Zhajin Martyrs' Cemetery

Zhajin Martyrs' Cemetery

Zhajin Martyrs' Cemetery is a cultural tourism attraction and a classic red tourism site.

Zhajin is a key town in the western part of Xiushui County, boasting a long history and a land of outstanding people. It was the site of the ancient Ai Kingdom’s capital during the Shang Dynasty and served as the central area of the Xiushui Soviet Region during the Second Revolutionary Civil War.

In late August 1927, the Third Battalion of the First Regiment of the First Division of the Workers’ and Peasants’ Revolutionary Army and the Fourth Regiment were stationed in Zhajin. On September 9, the headquarters of the Autumn Harvest Uprising’s overall commander, Lu Deming, was stationed at Zhajin’s Wanshou Palace. On September 10, a swearing-in assembly attended by thousands of soldiers and civilians was held on the large sandy beach behind the Wanshou Palace, calling on workers and peasants to unite, take up arms, and fight a life-or-death struggle against the reactionaries. In August 1928, Peng Dehuai, Teng Daiyuan, Huang Gonglue, and others led the Red Fifth Army into Xiushui. On September 29, after completely annihilating an enemy gendarmerie battalion of Zhu Peide’s forces at Zhajin’s Guihua Bridge, they moved on to Taizhuang, where the famous Taizhuang Reorganization took place, restoring and rebuilding the Hunan-Hubei-Jiangxi Border Special Committee. From the end of 1930 to the beginning of 1931, the Northern Jiangxi Special Committee (later renamed the Northern Jiangxi Sub-Committee) was stationed at Zhajin’s Huangniwan, leading the Northern Jiangxi Party organizations and people in revolutionary struggles. At the same time, it was also the location of the Xiushui Central County Committee, Xiushui County Committee, and Xiushui County Soviet Government, serving as the gateway to the Hunan-Hubei-Jiangxi Provincial Committee and Provincial Soviet Government stationed in Xiushui’s Shangshan. The important “Huangfang Victory,” a major anti-encirclement battle in the Hunan-Hubei-Jiangxi revolutionary base, took place here. During the Second Revolutionary Civil War, 1,587 named revolutionary martyrs sacrificed their lives in the Zhajin area, producing notable figures such as Chen Qiuguang, Xu Guanghua, Fang Youmei, and Zhang Boqin.

To honor the historical achievements of these martyrs, in 1952 the Xiushui County Committee and County People’s Government decided to build this martyrs' cemetery here. Covering an area of 17,340 m², with a public cemetery area of 2,148 m², visitors ascend 89 steps to reach the martyrs’ tomb. The cemetery houses the remains of 1,006 revolutionary martyrs, surrounded by evergreen pines and cypresses, birdsong, and floral fragrance.

Every year on Tomb-Sweeping Day, the site is solemn, with mournful music playing softly. Cadres, masses, and youths come in an endless stream to pay their respects and sweep the tombs. Over the years, it has become a solemn venue for youths to take their oath of joining the Communist Youth League, the Young Pioneers, or for new Party members to swear in. It has grown into a major red tourism attraction in the Zhajin area and a base for patriotic education.