Dongyang Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery

Dongyang Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery

The Dongyang Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery is a classic red tourism destination and a patriotic education base.

Since the Opium War and especially after the founding of the Communist Party of China, the people of Dongyang have waged an indomitable struggle for national independence and liberation, with hundreds of outstanding sons and daughters of Dongyang laying down their precious lives.

To commemorate the martyrs and inspire future generations, in December 1953, the Dongyang County People's Government allocated funds to build a revolutionary martyrs' cemetery at Xin'an Sitan in Wuning Town. In October 1986, the Dongyang County Committee decided to construct a new martyrs' cemetery in the scenic Xishan area. The first phase of the project, including the memorial monument and martyrs' burial grounds, was completed in March 1988. With the deepening of reform, the municipal Party committee and government, in response to the public's demand for spiritual civilization and the city's status as a cultural hub in central Zhejiang, decided to launch the second phase of the martyrs' cemetery project. The main components of the project included: the Revolutionary Martyrs Memorial Hall, the Memorial Plaza, steps, a bas-relief group sculpture, a memorial archway, burial sites for notable martyrs, a memorial pavilion, and enclosing walls. An additional 13 acres of land were acquired, with the total project cost exceeding 3 million yuan. Fundraising began in July 1994, groundbreaking took place on January 19, 1995, and the project was completed in 1996. Entering the new century, to further expand the platform for patriotic education and enhance the cultural significance of the martyrs' cemetery, in 2012, the provincial government allocated 500,000 yuan and the Dongyang municipal government invested 1.5 million yuan to build a Revolutionary Martyrs Memorial Stele Forest on the eastern side of the cemetery. Covering an area of 4,000 square meters, the project includes one screen wall, 25 memorial steles, and five scenic stone walls. The current cemetery spans over 30 acres, with a built-up area of 1,800 square meters. The site features towering pines, lush flowers and trees, velvety lawns, and harmonious landscapes, integrating tombs, steles, pavilions, corridors, halls, ponds, and altars. It serves as a solemn venue for revolutionary tradition and patriotic education, as well as a beautifully landscaped memorial space for the local community.

The martyrs' cemetery faces south and is built against the mountain, with six-meter-wide red stone steps leading from the foot to the summit. At the front of the cemetery stands a majestic brownish-red granite four-pillar memorial archway, 10 meters high, with a central granite crossbeam spanning 6 meters and weighing 11.5 tons—the largest of its kind in southern China. The central inscription "Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery" was personally handwritten by Zhang Zhen, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, while the side beams bear the inscriptions "Noble Spirit, Eternal Glory" by the renowned veteran general Sun Yi and "Immortal Legacy" by former Zhejiang Provincial Party Secretary Tie Ying. The memorial hall, with a floor area of 1,400 square meters, is a Sino-Western-style building featuring glazed tile roofing and brownish-red glazed brick cladding. Divided into eastern and western sections by the main staircase, the eastern part houses the Martyrs Exhibition Hall, in front of which stands a 2-meter-high, 6-meter-wide black granite stele inscribed with the names of 349 martyrs, surrounded by lush greenery in a solemn atmosphere. The exhibition hall presents the deeds and relics of revolutionary martyrs in chronological order, integrating them into the broader history of China's revolution and Dongyang's revolutionary struggles, vividly showcasing the heroic resistance of the local people. The exhibition took eight months to prepare and opened on Tomb-Sweeping Day in 1997. The western section of the hall includes spaces for education, conferences, and offices, while the exterior walls feature a white granite honor roll inscribed with the names of over 800,000 local residents, reflecting their deep reverence for the martyrs.

Ascending the steps leads to the Memorial Plaza. The square, square-shaped and covering 1,000 square meters, can accommodate over 3,000 people for commemorative activities. From the plaza, the beautiful hometown unfolds below, offering a breathtaking view. On either side of the plaza stand snowstone group sculptures, each 11 meters long and 3.5 meters high, masterpieces by the renowned Dongyang-born sculptor Professor Zhu Weijing. The sculptures depict 12 scenes from different historical periods. In the morning sunlight, the sculptures shimmer majestically. Further up the steps stands the imposing memorial monument, symbolizing the unity and relentless progress of the people under the Party's leadership. The eight black regular-script characters on the monument's front—"Eternal Glory to the Revolutionary Martyrs"—were inscribed by General [Name]. Behind the monument lies the burial site of notable martyrs, surrounded by verdant pines and lush lawns, creating a serene and solemn atmosphere that invites quiet reflection. The site features red stone paving, surrounded by bluestone lion railings, with five circular stone tombs in the center, their tops covered in green grass. The tombstones, made of snowstone, mark the resting places of eminent martyrs: Shao Piaoping, a pioneer of proletarian journalism and publisher of the *Beijing Daily*; Jin Fozhuang, a famed Northern Expedition general and lieutenant colonel of the National Revolutionary Army Headquarters Guard Regiment; Zhao Jimeng, a delegate to the 5th National Congress of the CPC, Standing Committee member of the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committee, and head of the Propaganda Department; Hu Ailin, political commissar of the 2nd Division of the 1st Corps of the First Front Army of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army; and Li Houkun, chief of staff of the logistics department of the 3rd Field Army of the People's Liberation Army, along with his wife. Beyond the steps lies the martyrs' burial ground, housing the remains of dozens of martyrs, surrounded by evergreen pines, with a grand bluestone stele inscribed "Tomb of the Revolutionary Martyrs" standing at the center.

On the eastern side of the plaza, the Revolutionary Martyrs Memorial Stele Forest is built along the contours of the mountain, offering a tranquil and picturesque setting. A screen wall engraved with Mao Zedong's *Butterfly Loves Flowers* glistens in the sunlight, while bronze bas-reliefs depicting the convening of the 1st Dongyang CPC Congress and the homefront during the Korean War come to life. A winding stele corridor showcases inscriptions by veteran proletarian revolutionaries and calligraphy by martyrs, providing a reflective space for visitors. On the western side of the plaza, stone paths lined with floral rows and osmanthus fragrance lead to the Pine Grove, where the Changqing Pavilion is nestled. To the left, a pond covering over 1,000 square meters is surrounded by peach and willow trees, their blossoms and foliage creating a serene retreat for visitors paying respects to the martyrs.

Glorious achievements bloom brilliantly on Dongyang's soil; indomitable spirits forge the nation's resolve. Let us gather before this eternal monument to honor the martyrs, uphold their noble traditions, and strive to advance the construction of socialism with Chinese characteristics.