Stepping Clouds Bridge Martyrs' Poetry and Prose Stone Forest

Stepping Clouds Bridge Martyrs' Poetry and Prose Stone Forest

The Stepping Clouds Bridge Martyrs' Poetry and Prose Stone Forest is a classic red tourism attraction.

The Stepping Clouds Bridge Martyrs' Poetry and Prose Stone Forest is located by Stepping Clouds Bridge, which connects the Martyrs' Cemetery to the former Bai Mansion. It covers an area of 4,000 square meters. In January 1987, the Geleshan Martyrs' Cemetery in Chongqing began a three-year construction project focusing on three main tasks: exhibition displays, martyr statues, and the martyrs' poetry and prose stone forest. The Stepping Clouds Bridge Martyrs' Poetry and Prose Stone Forest was completed in 1988. A total of 94 large stones from the riverbank were erected, the heaviest weighing up to 21 tons. The inscriptions on the stones include 24 poems and prose pieces written by martyrs who sacrificed their lives at the Sino-American Cooperative Organization. These were calligraphed in Chinese, Tibetan, Mongolian, and Uyghur by renowned calligraphers from across the country and then carved by skilled artisans. All the stones used in the stone forest were sourced from millennia-old riverbed rocks of the Yangtze River, symbolizing that no matter how time passes or how wind and rain may erode, the martyrs' poetry—like their great spirits—will forever stand tall in the hearts of future generations. Today, when visitors come to this exquisitely arranged stone forest of martyrs' poetry and prose, facing these massive stones and powerful verses, a deep sense of reverence for the martyrs naturally arises.

Source: Chongqing Hongyan Cultural Development Management Center Author: Liu Liqun