Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery of the Zixi Incident

Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery of the Zixi Incident

The Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery of the Zixi Incident is a classic red tourism destination.

The Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery of the Zixi Incident (including the cemetery, memorial monument, and memorial tower) is located on the western side of Pingbu Mountain. Built in 1951, it commemorates 17 martyrs who sacrificed their lives during the anti-bandit operations in the 1950 Zixi Incident. Later, 16 more martyrs who died defending the country and its people were also laid to rest here.

The cemetery is 120 meters long and 30 meters wide, covering an area of 3,600 square meters. The Martyrs' Memorial Monument is situated on the eastern side. Erected on October 1, 1960, the monument stands 17 meters tall, constructed with reinforced concrete and clad in marble. It consists of a base and a main body. The incident occurred in the early hours of February 21, 1950, when Zixi bandit leader Zeng Gaojiu, along with bandit chiefs from neighboring counties such as Taining, Guangnan City, and Guangze in the Fujian-Jiangxi border region, led over 600 bandits in a sudden attack on Zixi County town. They brutally killed revolutionary cadres, People's Liberation Army officers and soldiers, and innocent civilians, looted weapons, grain, and valuables, and almost completely burned and pillaged the county’s archived documents. This incident not only shocked the entire province and the Central-South Bureau but also prompted swift action. Shortly afterward, under the direction of Chairman Mao Zedong, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China issued the ‘Directive on Bandit Suppression and Establishing Revolutionary Order,’ marking the beginning of a large-scale, three-year nationwide campaign against bandits. The campaign mobilized three field armies and 40 full divisions of regular troops, with millions of civilians participating.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Jiangxi Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units