Martyrs' Cemetery of the Central China Lu Xun Academy of Arts

Martyrs' Cemetery of the Central China Lu Xun Academy of Arts

The Martyrs' Cemetery of the Central China Lu Xun Academy of Arts is a Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit, a classic red tourism attraction, and a patriotic education base.

The site of the Monument to the Martyrs of the Central China Branch of the Lu Xun Academy of Arts is located in Beiqin Village, Qingfeng Town, Jianhu County. The monument stands 13 meters tall, topped with a golden five-pointed star, beneath which flies a red flag, symbolizing the eternal fluttering of the revolutionary art banner under the Party’s guidance through the ages. The Central China Branch of the Lu Xun Academy of Arts was founded in the spring of 1941, with its campus initially set up at Doushuai Temple and the Poor Children’s Home in Yancheng. Liu Shaoqi concurrently served as the president. The academy was divided into four departments—literature, drama, music, and fine arts—as well as a general class and a youth class, with a total of over 400 faculty and students. Just as this new sprout of art was growing vigorously, the Japanese army and puppet troops concentrated more than 17,000 soldiers, attacking the New Fourth Army headquarters in Yancheng from multiple directions via Dongtai, Xinghua, Sheyang Lake, and Chenjiayang, attempting to annihilate the newly reestablished army headquarters in one fell swoop. Acting Commander-in-Chief Chen Yi, following the decision of the Central China Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, mobilized for the anti-"mopping-up" battle, calling for all troops, agencies, and schools in Yancheng to disperse and relocate. Faculty and students of the Central China Branch of the Lu Xun Academy of Arts evacuated Yancheng on June 22, 1941, reaching Huangjiaxiang, north of Longgang and west of Yancheng. Two days later, they moved to District Five of Yancheng County (now Qingfeng Township, Jianhu County), where they rehearsed and performed artistic programs, conducting anti-Japanese salvation propaganda. In just a few days, they mobilized over 1,500 young farmers to join the anti-Japanese self-defense forces. By the end of June, they had relocated near Huzhai Town, with over 400 people staying in several large villages such as Gaoma. The Central China Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and the New Fourth Army headquarters also moved to Zuozhuang, Tangnian, and Xizhan, about 7 kilometers north of Huzhai Town, on July 10.

To cope with the rapidly changing situation of the anti-"mopping-up" struggle, Qian Junrui, head of the Political Department's Propaganda Section of the army, came to the Central China Branch of the Lu Xun Academy of Arts and conveyed the instructions of Political Commissar Liu Shaoqi and Acting Commander-in-Chief Chen Yi, ordering them to disperse and relocate immediately. According to the army headquarters’ instructions, the Central China Branch of the Lu Xun Academy of Arts divided all faculty and students into two teams. Team One consisted of the academy’s administration, most of the Literature Department, and most of the Fine Arts Department, led by Dean Huang Yuan, Music Department Head He Shide, and Fine Arts Department Head Mo Pu, who were to relocate with the army headquarters. Team Two included most of the Drama Department, most of the Music Department, and the General Class, totaling about 200 people, led by Meng Bo and former Dean Qi Dongping of the General Class, and Xu Qing, head of the Drama Department. During the relocation, the Party Working Committee of Team Two was chaired by Meng Bo, with Qi Dongping and Xu Qing as members. Zhang Ping, the General Secretary (leader) of the New China Traveling Troupe, along with Zhang Jie and Zhang Mu, leaders of the Troupe’s Northern Jiangsu Sub-Group, and Zuo Lin, also accompanied Team Two. To ensure the safety of Team Two during the relocation, eight combatants—Liu, a staff officer from the army headquarters, plus Xu Yitai, Zhou Zhanxiong, Cong Yunsheng, Xu Xin, Lu Guang, Lu Jun, and Xu Guangjun—formed a combat squad, each armed and assigned to guard duty.

On the evening of July 23, 1941, Team Two of the Central China Branch of the Lu Xun Academy of Arts set out from Taojiashe, east of the army headquarters' location at Zuozhuang, heading toward Louwang Village, west of Yancheng. At that time, Huzhai Town was occupied by a Japanese company and nearly a puppet regiment. To avoid the enemy, Team Two chose a route through District Five of Yancheng County, where the Party had a solid mass base, passing through Jijiazhuang and Beiqin Village before arriving at Louwang Village.

In the early hours of July 24, over 200 faculty and students were camping in Beiqin Village when they were ambushed by Japanese and puppet troops who had come to "mop up" the offices of the Central China Bureau’s newspaper, the Jianghuai Daily. Surrounded by a Japanese platoon and a puppet company, the teachers and students engaged in fierce combat with the enemy. In this encounter, over 30 faculty and students from Team Two of the Central China Branch of the Lu Xun Academy of Arts, including Qi Dongping, Xu Qing, Li Rui, Yuan Wanhua, Zhang Bingyan, Cong Yunsheng, Wang Haiwen, Ye Ling, Shi Yu, Xu Hui, Wu Bin, Zhu Dan, Wei Zheng, Li Xin, and New China Traveling Troupe leaders Zhang Ping and Zhang Jie, unfortunately sacrificed their lives. Over 60 others, including Shao Wei, Shi Liu, Zuo Lin, and Zhang Xiu, were captured by the enemy, and another fifty or sixty were scattered. Four local residents were injured, and eight were brutally killed.

Around 2 p.m., after the Japanese and puppet troops withdrew, the fleeing residents returned, and the scattered faculty and students regrouped. They found the bodies of the Central China Branch of the Lu Xun Academy of Arts Team Two lying across the fields, rice paddies, and ditches of Beiqin Village, their blood staining scattered luggage, violins, cosmetics, and manuscripts. They wept bitterly over the loss of their leaders, comrades, and loved ones. With the help of local residents, they tearfully buried Xu Qing’s body along with other martyrs in a wasteland southeast of Beiqin Village, while Qi Dongping’s body was laid to rest by a small river northeast of Gujisi Temple.

On the afternoon of December 14, 1941, the Yan'an literary and art circles held a memorial service for the martyred young writer Qi Dongping and other fallen comrades at the Cultural Club. Ai Qing, Ding Ling, Ouyang Shan, Gao Changhong, Wu Xiru, Huang Mei, and Liu Baiyu all attended the service. For many years, the cadres and residents of Beiqin Village deeply commemorated the martyrs of Team Two of the Central China Branch of the Lu Xun Academy of Arts. During festivals, they offered sacrifices at the martyrs’ cemetery. The local government renamed the martyrdom site as Dongping Township, Xvqing Village, and Lu Yi Brigade in their honor. In 1985, the Qingfeng Town Party Committee and government raised over 30,000 yuan to erect a monument in front of Beiqin Village. Li Yimang, then Chairman of the Suzhewei Border Region Government, inscribed the plaque: “Monument to the Martyrs of the Central China Lu Xun Academy of Arts.” The CPC Jianhu County Committee Party History Office, the County Culture Bureau, and other organizations established an exhibition room for the martyrs of the Central China Lu Yi, published a commemorative album, and had General Zhang Aiping inscribe the titles: “The Anti-Japanese Martyrs of the Central China Lu Yi Shall Live Forever!” After more than 20 years of development, the cemetery has become a provincial and municipal patriotic education base, attracting over 10,000 visitors annually. Today, the restored cemetery, monument, and exhibition room have taken on a completely renewed appearance.

Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit — Fourth Batch, April 1995 — Martyrs' Cemetery of the Central China Lu Xun Academy of Arts, 1941, Qingfeng Township, Jianhu County

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units