Martyrs' Cemetery at Yuhuatai

Martyrs' Cemetery at Yuhuatai

The Martyrs' Cemetery at Yuhuatai is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit, a classic red tourism destination, and a patriotic education base.

The Martyrs' Cemetery at Yuhuatai is located on the central ridge of Yuhuatai Hill in Yuhuatai District, Nanjing. It is the largest commemorative cemetery built in New China, covering an area of 113 hectares. The cemetery includes five hills, with the main peak of Yuhuatai at its center, forming a north-south central axis. From south to north, there is the South Gate, a square, a memorial hall, a memorial bridge, the Monument to Revolutionary Martyrs, a large sculpture of martyrs at the North Martyrdom Site, the North Gate, as well as the martyrs’ tombs at the West Martyrdom Site, the memorial pavilion at the East Martyrdom Site, and other structures.

During the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Magistrate Mei Yi stationed troops on the eastern ridge, which is thus also called Mei Ridge. In the Liang Dynasty of the Southern Dynasties (502–557), when Buddhism was prevalent, it is said that the eminent monk Master Yunguang preached here, moving the deities so deeply that flowers rained down from the sky and turned to stone upon landing, hence the name Yuhuatai, meaning “Rain Flower Terrace.” The colorful pebbles are known as Yuhua stones. In ancient times, Yuhuatai was known as the southern gate of Jinling (Nanjing), a famous scenic spot and a strategic military location, with many historic relics. After the Nationalist Government established its capital in Nanjing, Yuhuatai became a major execution ground for the reactionary Kuomintang regime—used to execute Communists and patriots. Coupled with the periods of warlord rule, Japanese puppet rule, and the Wang Jingwei puppet regime, nearly 100,000 Communists and patriots were martyred here. Among them were Deng Zhongxia, leader of the Canton–Hong Kong Strike and alternate member of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee; Luo Dengxian, Secretary of the CPC Central Committee’s Southern Bureau and Secretary of the CPC Manchuria Provincial Committee; Sun Jinchuan, Secretary of the CPC Nanjing Municipal Committee; Li Yunsheng, Secretary of the CPC Nanjing Special Committee; Zhu Wuping, Secretary of the CPC Changhuai Special Committee; Chen Lizhen, Secretary of the CPC Xuhuai–Bengbu Special Committee; and Huang Li, Director of the National Relief Federation and Secretary of its Party Group. They were all executed at Yuhuatai.

After the founding of New China, to commemorate the martyrs, this cemetery covering 113 hectares was built on Yuhuatai. Alongside the construction of the cemetery, historical materials about revolutionaries who sacrificed their lives in Nanjing were collected from across the country. By 1993, a total of 15 million characters of martyr historical records, over 2,000 pieces of relics and revolutionary artifacts, and more than 5,000 portraits and documentary photos of the martyrs had been gathered, providing rich material for the exhibitions in the Martyrs’ Memorial Hall. The Martyrs’ Cemetery has become a large-scale commemorative park and a site where people, especially young people, mourn the martyrs and receive education on revolutionary traditions, patriotism, and communism. It is solemn, serene, lush, and beautiful.

Scenic Area Address: No. 215, Yuhua West Road, Yuhuatai District, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province

Transportation: In Nanjing, take Tourist Bus Line 2 or 4, or Bus Lines 2, 16, 26, 33, 49, 88 to reach the site.

Further Reading:

· First and Second Batches of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Third Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units