Martyrs' Cemetery of the Northern Expedition Independent Regiment

Martyrs' Cemetery of the Northern Expedition Independent Regiment

The Martyrs' Cemetery of the Northern Expedition Independent Regiment is a cultural heritage site protected by Hubei Province, a classic red tourism destination, and a patriotic education base.

The Martyrs' Cemetery of the Northern Expedition Independent Regiment is located on the southern foothills of the eastern part of Hongshan Mountain in Wuchang District, Wuhan City, Hubei Province.

During the Northern Expedition in 1926, the Independent Regiment of the Fourth Army of the National Revolutionary Army (also known as the Ye Ting Independent Regiment), composed primarily of Communist Party members and Youth League members, fought in the battle to capture Wuchang City. In this battle, 191 officers and soldiers, including Cao Yuan, a Communist Party member and commander of the First Battalion, sacrificed their lives. After the Northern Expeditionary Army captured Wuchang City, to commemorate the soldiers who died in the battle, the General Political Department of the National Revolutionary Army approved the suggestion of the Independent Regiment’s Special Branch of the Communist Party and moved the remains of the martyrs, which had been temporarily placed at Changchun Temple, to Hongshan Mountain. In early 1927, the martyrs’ cemetery was constructed under the supervision of Ye Ting. A memorial stele was erected, inscribed with “Tomb of the Martyrs of the Independent Regiment of the Fourth Army of the National Revolutionary Army Who Fell in the Northern Expedition City Assault,” along with the names of the 191 fallen soldiers, including Cao Yuan, commander of the First Battalion. The inscription also included phrases such as “Their spirit will never die,” “The blood of the martyrs!” “The flowers of the cause!” “Victims of the proletariat!” and “The blood of the martyrs forged the honor of the Iron Army!”

In 1954, the local government carried out renovations of the cemetery. In 1980, the Wuchang District People's Government expanded it into a full-scale martyrs' cemetery. The Martyrs' Cemetery of the Northern Expedition Independent Regiment consists of a memorial archway, a memorial stele, the Cao Yuan Martyrs' Monument, and the martyrs' tomb.

The Martyrs' Cemetery of the Northern Expedition Independent Regiment was designated as a cultural heritage site of Hubei Province by the Hubei Provincial People's Committee in November 1956, and was proclaimed as a Hubei Provincial Patriotic Education Base by the Hubei Provincial People's Government in March 1995.