Memorial Site of the Hedong Massacre

Memorial Site of the Hedong Massacre

The Memorial Site of the Hedong Massacre is a cultural relic protection unit of Shandong Province.

The Memorial Site of the Hedong Massacre is located in Luocun Town, Zichuan District, Zibo City, dating back to 1938.

After the July 7th Incident in 1937, Japanese imperialist invaders occupied the county seat of Zichuan on December 27 of the same year. In order to quickly establish control, the Japanese army dispatched collaborators to recruit local reactionary forces and vigorously carried out deceptive propaganda, launching so-called "pacification and civil stabilization" activities.

Hedong Village was a relatively large settlement in Luocun Town, Zichuan. Before liberation, the village had 630 households and over 1,700 residents. In the late 1920s, Zhang Rongxiu, a villager, formed a feudal superstitious organization called the “Iron Plate Society” to protect against bandits. Over a decade, its members spread across Hedong, Luojiazhuang, Yangjiazhai, Longkou, and Mashang. As Japanese aggression intensified, many members joined the anti-Japanese resistance. By the end of 1937, Zhang Rongxiu, leader of the Hedong Iron Plate Society, was twice invited by Mashang’s branch to help attack Japanese troops occupying Zhoucun. Poor weapons and lack of leadership led to failure, but their resistance drew the ire of the Japanese, who viewed the society as a thorn in their side.

On January 27, 1938, the Japanese assigned collaborators Zhang Keshun, Tian from the puppet government, and “Pacification Squad” leader Lu, among three others, to persuade Zhang Rongxiu to surrender the Iron Plate Society to the Japanese. The public despised their treachery, and Zhang Rongxiu refused, detaining and beating them. When the Japanese tried negotiating their release, Iron Plate members claimed they had been executed. The failed scheme enraged the invaders, who then planned a bloody crackdown — leading to the horrific Hedong Massacre.

On January 30, 1938, Japanese commander Okaki led over 200 troops, guided by collaborator Li Deshui, and transported heavy machine guns and howitzers by camel to launch a fierce assault on Hedong. Around 4 a.m., they seized slopes and burial grounds outside the village, blocking all streets and setting a terrifying trap around Hedong.

At the time, Hedong Village was asleep, unaware of the impending massacre.

Around 4 a.m., two lotus root merchants lodging in the village (from Suozhen County, Huantai) set off early to return home for Lunar New Year. Near Shuangta Temple northwest of the village, they were spotted and shot dead by the Japanese.

Gunfire startled the villagers, throwing the community into chaos. Fearing disaster, families fled with elders and children, seeking escape. Some ran outward, others hid in cellars or dugouts, some in haystacks, and Iron Plate members armed with swords and spears gathered in the streets to resist.

Around 7 a.m., the Japanese shelled the village. Zhai Zuoyuan and Sun Laifu were killed by explosions, Zhang Huaifa injured, livestock scattered wildly, and many homes collapsed or caught fire. After the barrage, Japanese troops stormed in. Villager Wang Weiwu lost half his right arm but escaped wounded; his brother, legs shattered, was trampled. Wang’s third brother took a bullet to the abdomen, crawled into a grain bin, and was stabbed to death. The Zhang family of three hiding in a haystack were bayoneted, the bin set ablaze. His wife fleeing was thrown into the fire. Their infant was split in half and tossed in. Jia Yufa, newly married, was gunned down. A woman hiding under a coffin died as the structure caught fire. Eight unarmed villagers, including Wang Kehe and Wang Yipu, were cornered near a grain bin by 16 pursuers and stabbed one by one. Near the east mulberry grove, fleeing elderly and weak civilians were hacked down; blood drenched the ground. A 12–13-year-old girl was shot, a flower spear still in her chest. Wang Hongqian’s elderly mother, unable to flee, had her hand chopped off, leg severed, body dismembered. Zhang Huaxiu’s five-year-old daughter was impaled with her pregnant companion’s unborn child cut from the womb. A five-year-old girl was beheaded and dumped over a cliff. Ten-year-old Wang Yunzuo died from gunfire, then was stabbed thrice. Ten youths, including Zhang Daxiu and Zhang Caiyu, fled to a pigsty, where eight were killed. Two survived critical wounds. Sixteen young men were taken to an oil mill, beaten, and interrogated about Zhang Rongxiu. Even after being bayoneted, some had skulls crushed or eyes popped out. Jin Cunzhong survived with one ear torn off and two stab wounds.

After slaughtering visible targets, the Japanese searched caves, cellars, and haystacks, executing anyone found. None survived.

In the Yu Family Alley, a large cellar fit for six looms sheltered 32 people from six households. The Japanese stuffed burning bundles of hay into the entrance until it was blocked. Victims suffocated or burned alive, their bodies charred and melted. Recovered remains included jumbled bones and piles of fused flesh. Only nine corpses could be identified; the rest were buried en masse in baskets.

The brutal massacre lasted until after 4 p.m. before the blood-soaked invaders left, trampling over pools of blood and corpses. Before departing, they sliced skin from Iron Plate member Zhang Jinglan’s forehead, tied him with rope, and tortured him to death.

The day after the Hedong killings, Japanese troops murdered 32 more villagers in nearby Luojiazhuang, Moujiazhuang, and Xingjiazhuang. Aircraft also bombed the area, destroying homes in Luojiazhuang.

In the Hedong Massacre — a tragedy of unimaginable cruelty — 308 villagers were slaughtered, 42 families wiped out, over 30 injured or disabled, 2,000+ houses burned, and 200+ livestock killed. Survivors recalled losses of 500+ pigs and sheep, 250,000 kg of grain, and countless personal belongings. The village lay in ruins, smoke still rising from torched homes. Streets and homes were strewn with mutilated bodies. Orphans cried for parents; survivors searched for loved ones, homeless and destitute, many forced to flee and beg.

The atrocities ignited greater resistance. Over 100 youths joined guerrilla forces. In 1939, the Hedong Village Party Branch organized anti-Japanese efforts like derailing trains, cutting wires, and posting slogans, contributing to eventual victory. In January 1996, the village erected a memorial stele and martyrs’ shrine with funds raised locally.

On June 23, 2015, the Hedong Massacre Memorial Site was designated as part of the fifth group of Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units by the Shandong Provincial People’s Government.

Source: Zibo Municipal Archives Bureau, Zhang Ying

Luocun Town: Located in central Zibo, a coastal-open city in Shandong, Luocun belongs to Zichuan District at the junction of Zichuan, Zhangdian, and Linzi, covering 70 sq km with 32 administrative villages and a population of 100,000. It hosts major enterprises like Chinalco Shandong, the southern zone of Qilu Chemical Industrial Park, and Zibo Mining Group.

In recent years, Luocun has focused on development, attracting domestic and international investment. Economic and social progress has advanced significantly. In 2003, the town’s GDP... (Detailed Luocun Info++)

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Shandong Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units