Zhang Zhensheng Memorial Monument

Zhang Zhensheng Memorial Monument

The Zhang Zhensheng Memorial Monument is a cultural heritage site protected by Dongtou County.

The Zhang Zhensheng Memorial Monument is located by the dock of Dong’ao Fishing Village in Dongping Town, Dongtou County, facing the fishing harbor. Nearby are the Guanyin Temple and the Chen Mansion Temple. To the east, it borders the Xian Dieyan Scenic Area and faces the Banpingshan Scenic Area across the sea. The tranquil surroundings offer a serene atmosphere. The monument is made of bluestone, in the shape of a triangular prism, standing 2.2 meters tall and 0.3 meters wide. The front face bears nine characters in intaglio regular script: “Huangyan Zhang Jun Zhensheng Memorial Monument.” The other two sides are inscribed with memorial texts in regular script, recounting Zhang Zhensheng’s heroic deeds in fighting pirates. The inscription was composed by Chen Lan, Chairman of the Sanpan District Merchant Fleet Board, and calligraphed by Xiang Jun, a renowned calligrapher from Rui’an. The monument holds both historical and artistic value.

Zhang Zhensheng (—1929), a native of Huangyan, was a boatman for the Shuishi Police Unit stationed in Yueqing, Yuhuan Subprefecture during the Republican era, responsible for patrolling the sea areas around the Dongtou Archipelago (then known as the Sanpan District).

The Dongtou Archipelago is surrounded by sea, and most locals make their living through fishing. Fishermen were often attacked by pirates. On the 26th day of the second lunar month in 1929, pirates suddenly launched an attack on Dong’ao Island. Zhang Zhensheng led the water police force within Dongtou Harbor to fight the pirates. Unfortunately, he was shot through the leg, and blood gushed out, but he persisted in the battle until he sacrificed heroically. To commemorate his touching deeds, the Dongtou Merchant Fleet Board erected this monument in his honor.

The Zhang Zhensheng Memorial Monument is a cultural heritage site protected by Dongtou County.

Source: Party History Research Office of the Wenzhou Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China