East China Revolutionary Martyrs Cemetery

East China Revolutionary Martyrs Cemetery

The East China Revolutionary Martyrs Cemetery is a national AAA-level tourist attraction, a Shandong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit, a classic red tourism destination, and a patriotic education base.

The East China Revolutionary Martyrs Cemetery is a large-scale memorial complex built to commemorate the revolutionary martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the East China region from the First Revolutionary Civil War period to the Liberation War period. It serves as an important base for promoting and carrying forward the Yimeng Spirit and is the largest revolutionary martyrs cemetery in East China. The cemetery is situated in Linyi City, Shandong Province—a nationally renowned historical and cultural city, a hub for commerce and logistics, and a waterfront ecological city.

The East China Revolutionary Martyrs Cemetery was designed under the direction of the renowned Chinese architectural historian and architect Liang Sicheng. Construction began in April 1949, and it was initially named the “Linyi Revolutionary Martyrs Cemetery.” In October 1986, it was renamed to its current name with the approval of the civil affairs authorities and was listed by the State Council as one of the first “National Key Martyrs Memorial Buildings Protection Units.” Since 1995, it has been designated by various ministries including the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Communist Youth League Central Committee, and the National Defense Mobilization Commission as a National Patriotic Education Demonstration Base, a National Patriotic Education Base, a National Youth Education Base, and one of the first National Defense Education Demonstration Bases. In 2002, it was recognized as an Outstanding Historical Architectural Complex in Shandong Province. In March 2005, it was included in the 30 National Red Tourism Classic Routes and 100 National Red Tourism Classic Scenic Areas. In June 2006, it was designated as a National AAA-level Tourist Attraction. In August 2014, it was named by the State Council as one of the “First Batch of National Anti-Japanese War Memorial Facilities and Sites.” In January 2015, it was awarded the title of “National Civilized Preferential Treatment Institution” by the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

The cemetery faces south and covers an area of 150,000 square meters (approximately 225 acres). It currently houses 19 large-scale commemorative structures including towers, halls, museums, pavilions, corridors, and tombs. The overall layout is symmetrical along a central axis, with an antique architectural style. The main north and south gates, the central Revolutionary Martyrs Memorial Tower, and the Revolutionary Martyrs Memorial Hall are all aligned on the central axis, while other structures are symmetrically arranged on the east and west sides. The south gate is a hall-style building, 36 meters wide and 12.8 meters high, with 12 red pillars standing in front, a yellow glazed tile roof, blue brackets spaced at intervals, and a red plaque inscribed with eight golden characters: “East China Revolutionary Martyrs Cemetery,” handwritten by the late famous calligrapher and former Director of the Political Department of the East China Military Region, Shu Tong. The main gate and the side gates on both sides are all vermilion red, flanked by three auxiliary rooms on each side. The grand and solemn design complements the rustic iron see-through wall. In front of the gate is a square, lined with pine and cypress trees on both sides, creating a colorful yet solemn atmosphere.

The Revolutionary Martyrs Memorial Tower is located in the center of the cemetery. It is a five-cornered pavilion-style structure, 45 meters tall, constructed from limestone, granite, and steel-reinforced concrete. Majestic and towering, it reaches into the clouds. The base of the tower is a stone platform, 33 meters in diameter and 2.5 meters high, surrounded by a stone railing. There are 12 steps on each of the four sides leading to the circular walkway around the tower. The front of the tower features seven gilded characters—“Revolutionary Martyrs Memorial Tower”—written by Comrade Mao Zedong. The surrounding stone tablets bear inscriptions from party and state leaders such as Liu Shaoqi, Zhu De, Liu Bocheng, Chen Yi, Deng Xiaoping, and Jiang Zemin, as well as the inscription for the tower from the East China Bureau Lu-Nan Area Party Committee, the Shandong Province Lu-Nan Area Administrative Office, and the Lu-Nan Military Region. Ten stone pillars around the tower and the five sides of the tower walls each feature a set of exquisitely crafted bas-reliefs vividly portraying the revolutionary spirit of the East China military and civilians uniting to achieve victory. The tower is enclosed by bronze railings, adding to its elegance and solemnity. Atop the tower sits a large cloisonné red five-pointed star, symbolizing that the merits of the revolutionary martyrs reach the heavens and shine through the ages.

