of the Kuomintang. After the meeting, he served as the Chairman of the Provisional Politburo Central Committee and led the central work. In June 1928, he attended the Sixth Congress of the Communist Party of China... [More details about Qu Qiubai]

Zhang Tailei (1898–1927), born in June 1898 in Wujin, Jiangsu. In 1915, he was admitted to Peking University, and transferred to the Law Department of Peiyang University (now Tianjin University) in Tianjin in the winter of the same year. When the May Fourth Movement broke out in 1919, Zhang Tailei actively participated and became one of the key figures in the Tianjin area. He joined the speech team organized by students of Peiyang University, often giving lectures in Tianjin and nearby towns and villages to expose the crimes of the reactionary government in selling out Shandong’s sovereignty. During the struggle, Zhang Tailei established contact with Li Dazhao, whom he greatly admired, and also connected with Zhou Enlai, the leader of the Tianjin movement... [More details about Zhang Tailei]

Yun Daiying (1895–1931), also known as Ju Xuan, courtesy name Zi Yi. Originally from Wujin, Jiangsu, he was born in Wuchang.

A Chinese proletarian revolutionary, one of the early leaders of the youth movement in the Communist Party of China, and a political instructor for the fourth class of the Whampoa Military Academy. A native of Wujin, Jiangsu, he was born in 1895 in Wuchang, Hubei. He graduated from Zhonghua University. As a student, he actively participated in revolutionary activities and was one of the leading figures of the May Fourth Movement in the Wuhan area. In 1920, he founded the Lique Bookstore and later established the Gongcun Society to spread new ideas, new culture, and Marxism. He joined the... [More details about Yun Daiying]