Monument to the Martyrs of the 88th Division, National Revolutionary Army, Who Died in the Battle of Shanghai

Monument to the Martyrs of the 88th Division, National Revolutionary Army, Who Died in the Battle of Shanghai

The Monument to the Martyrs of the 88th Division, National Revolutionary Army, Who Died in the Battle of Shanghai is a Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Monument to the Martyrs of the 88th Division, National Revolutionary Army, Who Died in the Battle of Shanghai (Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit)

Era: 1946

Announcement Date: March 16, 2005

Facing south, it is a memorial archway. Originally, there was a cemetery for the martyrs of the 88th Division, National Revolutionary Army, who died in the War of Resistance against Japan, located north of the archway. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the cemetery was demolished due to urban construction. The archway is built from reinforced concrete, with a linear layout, three bays, four pillars, and three stories. The crossbeams support dragon-and-phoenix friezes. The central bay of the main story is inscribed with “Eternal Valor” and “Majestic as Rivers and Mountains.” The eaves feature bracket sets supporting a hip-and-gable roof. The pillars bear an inscription by Huang Shaokang, Governor of Zhejiang Province in April 1936: “Valiant spirit graces hills and lakes, souls surge with the white-tided river’s rage; heroic names honor fallen comrades, green tents rise anew where battle once raged,” and an inscription by Yu Jishi in August 1946: “Blue sky meets the marble pillar, lake and hill cradle warriors’ bones; emerald grass at the tomb gate, ten years on we recall gallant steeds of old,” along with couplets by Zhu Mingtao and Xuan Tiewu.

This monument was erected in memory of the martyrs of the 88th Division, National Revolutionary Army. In 1932, Japanese forces instigated the January 28 Incident in Shanghai, provoking brave resistance from the 19th Route Army stationed there. The next day, the 88th Division of the 5th Army, stationed in Zhejiang, rushed to Shanghai’s aid. In fierce battles against the Japanese, the 88th Division suffered 1,091 fatalities and 1,698 injuries. In 1946, the Zhejiang Provincial Government of the Republic of China established a cemetery and archway in Songmuchang, Hangzhou, in honor of the fallen soldiers.

The January 28 Battle of Shanghai was a major campaign in the War of Resistance. Soldiers and civilians fought side by side for over a month, killing and wounding over 10,000 Japanese troops, disrupting and delaying Japan’s invasion plans, dealing a heavy blow to Japanese imperialism, and inspiring the Chinese people’s patriotic fervor in resisting the invasion.

Source: Zhejiang Cultural Relics Website

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units