Wenzhou Revolutionary Martyrs Memorial Hall

Wenzhou Revolutionary Martyrs Memorial Hall

The Wenzhou Revolutionary Martyrs Memorial Hall is a classic red tourism destination and a patriotic education base.

The Wenzhou region has a long history of revolutionary struggle and a glorious revolutionary tradition. As early as 1924, the Communist Party organization was established here. To commemorate the martyrs who sacrificed their lives during various revolutionary periods in southern Zhejiang, in 1952, following a proposal by the Wenzhou People's Representative Conference, the construction of the Wenzhou Revolutionary Martyrs Memorial Hall began on the scenic Jiangxin Islet. It was completed and opened to the public on July 1, 1956, showcasing the deeds of 72 martyrs. In April 1984, the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee and the Zhejiang Provincial People's Government decided to build a monument on the grounds of the Wenzhou Revolutionary Martyrs Memorial Hall to commemorate the 13th Army of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army and the Red Army Advance Division, while also expanding the original Wenzhou Revolutionary Martyrs Memorial Hall (collectively referred to as "two monuments and one hall"). Construction started in June 1987 and was completed in January 1989.

The Wenzhou Revolutionary Martyrs Memorial Hall is located on Jiangxin Islet in Lucheng District, Wenzhou City. The site covers an area of 3,190 square meters and is oriented north to south. The memorial park is divided into three levels and two spatial areas: the main gate, the monument, and the memorial hall. From the main gate to the monument lies a 400-square-meter activity plaza. Ascending the steps from the plaza stands a double-sided monument on a shared base, faced with granite slabs and standing 15 meters tall, resembling two swords piercing the sky. At the center of the monument face is inlaid a five-pointed red star, symbolizing the revolutionary armed forces of the 13th Red Army and the Red Army Advance Division under the leadership of the Communist Party of China. The base is clad in white marble from Fangshan, Beijing, with Mao Zedong’s handwritten inscription “Immortal for the Country” on the front. The east and west sides feature reliefs depicting the heroic images of the 13th Red Army (“Rising Storm”) and the Red Army Advance Division (“Victorious Advance”), respectively. The partial ashes of the famed general Su Yu and the commander of the 13th Red Army, Hu Gongmian, are interred beneath the reliefs. Behind the monument are two granite-faced screen walls shaped like fluttering battle flags. The right wall bears the gold-plated inscription “Monument to the 13th Army of the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army” by Shu Tong, while the left features “Monument to the Red Army Advance Division of the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army” by Zhang Aiping. The back of each screen wall is inscribed with the battle achievements of these two Red Army units.

The memorial hall building is 28 meters long and 12 meters wide, a two-story antique structure with hip-and-gable roofs covered in golden glazed tiles. The second floor features a circular corridor and houses three exhibition halls and one reception hall. The east and west wings have yellow-tiled verandas, forming a concave shape with the main hall. Between the wings, there are eight 20-meter-tall ancient ginkgo trees on the eastern side, and on the western side, green lawns and precious trees such as red maple, featherleaf maple, and white magnolia. Above the entrance of the memorial hall is a gold-plated plaque inscribed with “Wenzhou Revolutionary Martyrs Memorial Hall” by Sha Menghai. The central stairwell displays a large Ousu relief titled “Scenery of Southern Zhejiang.” The first exhibition hall showcases events from the Party’s founding, the Great Revolution, and the Agrarian Revolutionary War; the second hall focuses on the Anti-Japanese War and the Liberation War; and the third hall presents achievements from the Socialist period. The exhibits also highlight the stories of 157 notable martyrs, including Xie Wenjin, founder of the Wenzhou Independent Branch of the CPC and former secretary of the CPC Central Committee, and Liu Ying, former secretary of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee. A total of 350 original copied photos and 280 precious artifacts are displayed across the three halls. Among the exhibits are inscriptions by national leaders such as Zhu De and Peng Dehuai dedicated to martyrs like Xie Wenjin, Li Dezha, and Zhu Cheng.

The Wenzhou Revolutionary Martyrs Memorial Hall is a National Key Martyrs Memorial Building Protection Unit, a Zhejiang Patriotic Education Base, and a Provincial Party History Education Base.

Source: Ministry of Civil Affairs of the People’s Republic of China