The Tomb of the Nine Anti-Japanese Martyrs at Juhuatai

The Tomb of the Nine Anti-Japanese Martyrs at Juhuatai

On Juhuatai Hill outside Zhonghua Gate in Nanjing lies the Tomb of the Nine Anti-Japanese Martyrs. The cemetery is situated on the southern slope of the hill, with the tombs facing south. The nine graves are arranged in a straight line resembling a folding fan. Each tomb is made of concrete, averaging 2.65 meters in length and 1.85 meters in width, slightly elevated above the ground. The area is covered with evergreen pines and cypresses, symbolizing the martyrs’ steadfast patriotism and noble spirit of national integrity, which are revered by later generations. Each grave is inscribed with the title and name of the deceased. The nine anti-Japanese martyrs are: Yang Guangsheng, Consul General at the Chinese Consulate General in Manila; Mo Jien, Consul; Zhu Shaoping, Consul; Lu Bingshu, Chief Clerk; Xiao Dongming, Acting Consul; Yang Qingshou, Acting Consul (equivalent); Yao Zhuxiu, Acting Consul (equivalent); Wang Gongwei, Category A Trainee Officer; and Zhuo Huanlai, Consul at the Chinese Consulate in Sandakan. They were all diplomats originally dispatched by the Nationalist Government to the Philippines.

On December 8, 1941, Japanese militarists launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, and the next day they sent aircraft to attack the Philippines. They quickly landed in Southern Luzon and Central Luzon, and Manila was soon besieged. On January 2, 1942, Japanese invaders occupied Manila and immediately began propagating the idea of “co-prosperity” to the staff of the Chinese Consulate General in Manila, launching efforts to induce and coerce them into surrendering. They demanded that Chinese diplomats in the Philippines “change course,” recognize the Wang Jingwei puppet regime, and pledge allegiance to the Japanese Emperor. These unreasonable demands were immediately rejected by all consulate staff. Subsequently, Japanese military police brazenly arrested eight individuals: Yang Guangsheng, Mo Jien, Zhu Shaoping, Yao Zhuxiu, Xiao Dongming, Yang Qingshou, Lu Bingshu, and Wang Gongwei, detaining them within the campus of the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts. Two months later, they were transferred to the Santiago Prison, where Japanese invaders continued to pressure them and even attempted to extort large sums of money from the local overseas Chinese community through them. When these unreasonable demands were also refused, the Japanese subjected them to various forms of torture. However, they remained resolute, upholding the dignity of the Chinese nation. Finally, on April 17, 1942, the Japanese brutally and secretly executed them in the Chinese Cemetery (Libing) on the outskirts of Manila. On July 6, 1945, Zhuo Huanlai was secretly executed by the Japanese at the Sandakan Airport.

The nine martyrs sacrificed their lives in a foreign land, and their remains were repatriated on July 7, 1947, after the victory of the Anti-Japanese War. People from all walks of life in Nanjing gathered to discuss how to honor the patriotic actions of the Chinese Consulate General in Manila during the war, and decided to bury the nine martyrs at Juhuatai. Local residents such as Li Ruhua and Chen Jiayin voluntarily donated 17.64 acres of their private land free of charge to serve as the martyrs’ burial ground. On September 3 of the same year, the people of Nanjing held a public memorial and burial ceremony, renaming Juhuatai as “Loyal and Heroic Park,” now known as the “Tomb of the Nine Martyrs.”

The “Tomb of the Nine Martyrs” was severely damaged in 1972, with the tombs and tombstones being destroyed. In 1982, following a proposal by Wu Yifang, then Vice Governor of Jiangsu Province, and with approval from the Jiangsu Provincial Government and the Nanjing Municipal Government, special funds were allocated. The Yuhuatai District Government carried out restoration work to return the site to its original condition.