Ruian Martyrs' Cemetery

Ruian Martyrs' Cemetery

Ruian Martyrs' Cemetery is a classic red tourism attraction.

Ruian has a long revolutionary history. From the establishment of the Party organization in 1926 until the liberation in 1949, the Ruian Party organization, relying closely on the support of the broad masses of the people, endured hardships and remained indomitable. It carried out prolonged struggles in the heartland of the Kuomintang and grew stronger through these battles, becoming an important part of the revolutionary struggle in southern Zhejiang. During the long years of revolutionary struggle, the Ruian Party organization and the people made great sacrifices for the liberation cause of the Party. Over 300 individuals were posthumously recognized as revolutionary martyrs after the liberation. To commemorate the history of the Party leading the people in revolutionary struggle and the heroic achievements of the martyrs, the CPC Ruian County Committee and the County People’s Government built the Ruian Martyrs' Cemetery in 1957.

The Ruian Martyrs' Cemetery is located within Xiguan Mountain Park in downtown Ruian. It was expanded twice, in 1982 and 1991. After the expansion, the cemetery covers an area of 11,500 square meters, with a building area of 7,000 square meters. The overall layout of the cemetery is as follows: the main entrance is on the east side, standing 7.5 meters high and 3.2 meters wide, with “Ruian Martyrs' Cemetery” inscribed on the lintel, and a couplet on the stone pillars on both sides that reads, “Ruian nurtures heroes, their blood dyed the long night; the nation is secured by brave soldiers, its dawn painted red.” On the west side is a trapezoidal martyrs’ tomb with 120 burial niches, currently housing the remains of 90 martyrs. The mountain wall behind the tomb bears Mao Zedong’s calligraphy: “Eternal Glory to the Revolutionary Martyrs.” At the center of the cemetery stands the Martyrs' Monument, 14.5 meters tall, inscribed with “Monument to the Revolutionary Martyrs of Ruian.” On the north side is a martyr memorial corridor, engraved with inscriptions and the names of the martyrs. Adjacent to the southeast side of the main entrance, there is a two-story building: the upper floor serves as the office for cemetery management, while the lower floor houses an exhibition hall that displays the history of Ruian people’s revolutionary struggle across four periods.

The Ruian Martyrs' Cemetery is a key protected martyrs’ memorial site in Zhejiang Province and a patriotic education base in Wenzhou City.

Source: Party History Research Office of the CPC Wenzhou Municipal Committee