The Tomb of the 62 Martyrs

The Tomb of the 62 Martyrs

The Tomb of the 62 Martyrs is a cultural tourism attraction and a classic red tourism site.

The Tomb of the 62 Martyrs is located about 200 meters southeast of Houtianzhuang Village, Yangzhao Township, Guan County. This tomb was built in 1946 to commemorate 62 revolutionary martyrs who bravely sacrificed their lives in battle against the Japanese invaders, and it is now a key cultural relic protection unit of Liaocheng City.

On February 16, 1940 (the 12th day of the first lunar month), 62 soldiers including Wang Delin and Sun Shusheng from the 10th Company of the 3rd Battalion of the 1st Regiment of the Anti-Japanese Vanguard were ambushed in Zhaoguanzhai, Guantao County, by enemy forces from Weixian, Linqing, Quzhou, Qiuxian, Handan, and Guantao. Outnumbered and facing overwhelming odds, they fought fiercely for over ten hours until they ran out of ammunition and supplies, ultimately sacrificing all their lives. After the battle, local residents collected the remains of the fallen martyrs and buried them together in a single grave. The heroic deeds of the 62 martyrs were commended by Comrade Liu Bocheng, commander of the 129th Division, and were also celebrated in an article published in the Xinhua Daily at the time.

In 1946, the local government relocated the remains of the 62 martyrs from Zhaoguanzhai to Houtianzhuang Village, where the brigade was originally formed, to establish a permanent memorial. A tombstone was erected. The cemetery faces east and features a circular tomb with a diameter of 8.3 meters and a height of 1.7 meters. It is surrounded by lush cypress trees, offering a serene and shaded environment. The tomb mound is round-shaped, with a brick-constructed sealed gate wall and a raised platform at the front. A few meters to the north stands a memorial pavilion for the martyrs. Inside the pavilion, the stone stele stands 3.1 meters tall and consists of three parts: the top, the body, and the base. The top is 0.6 meters high, 0.68 meters wide, and 0.2 meters thick, featuring an engraving of two dragons playing with a pearl, and in the center are the words “National Heroes.” The back of the stele is adorned with cloud-pattern carvings, with the words “Inscription on the Back of the Stele” in the center. The main body of the stele is 2 meters tall, 0.67 meters wide, and 0.20 meters thick. The inscriptions are carved in intaglio regular script on the front, while the back lists the names of the 62 martyrs. The base is a square stone, 0.50 meters high, 0.80 meters wide, and 0.55 meters thick. The stele is flanked by blue bricks, topped with gray tiles, featuring a ridged roof with four upward corners, resembling a pavilion. The inscription was written by Yu Xiaohong, head of the Political Department of the 7th Sub-district of the Ji'nan Military Region, detailing the heroic feats of the 62 martyrs.