Panshan Martyrs' Cemetery

Panshan Martyrs' Cemetery

Panshan Martyrs' Cemetery is a cultural tourism attraction, a classic red tourism destination, and a patriotic education base.

Panshan Martyrs' Cemetery, located in Panshan, Jixian County, Tianjin, was completed in 1957 and is one of the well-known martyrs' cemeteries in eastern Hebei. Covering an area of 20 hectares, its main structures include the Martyrs' Monument, the Martyrs' Tomb Area, the Martyrs' Memorial Hall, and the Revolutionary Tradition Education Memorial Hall.

Introduction

Panshan Martyrs' Cemetery is one of the famous martyrs' cemeteries in Tianjin. To commemorate the revolutionary martyrs who sacrificed their lives during the War of Resistance against Japan, in 1956, the Hebei Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China and the provincial government decided to build the Panshan Martyrs' Cemetery in Jixian County that year, and it was largely completed in 1957. The cemetery is built on the southern foothills of Panshan, surrounded by clear springs, unique rocks, lush pines and cypresses, and orchards, offering beautiful scenery. The total area spans three hundred acres, and its main structures include the Martyrs' Memorial Tower, the Martyrs' Tomb Area, the Revolutionary Martyrs Memorial Hall, the Panshan Anti-Japanese Struggle Exhibition Hall, and the Martyrs' Columbarium. The entire architectural complex features a national style, grand and magnificent, solemn and respectful.

Panshan Cemetery was constructed on the foundation of the Little Stone City and the Music Mountain Study from the former Jingji Mountain Villa. The present-day Stone Sea within the cemetery was once the Little Stone City. The Stone Sea currently covers about five to six acres, featuring countless massive round stones, long stones, and peculiar rocks that stretch across valleys and cliffs, displaying a myriad of shapes — a wonder of the world. The Stone Sea is riddled with caves, some of which are bottomless. This area was also a famous battlefield site during the War of Resistance against Japan. In the spring of 1941, the First Battalion of the 13th Regiment of the Eighth Route Army used this natural barrier to resist Japanese forces several times their number for two days and nights, achieving victory in a breakout battle. Near the cemetery are also remnants such as slogans carved on rocks by the anti-Japanese forces of eastern Hebei, as well as relics of battlefields, meeting sites, radio stations, and newspaper offices.

The structures are grand and magnificent, embodying a national style. The pine and cypress trees in the cemetery are lush, creating a solemn and respectful atmosphere. The Monument is built with white marble blocks, with inscriptions around it: "Glorious martyrs live on forever" by Nie Rongzhen, "Live forever in the hearts of the people" by Xie Juezai, "The heroes who sacrificed for the people's revolutionary cause live on forever" by Li Yunchang, and "The heroic spirit of the anti-Japanese martyrs endures" by Song Shao Wen. The Martyrs' Memorial Hall displays calligraphy by Chairman Mao Zedong, portraits and biographies of the martyrs, as well as a roll of honor of martyrs.

Memorial Hall

The Revolutionary Martyrs Memorial Hall is situated at the center of the cemetery, covering an area of 200 square meters. At the center of the hall is the personal inscription of Mao Zedong. On either side of the inscription are introductions to 53 martyrs who engaged in anti-Japanese work in Jixian County and eastern Hebei during the War of Resistance. These include Bao Sen, Deputy Commander of the Eastern Hebei Military Sub-district; Tian Ye, Secretary of the Western Eastern Hebei Prefectural Committee; Yang Dazhang, Commissioner of the First Prefecture of Eastern Hebei–Liaoning; Bai Yihua, Deputy Commander of the Anti-Japanese Detachment; and Li Ziguang, a key founder of the Communist Party in Jixian County. The hall sequentially displays portraits of the martyrs for visitors to pay tribute, along with introductions to their life stories.

Martyrs' Monument – Edited The Martyrs' Monument stands tall at the highest point in the northern part of the cemetery. The base of the monument covers 1,177 square meters, and the body is constructed from white marble blocks, engraved with patterns of gears and wheat ears symbolizing the alliance between workers and peasants. The monument is 27.5 meters high and can be admired from as far as ten to twenty li away. It represents the lofty image of the revolutionary martyrs. On the front of the monument is the golden inscription by Marshal Nie Rongzhen: "Glorious martyrs live on forever," shining brilliantly. The left side bears the inscription by Xie Juezai: "Live forever in the hearts of the people"; the right side bears the inscription by Song Shao Wen: "The heroic spirit of the anti-Japanese heroes endures"; and the back bears the inscription by Li Yunchang: "The heroes who sacrificed for the people's revolutionary cause live on forever." These inscriptions express the boundless reverence and deep remembrance of the Party and the people for the revolutionary martyrs.