Tomb of the Three Martyrs of Xuhekou

Tomb of the Three Martyrs of Xuhekou

The Monument to the Three Martyrs of the Xu Family is located 1 kilometer southwest of Xuhekou Village, Hutun Town, Chiping County. It was built in memory of the three Xu brothers: Xu Baoshan, Xu Baobi, and Xu Baozhen.

Xu Baoshan (1909–1942), from Boping County, Shandong Province (now part of Chiping County), was born into a wealthy farming family and received higher education. After the outbreak of the War of Resistance Against Japan, Xu Baoshan was elected as the head of the “United Villages Defense Association” by over 20 nearby villages. Under the mobilization and guidance of the Boping Party organization, he quickly organized an anti-Japanese militia force of two to three hundred men, which was later incorporated into the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Regiment, 32nd Detachment of the 6th District Anti-Japanese Guerrilla Command of Shandong Province, where he served as battalion commander. In the spring of 1938, Xu Baoshan joined the Communist Party of China. In January 1939, he became the first county magistrate of the Boping Anti-Japanese Democratic Government, publicly known as the “Director of the Boping Administrative Office.” In February, the 3rd Battalion was expanded into the 7th Regiment of the Zhu Xian Column, with Xu Baoshan as its regimental commander. The 7th Regiment was active for a long time in the regions of Chiping (Ping), Boping (Ping), Gaotang (Tang), and Qingping (Ping), striking against Japanese puppet troops and gradually growing in strength. In June 1940, the 7th Regiment was reorganized into the 24th Regiment of the New 8th Brigade of the 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army, with Xu Baoshan continuing as its commander. In the spring of 1941, he led his troops in the renowned “Hundred Regiments Offensive.” Due to their distinguished military achievements, the 24th Regiment was honored with the title of “Model Combat Regiment.” In the autumn of the same year, Xu Baoshan attended the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Lin City Council as a representative of the New 8th Brigade and afterward remained at the Party School of the CPC Central Committee’s Northern Bureau for further study. He was killed in action during an anti-“mopping-up” operation in June 1942 at the age of 34.

Xu Baobi (1920–1945), the third brother of Xu Baoshan, joined local armed forces in 1938 and became a member of the Communist Party of China the same year. He served as the anti-Japanese district head of Boping County’s 3rd District and as a staff officer at the headquarters of the 4th Military Sub-district of the Jiluyu Military Region. In March 1943, he was appointed deputy commander of the Boping County Brigade. Later, he became the commander of the 1st Battalion of the 5th Regiment of the Movement Military Sub-district. He was tragically killed in September 1945 during the liberation of Chiping at the young age of 26.

Xu Baozhen (1926–1944), the fifth brother of Xu Baoshan, was influenced by his elder brothers and joined the anti-Japanese armed forces at a young age. He participated in numerous battles and was commended for eliminating a puppet regimental commander. He died a heroic death in battle in 1944 at the age of 18.

In 1947, the Boping County Committee relocated the remains of the three martyrs to Xuhekou Village and held a memorial service. In 1996, the Party Committee and government of Hutun Township, along with the Party Branch and Village Committee of Xuhekou Village, erected a monument in honor of the three martyrs.

Xuhekou Village: Xuhekou Village…… Detailed information on Xuhekou Village++

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Shandong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units