Hebei Shuangfengshan Cemetery

Hebei Shuangfengshan Cemetery

Hebei Shuangfengshan Cemetery is a patriotic education base.

Hebei Shuangfengshan Cemetery was approved and funded for construction by the People’s Government of Hebei Province in 1974. It is a public institution directly under the Hebei Provincial Department of Civil Affairs, as well as a provincial-level patriotic education base and a provincial-level national defense education base. In its early days, it was primarily used to bury revolutionary martyrs, deceased senior intellectuals, model workers, and county- or regiment-level cadres within the province. In the 1980s, it opened to the public, and now houses the remains of over 30,000 individuals from all walks of life, including more than 200 revolutionary martyrs, over 100 model workers at the prefectural level or above, over 100 veteran comrades who joined the workforce before the War of Resistance, and over 300 experts and intellectuals with senior professional and technical titles.

Hebei Shuangfengshan Cemetery is located in the western suburbs of Shijiazhuang, the provincial capital, within the national AAAA-level tourist attraction (Shuangfengshan Scenic Area). It is 7 kilometers from Shijiazhuang Railway Station, and is directly accessible via Bus No. 25 and Tourist Bus No. 7 within the city. With convenient transportation and an excellent geographical location, after 40 years of development and construction, it has become a well-known large-scale landscaped cemetery in North China.

The distinctive landform of Shuangfengshan is formed by the two phoenix-like hills to the north and south, and a shimmering lake. According to the Huolu County Annals, it is said that during the Hongjia era of Emperor Wu of Han, two phoenixes landed here, giving the place its name. The over 50,000 trees in the park, including Chinese pine, oriental arborvitae, ginkgo, cherry blossom, silk tree, lacebark pine, honey locust, and persimmon, display rich colors throughout the changing seasons, creating major natural landscapes such as “Pine Waves of the Northern Phoenix,” “Fragrance of Arborvitae of the Southern Phoenix,” “Persimmons Red Against Green,” “Spring Snow on Locust Ridge,” and “Willows Rippling on Water.” The memorial structures feature diverse styles, rational layouts, and profound inscriptions with meticulous designs that invite reflection. Amidst this ambiance of “verdant mountains and clear waters” and “spring blossoms and autumn fruits,” the harmony between nature and culture, tradition and modernity is ever-present.

Hebei Shuangfengshan Cemetery boasts a profound cultural heritage. It is the resting place of Tian Han, lyricist of China’s national anthem, and his wife An E (author of “Song of the Fishermen” and “The Newspaper Seller”), Chinese revolutionary photographer Sha Fei, and renowned calligrapher Huang Qi, among other cultural figures. The cemetery also has a strong revolutionary character, being the burial site of martyrs and exemplary figures such as Wang Kexin, one of the founders of the Henan Communist Party organization, celebrated heroes Li Zhiguang, Jiao Shoujian, founding general Fu Chongbi, Wang Zhao, and Zhu Lian, Shijiazhuang’s first female Communist Party member. The site features a range of commemorative facilities, including the National Anthem Memorial Square, the Monument of “The Republic Will Not Forget,” the Hebei Martyrs Memorial Hall, the Sha Fei Memorial Hall, and the Huang Qi Art Gallery, making it an important venue for patriotic and traditional education for the residents of the provincial capital.

Hebei Shuangfengshan Cemetery actively promotes funeral reform by introducing eco-friendly and space-saving burial options such as public flower stand burials, lawn burials, tree burials, and wall niches. These initiatives guide the public away from outdated funeral customs and encourage rational spending on funerals. The cemetery advocates for environmental awareness through campaigns like “Burn One Less Sheet of Paper, Let the Capital’s Sky Be Bluer” and activities such as exchanging joss paper for flowers, encouraging low-carbon and environmentally friendly memorial practices. These efforts have garnered widespread social attention through coverage by media outlets such as China Central Television, Hebei Television, and Hebei Daily.

In recent years, Hebei Shuangfengshan Cemetery has been awarded the title of “Advanced Unit in Funeral Reform” by the Ministry of Civil Affairs of China and the Hebei Provincial Department of Civil Affairs. It has also received multiple honors from the Hebei Provincial Party Committee Working Committee and the Hebei Provincial Department of Civil Affairs, including “Advanced Grassroots Party Branch,” “Advanced Unit in Professional Ethics Construction,” and “Civilized Unit.”