Yang Angong Martyrs' Cemetery

Yang Angong Martyrs' Cemetery

Yang Angong Martyrs' Cemetery is a classic red tourism destination and a patriotic education base.

Yang Angong Martyrs' Cemetery is a national 4A-level tourist attraction, as well as a key national memorial site for martyrs, a national patriotic education base, and a youth education base in Chongqing. The cemetery was built in 1987, with the name inscribed by Deng Xiaoping himself. In June 2010, Yang Angong Martyrs' Cemetery underwent a large-scale expansion and renovation. The planning, design, and construction plans were overseen by Professor Qi Kang, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and an architecture expert. The area expanded from 12.5 mu to 50 mu, and the functions are divided into four levels from bottom to top: the entrance rest area, the cemetery memorial area, the exhibition and office area, and the forest park area.

The Tomb

Here lie the tombs of martyr Yang Angong and his wife Zhao Zongkai, as well as the tomb cluster of 32 martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the liberation of Tongnan. The central Western-style tomb is that of Yang Angong. Yang Angong’s remains were relocated three times in history. The first was on April 6, 1927, after his death, when his body was temporarily stored at Xiangguo Temple in Jiangbei, Chongqing. The second was in 1938, when his father, Yang Huaiqing, transported his remains by boat from Xiangguo Temple in Jiangbei back to Shuangjiang for burial. The third was in 1987, when his remains were moved to Jianzishan in Tongnan during the construction of the cemetery. In 2010, during the cemetery’s expansion, out of respect for the traditional Chinese belief that the dead should rest in peace, the tomb itself was not moved, but only maintained. The tombstone inscription was personally written by Marshal Zhu De in 1957.

Behind the tomb is the Memorial Tomb Wall, which is 29.4 meters long and 5.4 meters wide. The golden characters “Yang Angong Martyr Lives Forever” were inscribed by Deng Xiaoping in March 1987. The top of the wall is engraved with wreath patterns and a design of the sun and moon shining together, symbolizing Yang Angong’s noble spirit and revolutionary ideals that shine alongside the sun, moon, and eternity. The bottom of the wall features three carved wreaths, expressing people’s deep sorrow and remembrance for martyr Yang Angong.

A Monument Forged in Blood

The bronze relief depicting Yang Angong’s life is 12 meters long and 4 meters wide. It portrays the scene of Yang Angong leading the people of Chongqing in a protest against the British and American shelling of Nanjing and in support of the Northern Expedition on March 31, 1927. At the center of the relief is an image of Yang Angong before his heroic execution at Fotuguan, Chongqing, on April 6 of the same year. On March 31, 1927, Yang Angong led the people of Chongqing in holding a mass meeting at Dajiangba to protest the British and American shelling of Nanjing and to support the Northern Expedition. At that time, the reactionaries Liu Xiang and Chiang Kai-shek colluded to create the shocking “March 31st Massacre.” With the help of friends, Yang Angong escaped over Tongyuan Gate. After resting for two days, eager to report the “March 31st Massacre” to the Party Central Committee in Wuhan and attend the Fifth National Congress of the Communist Party of China, he and his wife Zhao Zongkai took a ship from Chaotianmen Wharf in Chongqing to Wuhan. They were betrayed by a traitor on the oil tanker “Yadong” and arrested together. After being captured, Yang Angong was imprisoned at the warlord Lan Wenbin’s headquarters at Fotuguan in Chongqing. There, the reactionaries interrogated him relentlessly, using both soft and hard tactics, but Yang Angong remained steadfast and unshaken. Upon receiving secret orders from Chiang Kai-shek, on the evening of April 6, Yang Angong was taken to the edge of a cliff at Fotuguan for secret execution. However, Yang Angong shouted fearlessly, “Down with imperialism!” “Down with the rotten warlords!” “Long live the Communist Party of China!” “You can cut off my head, but you can never shake my faith. In short, my head may be severed, but my will cannot be taken!” His words terrified the executioners, who brutally cut out his tongue, gouged out his eyes, and severed his hands. Finally, Yang Angong was shot three times and died a heroic death at the age of 29. The surging Yangtze River behind the martyr symbolizes the enduring spirit of the martyr and the everlasting revolutionary ideals, as well as the deep bond between Chongqing and the Yangtze River. The rugged rocks beneath the martyr’s feet symbolize the hardships and dangers on the revolutionary path. The hero, with fearless revolutionary spirit, overcame these obstacles and stood unyielding. Yang Angong wrote his life motto with his blood and life: “Life is like an iron horse shoe, worn down only when it is completely ground away.”

The Sacred Path

The Sacred Path is 75 meters long and 6 meters wide. A total of 331 arborvitae trees are planted on both sides. The number 331 represents the “March 31st Massacre” in Chongqing, and the trees also form two thick green walls, creating a solemn and respectful atmosphere throughout the cemetery.

Statue Square

Statue Square covers an area of 2,400 square meters. In the center of the square stands a statue of Yang Angong, carved from red granite (designed primarily by Professor Long Dehui from the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute). The statue is 8 meters tall, including a 5-meter-tall figure and a 3-meter-tall base. The statue of Yang Angong, dressed in a long gown and scarf, is vivid and lifelike, with piercing eyes that seem to bring back the glorious image of Yang Angong striving for the nation’s future and shouting for the people’s interests. Behind the statue is a splash pool, where the reflection of the statue creates a serene and solemn atmosphere. On both sides of the statue square are exhibition corridors. The left side displays a brief biography of martyr Yang Angong, while the right side showcases inscriptions from notable figures.

Yang Angong, whose original name was Shangshu, also known as Angong and Kun, was born on February 18, 1898 (the 24th year of the Guangxu reign in the Qing Dynasty, March 10, 1898), in Shuangjiang Town, Suining County, Sichuan Province (later transferred from Suining County to the newly established Tongnan County during the Republic of China). Yang Angong’s father, Yang Huaiqing, was well-versed in classical studies and had strong patriotic sentiments. Yang Angong’s eldest brother, Yang Jianqiu, graduated from Japan’s Central University and joined the revolution in Japan by becoming a member of the Tongmenghui. His second elder brother, Yang Hengshi, was also influenced by progressive ideas and attended a railway school in Chengdu. His cousin, Yang Baomin, joined the Tongmenghui in 1906 and participated in the Huanghuagang Uprising. This... More detailed information about Yang Angong++