In front of the memorial tower lies the Worship Plaza, a flat, expansive, and grassy area that can accommodate 30,000 people for memorial services. On both sides of the plaza are variously shaped tombs of famous martyrs and stone statue pavilions. On the east side, from north to south, are: the Tomb of Luo Binghui, the Tomb of Wang Lushui, the Tomb and Statue of Hans Shippe, the Joint Tomb of Chen Ming and his wife Xin Rui, and the Pavilion for Reflecting on Merits by Gazing at Portraits. On the west side, from north to south, are: the Tomb of Zhang Yuanshou, the Tomb of Liu Yan, the Tomb of Chang Enduo, the Revolutionary Martyrs’ Public Tomb, and the Pavilion for Aspiring to Noble Ideals.

Behind the memorial tower is a north-south pathway paved with cobblestones, lined with wisteria-covered trellises, creating a quiet and elegant ambiance. Further north, the Jade Belt River encircles the park, flowing gently from east to west. In the middle of the river lies a five-pointed star-shaped pool called the “Five-Star Pool.” The pool is surrounded by railings, with stone bridges on both sides spanning the water, and the water is clear and tranquil. Positioned midway between the memorial tower and the memorial hall, the Five-Star Pool reflects both structures, blending reality and reflection to enhance the grand and majestic atmosphere. South of the Jade Belt River and east of the pathway lies the “Anti-Japanese War Relief Sculpture Corridor.” At the center and ends of the corridor are three pavilions: the “Fragrant Legacy Pavilion,” the “Warriors Pavilion,” and the “Peace Pavilion.” The corridor displays 33 stone relief sculptures depicting heroic and tragic battles from the Anti-Japanese War period, intricately carved and lifelike.

To the north of the Five-Star Pool is the Revolutionary Martyrs Memorial Hall. It is 45 meters long, 19.6 meters wide, and 21.4 meters high, featuring a palatial architectural style with a double-eaved hip-and-gable roof covered in glazed tiles, flying eaves, and a grand, magnificent appearance. It is surrounded by corridors on all sides, with pillars on three sides, and the front plaque is inscribed with seven golden characters: “Revolutionary Martyrs Memorial Hall.” The screen wall at the entrance bears the inscription by Comrade Zhou Enlai: “The martyrs of the people’s revolution will live forever!” The reverse side features the inscription by Comrade Ren Bishi: “Your merits will live forever!” The interior walls are adorned with massive stone steles inscribed with the names of 62,576 martyrs, including 372 at the county or regimental level and above. On the left and right sides of the memorial hall are the Anti-Japanese War Memorial Museum and the Liberation War Memorial Museum, arranged in a triangular formation with the memorial hall. Between them stand two rows of tall pagoda cypresses, solemn and awe-inspiring. Seventy meters north of the memorial hall is the north gate of the cemetery, a single-eave hip-and-gable structure with a front corridor, flying eaves, upturned corners, and a golden glazed tile roof. Between the memorial hall and the north gate lies the Rockery Garden, decorated with uniquely shaped rocks such as “Anti-Japanese Flames,” “Chinese Lion,” “Dove of Peace,” and “Wreath.” To the east stands the Artificial Hill—Anti-Japanese Mountain—commemorating the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the country.

The East China Revolutionary Martyrs Cemetery boasts an elegant environment with lush pines and cypresses and flowers full of sentiment. Its solemn and magnificent memorial structures make it an ideal place for paying respects at the martyrs’ tombs, commemorating their spirit, and conducting patriotic education.

Jinqishan Subdistrict: Jinqishan Subdistrict is located in the southeastern part of Lanshan District and is the site of the Linyi Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government. The subdistrict government is stationed in Nantan Community. It borders Hedong District across the Yi River to the east, neighbors Yinqishan Subdistrict to the west, is bounded by Luozhuang District to the south, and connects with Lanshan Subdistrict to the north. It covers a total area of 15.26 square kilometers.

The terrain is higher in the east and lower in the west. The eastern part consists of Jinqishan and Yinqishan, while the western part is a plain. The Yi River, Qinglong River, and Xian’ni River flow through the eastern boundary and the jurisdiction. The Jinqishan and Yinqishan areas gained fame in 1972 with the discovery of “Sun Bin’s Art of War” and “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu. The East China Revolutionary Martyrs Cemetery is a national cultural relic... More details about Jinqishan Subdistrict++

Further Reading:

· First Batch of Shandong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units