Bantha Martyrs' Cemetery in Laian County

Bantha Martyrs' Cemetery in Laian County

Bantha Martyrs' Cemetery in Laian County is a national AA-level tourist attraction and a classic red tourism destination.

Comprising the site of the Bantha Defense Battle, the Eastern Anhui Revolutionary Memorial Hall, the Liu Shaoqi Memorial Hall, the New Fourth Army Second Division Memorial Hall, and the Martyrs' Cemetery, it is a national key cultural relics protection unit, a provincial-level patriotic education base, and a national AA-level tourist attraction. The site of the Bantha Defense Battle is located on the slopes of Guangshan Mountain northwest of Bantha Town, Laian County. During the Anti-Japanese War, this area served as the activity center of the New Fourth Army east of the Tianjin-Pukou Railway. In March 1940, the Battle of Bantha was fought here. The Bantha Martyrs' Cemetery was established in 1960 on the site of the Bantha Defense Battle to commemorate the martyrs of the Battle of Bantha and those who bravely sacrificed their lives during the Anti-Japanese War. At the center of the cemetery stands a martyrs' memorial tower. Directly in front of the tower is the "Inscription on the Bantha Martyrs' Monument," written by the renowned New Fourth Army general Zhang Yunyi on May 1, 1954. On either side of the front of the tower are a pair of uniquely designed glazed tile pavilions. To the west are the Revolutionary Cultural Relics Exhibition Hall and the Bantha Revolutionary Memorial Hall. The memorial hall displays 142 precious historical photos, two martyr steles, as well as weapons, utensils, certificates, and currency used by the New Fourth Army. In November 2005, Wang Guangmei, the wife of Liu Shaoqi, visited Bantha and inscribed a message for the Bantha Revolutionary Memorial Hall. In 2007, the Laian County government invested over 8 million yuan to renovate the Bantha Martyrs' Cemetery. The Eastern Anhui Revolutionary Memorial Hall, the Liu Shaoqi Memorial Hall, and the New Fourth Army Second Division Memorial Hall were newly built, covering a construction area of more than 1,100 square meters. Currently, the renovation work is still ongoing.