The Dahuang Ten Thousand People’s Tomb

The Dahuang Ten Thousand People’s Tomb

The Dahuang Ten Thousand People’s Tomb is a Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit and a patriotic education base.

The Dahuang Ten Thousand People’s Tomb is located behind Chigang Mountain in Chigang Residential Committee, Dahao Subdistrict, Haojiang District, about 1 kilometer southeast of the Haojiang District Government. The current cemetery covers an area of approximately 30,000 square meters and includes a memorial monument, a cemetery square, the cemetery entrance and carvings, as well as stone steps.

After the Japanese invasion in the 28th year of the Republic of China (1939), the residents of Dahao suffered from hunger, and in 1943, a severe drought struck, causing extreme famine and leaving dead bodies littered across the land. Local charitable organizations (Twelve Societies) opened a mass grave here to bury the unclaimed corpses found along the roads. One pit was dug each day, and a tomb was established daily (from the fourth day of the fifth lunar month to the fourteenth day of the eleventh lunar month). The tombs were arranged in an orderly fashion. The inscriptions on the tombstones only recorded the month, day, and number of bodies. The largest single grave was on the twelfth day of May, which contained 86 bodies, and in total, 3,440 bodies were buried. In 2010, the Dahuang Ten Thousand Graves was designated as a municipal-level cultural relics protection unit by the Shantou Municipal Government, and in 2012, it was recognized as a provincial-level cultural relics protection unit by the Guangdong Provincial People's Government.

In 1947, the Dahuang Congde Charitable Hall renovated the cemetery and built a collective tomb on the west side, with a tablet inscribed “Ten Thousand People’s Tomb,” while also erecting another tablet summarizing the tragic events of that time. In 1955, the Dahao People’s Commune re-erected a memorial tablet here. In 1981, local residents raised funds to expand the cemetery to the south of the tomb, where a conical memorial monument was erected. The monument is 3.1 meters high and 0.8 meters wide. The base of the monument is surrounded by railings and steps, with the front inscribed with “Memorial Monument of the Ten Thousand People’s Tomb” and the back recounting the reasons for building the tomb and details of the renovation. In September 1987, a new tablet was engraved based on a rubbing of the original epitaph and reinstalled near the original site. In 1995, the Shantou Municipal People's Government designated the Ten Thousand People’s Tomb as a municipal-level patriotic education base. Relevant departments also produced video materials sent to UNESCO. In 2008, the Haojiang District mobilized district CPPCC members to donate over 500,000 yuan for the renovation of the cemetery.

The inscription on the Ten Thousand People’s Tomb reads: “In the year 1943, the year of Guiwei, when Dahao had already been under Japanese occupation for over four years, all life was plunged into darkness. A severe drought struck, leaving nine out of ten households in Dahao deserted, with corpses lining the roads in a horrifying scene. Charitable and righteous individuals collected and buried the remains here, calling it the ‘Ten Thousand People’s Tomb.’ It has been over sixty years since then. Over the years, there have been several renovations and the erection of tablets to record the events, gradually forming the current scale. In 1995, the Shantou Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government named it a 'Patriotic Education Base' to warn future generations. Its educational impact is unmatched within the region. However, in the past twenty years or so, the cemetery has been neglected, causing growing concern among concerned citizens. The District CPPCC, heeding the wishes of the people, strongly advocated for its renovation. Soon after, members generously donated funds, and the Chilong Community engaged skilled builders to complete the project within a few months. The cemetery has now been completely revitalized—serene, solemn, lush, and greener than ever before. Well done. In this prosperous era, we must not forget the painful history; in times of peace, we ought to reflect on the past. This effort benefits our generation and those to come, holding great significance. To honor the spirit of the people of Haojiang and inspire future generations, this record is engraved in stone as a testament.”

Since its establishment, the Ten Thousand Graves has become a memorial site where locals and overseas Chinese pay their respects and mourn. Many activities reflecting on hardship and gratitude are regularly held here. Around the Qingming Festival and the Ghost Festival each year, government agencies, factories, schools, and overseas Chinese organizations often visit to pay tribute or tour the site. Currently, the original appearance of the cemetery is well preserved. It can accommodate approximately 1,000 visitors at one time. At the end of 2012, the Haojiang District Government allocated special funds for the Chilong Community of Dahao Subdistrict to maintain and manage the Ten Thousand Graves.

In 2012, the Guangdong Provincial People's Government listed it as part of the seventh batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Address: Chigang Mountain, Dahao Subdistrict, Haojiang District

Accessible via bus routes 8, 16, 35, and 36

Contact number: 0754-87380232 82721708

Person in charge: Cheng Xiaoqun

Opening hours: Open 24 hours, free admission

Chilong Community: Chilong Community Residents' Committee is an agricultural-related community located in the central area of Sanxiang, Dahao Subdistrict, with a current population of 1,676 people. It has about 40 mu of land and approximately 1,000 mu of mountain forest. The community residents live together with those of Chigang Residential Committee, making boundaries difficult to define. Currently, only the newly developed area is managed as an administrative jurisdiction, with a population of about 6,000, mainly consisting of non-local residents.

Since the reform and opening up, the community has initially developed urban features, with all roads fully paved and facilities including commercial streets, schools, hotels, markets, banks, public toilets, garbage transfer stations, elderly care services… More details on Chilong Community++