Tomb of the Three Martyrs of the Southern Anhui Incident

Tomb of the Three Martyrs of the Southern Anhui Incident

The Tomb of the Three Martyrs of the Southern Anhui Incident is a Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit and a classic red tourism attraction.

The Tomb of the Three Martyrs of the Southern Anhui Incident is situated at Wangjiangji on the southwest side of Yuhuatai in Nanjing, about 1 kilometer east of the Yuhuatai Martyrs' Cemetery, within Xiajiawa Village, Yuhua Town. The "Three Martyrs" refer to Xiang Ying, Deputy Commander of the New Fourth Army, Zhou Zikun, Deputy Chief of Staff, who were betrayed and killed by traitor Liu Houzong during the "Southern Anhui Incident," and Yuan Guoping, Director of the Political Department, who died in the battle at Maolin. Also known as the Generals' Tomb, it is a Nanjing Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

In June 1955, the Nanjing Military Region of the Chinese People's Liberation Army built cenotaphs at the site to commemorate the Three Martyrs. The three tombs are circular in shape, arranged in a row, with stone steles in front. Each tomb is 3.4 meters high; the steles are 3.8 meters high, 1 meter wide, and 0.5 meters thick. The tomb pathway extends over 300 meters in total, and the memorial area covers approximately 10,000 square meters. The Tomb of the Three Martyrs features a serene environment and an open, solemn atmosphere that inspires reverence.

History

In January 1941, the reactionary faction of the Kuomintang orchestrated the "Southern Anhui Incident." Xiang Ying, Deputy Commander of the New Fourth Army, and Zhou Zikun, Deputy Chief of Staff, were betrayed and murdered by a traitor, while Yuan Guoping, Director of the Political Department, died a heroic death in the Battle of Maolin. In June 1955, the Nanjing Military Region of the Chinese People's Liberation Army constructed cenotaphs at Wangjiangji in Xiajiawa Village, Yuhua Town, southwest of Yuhuatai, to honor their memory.

Background

On January 4, 1941, the New Fourth Army Headquarters and its forces in Southern Anhui, totaling around 9,000 troops, moved northward in accordance with the arrangements of the Nationalist Government and with the approval of the CPC Central Committee. Two days later, upon reaching the Maolin area in Jing County, they were suddenly ambushed by over 80,000 troops of the reactionary Kuomintang, who had laid in wait. Despite being heavily outnumbered, the New Fourth Army fought bravely for seven days and nights. Eventually, due to exhaustion of ammunition and supplies, most were captured, killed, or scattered, with only around 2,000 managing to break through the encirclement.

Xiang Ying (May 1898 – March 14, 1941), an outstanding proletarian revolutionary, a renowned labor movement activist, one of the early leaders of the Party and the Red Army, and one of the founders and key leaders of the New Fourth Army, as well as a famous anti-Japanese general. He held positions such as General Secretary of the Pinghan Railway Labor Union, Director of Organization of the Hubei Federation of Labor Unions, Secretary of the CPC Central Committee’s Labor Movement Committee, Commander of the Wuhan Workers’ Patrol, Secretary of the Jiangsu Provincial Committee of the CPC, Vice Chairman of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Member of the Supervisory Commission of the Communist International, and... [More details about Xiang Ying]

Yuan Guoping (1906–1941), given name Yu, courtesy name Zuihan, was from Fanjiashan in the eastern part of Shaoyang County (now Shaodong County). Born in May 1906 during the 32nd year of the Guangxu reign in the Qing Dynasty, his father was a farmer who also earned a living by ginning cotton. Yuan began studying at a private school at age six. Gifted and studious, he entered Baoqing Xuncheng School at age ten, where he excelled academically and had a talent for poetry. Once, while composing verse atop Shihu Mountain with his teacher, he wrote: “Amidst chaotic mountains wrapped all around, where can one climb to gaze so far and wide? I envy the peak that stands alone, towering proudly, untouched by evening clouds.” Reflecting on the times, he harbored lofty aspirations. In 1922, he enrolled in the First Normal School of Hunan Province... [More details about Yuan Guoping]

Zhou Zikun (1901–1941), originally named Weikuan, courtesy name Zhonghe, was from Guilin. He graduated in 1919 from the Guangxi Provincial First-Class Industrial School. To make a living, he joined the forces of Liu Zhenhuan of the Old Gui clique the following year, initially as a soldier and later as a platoon leader. After Liu Zhenhuan was eliminated by the Guangdong Revolutionary Army in 1925, Zhou Zikun joined the revolution and joined the Chinese Communist Party the same year. He subsequently participated in the Northern Expedition, the Nanchang Uprising, the Southern Hunan Uprising, and the Long March. He held positions such as company commander of the First Regiment of the Workers’ and Peasants’ Revolutionary Army, detachment commander of the Second Battalion of the First Column of the Sixth Red Army, chief of staff of the Third Red Army of the First Red Army Corps, and chief of staff of the Fourth Red Army... [More details about Zhou Zikun]

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units