Cangnan Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery

Cangnan Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery

The Cangnan Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery is a classic red tourism destination, as well as a base for patriotic education and national defense education.

Cangnan is one of the old revolutionary bases, with a long and glorious history of revolutionary struggle. As early as the period of the Great Revolution, there were notable events such as the Basha Salt Workers’ Uprising and the armed peasant attack on Pingyang City. In the long years of revolutionary struggle that followed, many brave sons and daughters of Cangnan sacrificed their precious lives in the fight to achieve victory in the New Democratic Revolution. To commemorate the martyrs and educate future generations, the Cangnan County Party Committee and County Government invested 6 million yuan to build the Cangnan Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery in the spring of 1990. Over the years, the cemetery has offered free access for visiting, paying respects, learning, and sightseeing, receiving over 40,000 visitors from all walks of life each year.

The Cangnan Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery is located on the southeastern side of Lingshan Park at the foot of a hill in Cangnan County, covering a total area of more than 13,000 square meters, with a built-up area of 3,500 square meters. Major facilities include the martyrs’ tombs, the Martyrs Memorial Hall, the cemetery gate, a stone memorial archway, pavilions, corridors, a comprehensive management building, and landscaped green areas within the cemetery. The martyrs’ tombs are located to the west of the Martyrs Memorial Hall, covering an area of 1,980 square meters with a built-up area of 800 square meters, surrounded by lush pines and cypresses. The surface of the tomb structures is built with hundreds of premium “Sichuan Red” granite slabs, each engraved with the biography of a martyr—among them are the names of 768 revolutionary martyrs, including Wang Guozhen, Zhang Peinong, Wu Yu, Zhu Cheng, Lin Fu, Wu Xinzhi, Chen Shichun, and Lin Zhen. The front of the tomb structure resembles two giant banners, and standing between the two tomb chambers is a memorial stele inscribed with the words “Immortal Martyrs Through the Ages,” written by the renowned calligrapher and historian Professor Su Yuanlei. In front of the tomb structure is a 381-square-meter sacrificial altar, and on either side of the tomb are monuments inscribed respectively with “Monument to the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army Advance Division,” written by Zhang Aiping, and “Monument to the Dingping County Committee of the CPC,” written by Ye Fei. In the lawn in front of the martyrs’ tombs stands a three-tiered, over 10-meter-high columnar memorial stele, with the nine large characters “Cangnan Revolutionary Martyrs Memorial Monument” engraved on the front, written by [name not translated].

Facing the stone memorial archway at the cemetery gate are the well-proportioned antique-style buildings including the Martyrs Memorial Hall, memorial pavilions, and corridors, set against the backdrop of the towering Lingshan Pagoda, presenting a solemn and magnificent sight. Passing through the expansive green lawns of the cemetery and ascending 135 steps leads to the Martyrs Memorial Hall. The hall is a quadrangle-style antique building, with the name inscribed by Zhang Aiping hanging above the entrance, and couplets on the corridor pillars composed by Xie Yun, Secretary-General of the China Calligraphers Association, among others. Inside the hall are four main exhibition rooms displaying photographs, biographies, and the names of 768 martyrs of 40 notable martyrs from Cangnan who lived from the New Democratic Revolution to the period of socialist construction. Through over 300 photos, images, and more than 100 revolutionary relics, the historical background is closely linked with the deeds of the martyrs. Starting in March 2008, the Cangnan County Party Committee and County People’s Government invested another 700,000 yuan for maintenance and renovation of the cemetery.

The Cangnan Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery is a provincial-level patriotic education base and national defense education base in Zhejiang Province, as well as a cultural heritage conservation unit and a model site for spiritual civilization construction in Cangnan County.

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