Tomb of the Fallen Soldiers of the 19th Route Army

Tomb of the Fallen Soldiers of the 19th Route Army

The Tomb of the Fallen Soldiers of the 19th Route Army, also known as the "Heroes' Mound," is located at the northern foot of Magang Mountain in Shannenqiao Town, Wuxian. It houses the remains of 78 soldiers of the 19th Route Army of the National Revolutionary Army who died in the January 28th Incident resisting the Japanese invasion.

In early 1932, after Japan had occupied China's three northeastern provinces in the September 18th Incident, it further sought to take Shanghai and the southeastern coastal areas, attempting to fulfill its ambition of annihilating China. On January 28, 1932, Japan reinforced its troops in Shanghai and unreasonably demanded that Chinese forces withdraw from Zhabei without waiting for a reply, then launched an attack on Shanghai. The overall commander of the 19th Route Army stationed in Shanghai, Jiang Guangnai, and the army commander, Cai Tingkai, though not having received orders to resist, rose up against the enemy out of national indignation. Supported by the people of Shanghai, all soldiers of the 19th Route Army fought bravely in bloody battles, killing over ten thousand enemies and achieving a major victory. During their month-long defense of Shanghai, they forced the enemy to change commanders three times. Later, due to Chiang Kai-shek’s non-resistance policy and refusal to send reinforcements, Japanese forces landed at Liuhe in Taicang, putting the 19th Route Army in a predicament with enemies on both flanks, forcing them to retreat to Kunshan. Eventually, the conflict ended with the signing of the “Shanghai Ceasefire Agreement” between the Chiang Kai-shek government and Japan.

After the war, patriotic figures such as Mr. Li Genyuan donated funds and land to bury the remains of 78 soldiers who died in battle and could not be saved while being treated in Suzhou, interring them at the northern foot of Magang Mountain in Shannenqiao. The site was honored as the "Heroes' Mound." The burial mound is 2 meters high, the cemetery is 7 meters north-south and 28 meters east-west, with a stone stele erected at each end. In 1963, the site was turned into mulberry fields. In October 1981, the United Front Work Department of Wuxian County Committee and the Wuxian Cultural Relics Management Committee restored the "Heroes' Mound." They collected the remains and placed them in the tomb, raised the mound, straightened the steles, and carried out afforestation. Currently, the mound is 1.5 meters high with a circumference of 18 meters. One stele is 1.35 meters high and 0.67 meters wide, bearing the three characters "Heroes' Mound" in clerical script inscribed by Mr. Li Genyuan. Beside it is an inscription narrating the brief history of the January 28th resistance. The back of the stele is engraved with the names of the 78 fallen soldiers. The other stele is 1.36 meters high and 0.69 meters wide, with an essay written by General Zhang Zhizhong: "Mr. Li Yinquan gathered the remains of 78 soldiers who died in battle during the 19th Route Army and Fifth Army’s resistance against the Japanese in Shanghai, burying them at the foot of Magang Mountain and naming the site Heroes' Mound. As I was involved in this campaign, I was asked to inscribe this. Reflecting on my own lack of strategy to defeat the enemy at the time, writing these words fills me with a mix of shame and sorrow, and my tears flow like a cord. Zhang Zhizhong, Educational Director of the CCP Army Officer School, Former Army Commander." He also inscribed the four characters “Qi Zhuang Shan He” (Majestic as Mountains and Rivers). The back of the stele is engraved with a seal script inscription by Yu Jishi of Fenghua and a regular script inscription by Wang Jingren, commander of the Third Column of the Fourth Route Army’s Northern Corps and commander of the 87th Division, both commemorating the martyrs’ spirit of sacrificing themselves to defend the nation.

The "Heroes' Mound" stands as one of the historical testimonies to Japan’s invasion of China, and it also embodies the fearless heroism of the Chinese nation, determined to fight the invaders to the bitter end. The renovated "Heroes' Mound" cemetery is surrounded by evergreen pines and cypresses, with enduring inscriptions. The deeds of the fallen soldiers of the January 28th resistance will be forever recorded in history.