Liyang Xishan Martyrs' Cemetery

Liyang Xishan Martyrs' Cemetery

Liyang Xishan Martyrs' Cemetery is a classic red tourism destination and a patriotic education base.

Situated at the foot of Limao Mountain on the western side of Qiao Mountain, in the suburbs near Liyang City, this is the location of the Liyang Xishan Martyrs' Cemetery.

Limao Mountain, commonly known as Wildcat Mountain, was once an area of stunning natural beauty with picturesque landscapes. On April 5, 1932, Comrade Li Yunsheng, Secretary of the Nanjing Special Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, convened an emergency meeting of the Liyang Special Branch in a nearby temple on Qiao Mountain. He analyzed the current situation to nine members of the branch and conveyed and assigned tasks such as actively developing armed forces. This was a significant event in the city’s revolutionary history, which also added to the area's scenic legacy.

In November 1981, with the care and attention of the Jiangsu Provincial Committee of the Chinese Communist Party and the Jiangsu Provincial People's Government, and the support of veteran comrades, the county party committee and government decided to build a martyrs' cemetery here. Since Limao Mountain is located to the west of Liyang Town and Qiao Mountain, and borrowing from Marshal Chen Yi’s verse “The red leaves on the Western Hills are fine; heavier the frost, the richer their hue. So is the revolution — heroes emerge through struggle,” the mountain was renamed Xishan (Western Mountain) to honor the revolutionary martyrs. Consequently, the martyrs’ cemetery was officially named “Liyang Xishan Martyrs' Cemetery.”

Covering an area of over 100 acres, Xishan Martyrs' Cemetery consists of three burial grounds and one memorial hall. Ascending the steps from the cemetery entrance leads to the tombs of Comrades Luo Zhongyi and Liao Haitao, the commander and political commissar of the 16th Brigade of the 6th Division of the New Fourth Army, who heroically sacrificed their lives in the Tangma Battle on November 28, 1941. To the east of the Luo and Liao tombs lie the graves of 16 officers at the battalion level or above who died during the Anti-Japanese War and the Liberation War, as well as six martyrs who passed away after the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Further east is the burial site of over 40 unnamed heroes who gave their lives liberating Liyang City in the battle on August 18, 1945. The surrounding area of the cemetery features rolling green hills and lush forests. Inside the cemetery, pine and cypress trees stand evergreen, fragrant grass thrives, stone monuments stand tall, and the architecture is majestic — creating an extraordinary atmosphere. It serves as a revered site for paying tribute and remembrance, as well as an educational venue for cadres, masses, and young students to learn about patriotism and revolutionary traditions.

Transportation: Take bus No. 2 from Liyang City to Xijiao Park.