Sishui Park

Sishui Park

Sishui Park (People's Park), also known as the Siyang Aiyuan Martyrs' Cemetery, is located at the southern end of Aiyuan Road in Zhongxing Town, Siyang County, and the northern end of the Siyang Bridge over the Grand Canal. Originally built in 1944, Aiyuan was first situated in the fruit-growing area of what is now Aiyuan Town, Siyang County. During the War of Resistance against Japan, when Japanese puppet forces occupied several counties in the Huaihai region, the Huaihai District Party Committee, the Administrative Office, and even the democratic governments of various counties were active in rural areas, with the Si-Su region serving as the center of the Huaihai democratic regime. To commemorate the revolutionary martyrs who bravely sacrificed their lives during the war and to inspire the people to fight the enemy courageously, the Huaihai District Party Committee, the Administrative Office, and the Si-Su County Government decided to establish a martyrs' cemetery. The project was personally planned and organized by Li Yimang, Director of the Administrative Office, who also proposed naming it "Aiyuan" (Garden of Love). The site was originally a garden owned by Kang Shaoda, a landlord from Peiwei East, covering an area of 64 mu. It featured large pine forests and a variety of trees and flowers, offering beautiful scenery. After negotiations with the landowner, the democratic government purchased the land. At the time, the cemetery included the construction of the "Zhaozhong Shrine," a flower hall behind the shrine, and a podium at the northern end. The remains of anti-Japanese martyrs were buried in the northeastern corner, with pines and bamboos planted beside the graves. Li Yimang, Director of the Huaihai Administrative Office, personally inscribed the name "Aiyuan" and wrote the "Inscription for the Anti-Japanese Martyrs' Cemetery."

In 1946, when the reactionary forces attacked the liberated areas, Aiyuan suffered damage. By the end of 1949, the former Huaisi, Si-Su, and Siyang counties were merged into Siyang County, and the county government was relocated to Zhongxing. To facilitate public visits to honor the martyrs, Aiyuan was moved to the seat of Siyang County government in 1953, and Li Yimang once again inscribed the name for the park. The current Aiyuan covers an area of 126 mu, including 17 mu of water surface. The main structure of the garden, the "Zhaozhong Shrine," is grand in scale, with a construction area of 650 square meters. The interior of the shrine is solemn and dignified, with 32 plaques and couplets dedicated to the martyrs, gifted by notable figures from all walks of life during the later stages of the war, displayed on its walls, along with 18 couplets offered by the county Party committee, county government, and related departments in the years after the founding of the People’s Republic. Starting in 1984, the "Siyang County Revolutionary History Exhibition Hall" was added inside the Zhaozhong Shrine, still bearing an inscription by Comrade Li Yimang. The exhibition uses artifacts, photographs, and historical materials to showcase the revolutionary achievements of Siyang County under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party across different historical periods. The historical exhibits are divided into four sections: "From the May Fourth Movement to the Eve of the War of Resistance," "During the War of Resistance," "During the Liberation War," "After the Founding of the Nation," as well as a section on "Biographies of Selected Martyrs."