Cemetery of Martyrs of the Xisha Self-Defense Counterattack

Cemetery of Martyrs of the Xisha Self-Defense Counterattack

The Cemetery of Martyrs of the Xisha Self-Defense Counterattack is a classic site on China’s red tourism routes.

The Cemetery of Martyrs of the Xisha Self-Defense Counterattack is a patriotic education base in Sanya, located in Oujiayuan, Hongsha Town, Sanya.

The Cemetery of Martyrs of the Xisha Self-Defense Counterattack was built in 1975 by the People’s Liberation Army Navy South Sea Fleet and covers an area of 2.7 mu. The cemetery gate is 4 meters high and 3.9 meters wide, with a plaque that reads: Cemetery of Martyrs. At the center of the cemetery stands a 6.45-meter-high monument, with the front inscribed with 22 large characters: “Eternal Glory to the Martyrs Who Fell in the Self-Defense Counterattack Battle for the Xisha Yongle Islands.” Behind the monument lies a graveyard where each tomb is marked with a memorial tablet arranged in neat rows. The cemetery is enclosed by walls on its left, right, and rear sides, and rows of pine trees are planted throughout the grounds.

The Xisha Islands have always been sacred Chinese territory. On January 15 and 17, 1974, the Saigon authorities of South Vietnam dispatched their destroyers No. 16 and No. 4, successively intruding into the waters of the Xisha Yongle Islands and landing armed personnel on Ganquan Island and Jinyin Island of the Yongle Islands. Troops from the land, sea, and air forces stationed on Hainan Island, acting on orders from the Central Military Commission and the Guangzhou Military Region, formed a naval command post under the leadership of Wei Mingsen and others, and deployed two boats to reach Xisha Yongxing Island. Meanwhile, two warships and two boats were also dispatched to assemble in the Xisha sea area and await orders. On January 18, South Vietnam reinforced the area with destroyer No. 5 and frigate No. 10, intruding into the Yongle Islands waters and ramming fishing vessel No. 407 of the Nanhai Fisheries Company that was operating in the area. By then, the South Vietnamese authorities had gathered four warships in the Yongle Islands waters, with an additional destroyer and frigate also en route to invade the Xisha Islands. On January 19, 44 armed personnel from South Vietnamese destroyers No. 4 and No. 5 landed on Chenhang and Guangjin Islands. The enemy ships suddenly opened fire on Chinese vessels, and the four Chinese ships engaged, each targeting one enemy ship and launching fierce counterattacks. After an hour of intense fighting, one enemy ship was sunk, one severely damaged, and the other two fled after sustaining light damage. A total of 117 South Vietnamese troops were killed or wounded in this battle. Subsequently, Jiang Hai, Deputy Commander of the Hainan Military Region, led a reconnaissance team and three companies from another unit from Yulin Port toward the Xisha Yongle Islands. Jiang Xueshan, Commander of the Hainan Military Region, and Luo Wenhua, Deputy Commander of the South Sea Fleet, along with leaders from relevant units, formed the Xisha Combat Command to unify the direction of the Xisha Self-Defense Counterattack. At 8:00 a.m. on January 20, the People’s Liberation Army carried out forced landings on Ganquan, Jinyin, and Shanhu Islands to launch counterattacks. Under the cover of air force support, they completely annihilated the South Vietnamese troops occupying the three islands, killing or wounding three soldiers each, and capturing 48 personnel including Lieutenant Colonel Fan WenHong (among them, one U.S. advisor). On February 3, the State Council and the Central Military Commission commended the army, navy, and air force personnel who took part in the self-defense counterattack, as well as all crew members of fishing vessels No. 402 and No. 407 of the Nanhai Fisheries Company.

During this self-defense counterattack, one of our navy ships was severely damaged and ran aground at Chenhang Island, while another boat and one warship sustained light damage. Eighteen naval officers and soldiers, including Feng Songbai, sacrificed heroically.

Source: Party History Research Office of the CPC Hainan Provincial Committee