Nanquan Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery

Nanquan Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery

Nanquan Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery is a cultural heritage site protected at the municipal level by Chongqing Municipality.

Nanquan Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery is located on the gentle slope along Yunan Road, about 500 meters west of Nanquan Subdistrict in Banan District, Chongqing. In late November 1949, during the Battle of Nanspring, the 103rd Regiment of the 35th Division of the 12th Army under the 2nd Field Army of the Chinese People's Liberation Army fought fiercely. The regiment’s 1st Battalion Commander Xu Zhaokui and 31 other officers and soldiers sacrificed their lives heroically. In 1953, to commemorate their historical contributions, the Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery was built. It consists of an archway, pavilion, monument, and tombs. In 2000, it was designated as a municipal-level cultural heritage site by the Chongqing Municipal Government.

Revolutionary Overview

In November 1949, the 2nd Field Army and the 47th Army of the 4th Field Army of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, under the command of Liu Bocheng and Deng Xiaoping, were ordered to advance into Sichuan and directly attack Chongqing, the last stronghold of the Kuomintang. On the 24th, they captured Nanchuan. That evening, the commander held a meeting with the army commanders of the 11th, 12th, and 47th Armies in Nanchuan to urgently plan the operation for liberating Chongqing. On the 25th, the 103rd Regiment of the 35th Division of the 12th Army was ordered to act as the vanguard of the 3rd Corps. They took a shortcut from Shentongba in Nanchuan and swiftly advanced toward Nanspring to harass the Kuomintang forces, who had built a defensive line south of Chongqing relying on the rugged terrain around Nanspring. Their mission was to scout enemy positions and seize the opportunity to open a crossing route for the main forces. The regiment assigned the 1st and 2nd Battalions to carry out the mission, while the 3rd Battalion stayed in Nanchuan for rest and to guard the prisoners captured during the battle.

Nanspring is located 18 kilometers from the then urban area of Chongqing. Nestled in a narrow valley, it is surrounded by steep mountains and overlapping peaks, forming a natural barrier on the southern bank of Chongqing. The mountainous path along the Huaxi River to the south was the only route from Nanchuan to Chongqing. As a result, the Kuomintang considered Nanspring a strategic stronghold for defending the “southern defense line” of Chongqing. They deployed heavy forces, including the 44th Army of Luo Guangwen’s faction, a division of the 20th Army under Yang Sen, the 361st Division under Luo Jun tong, and the 2nd Municipal Police Corps. They also urgently airlifted the elite 167th Division of Hu Zongnan’s forces to Chongqing, attempting to hold the southern gate of the city.

Around 3 p.m. on the 26th, the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 103rd Regiment, led by Deputy Political Commissar Miao Xinhua and Deputy Regimental Commander Wu Yansheng, arrived swiftly at Huxiaokou in Nanspring and engaged the Kuomintang forces. They defeated the defending troops of the Luo Guangwen faction and occupied the front-line position — Huxiaokou — by dusk. However, the Kuomintang still controlled key high points such as Jianwen Peak and furiously counterattacked our positions at Huxiaokou with several times our number, posing a serious threat. That night, the regimental command decided to first seize Jianwen Peak, the highest strategic point in Nanspring. To mislead the enemy, they used a feint tactic: the 1st Battalion organized intensive fire to simulate an attack on Daguping, while the 2nd Battalion moved stealthily along the Baipao Stone Valley on the southeast side of Jianwen Peak at midnight on the 27th. They climbed cliffs and precipices, launched a surprise attack on the main peak, and completely wiped out the enemy stationed there, thereby taking control of the highest ground in Nanspring. The 167th Division and other Kuomintang forces repeatedly launched group assaults on the 2nd Battalion’s positions on Jianwen Peak and bombarded it heavily with dozens of artillery pieces. Intense and brutal fighting ensued, with shells raining down, smoke filling the air, craters everywhere, trees broken, and grass ablaze. Nevertheless, our forces repelled wave after wave of frenzied attacks and held the peak until ordered to withdraw on the night of the 28th. Meanwhile, the 1st Battalion made several attempts to attack Nanspring’s main street but did not succeed. On the 28th, after the 104th Regiment of the 35th Division successfully crossed the river from the western side of Chongqing and the 91st Regiment of the 31st Division won the battle at Yudong, the forces engaged in the Nanspring battle were ordered to withdraw in an orderly manner. They quickly crossed the river at Jiangkou and joined the main forces. The defending 167th Division, fearing their retreat would be cut off, fled in panic that very night.

The Battle of Nanspring began at around 3 p.m. on the 26th and ended at approximately 11:30 p.m. on the 28th when our forces withdrew. Lasting 56 hours, it was the longest and most intense battle during the liberation of Chongqing. It severely weakened the Kuomintang’s southern defense line and the defending forces at Nanspring, buying precious time for our main forces to encircle and liberate Chongqing through large-scale maneuvers. During the battle, over 100 officers and soldiers, including Deputy Battalion Commander Xu Quanshui of the 1st Battalion, Deputy Instructor Liang Songdou of the 2nd Battalion, Company Commander Xu Gen of the 2nd Company, and Company Commander Cao Hui of the 3rd Company, sacrificed their lives on the battlefield. With their blood, youth, and lives, they composed a heroic anthem and erected a shining monument.

To commemorate the Battle of Nanspring and the revolutionary martyrs who died in the battle, in 1953, Jiulongpo District built the Nanspring Martyrs' Tomb and Monument in the Nanspring Scenic Area. As administrative divisions changed, both sites were later designated as patriotic education bases for youth by the People’s Governments of Jiulongpo District and Banan District. In 1995, they were recognized as municipal-level cultural heritage sites by the Chongqing Municipal People’s Government. In 1996, the Jianwen Peak in Nanspring was developed into the Main Battlefield Memorial Park of the Chongqing Liberation. The veteran Ma Li, former Vice Mayor of Chongqing and former Deputy Director of the Municipal Advisory Committee, inscribed the nameplate for the “Main Battlefield Memorial of the Chongqing Liberation.” The CPC Banan District Committee and the People’s Government of Banan District also named it a patriotic education base for youth. On September 11 of the same year, Li Desheng, Vice Chairman of the 10th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (then commander of the 35th Division), personally inscribed the four characters “Battle of Nanspring.”

In response to various inaccuracies in the original exhibits on the history of the Battle of Nanspring, starting in 2002, under the leadership of the CPC Banan District Committee, the District Party History Research Office carefully analyzed and authenticated a large amount of first-hand material. They successively completed the first, second, and third phases of correction and improvement projects for the original exhibits at the Martyrs' Monument and the Main Battlefield Memorial Park. Based on this, in November 2004, these two patriotic education bases were redesigned and presented in their current form, receiving acclaim from all sectors of society.

Nanquan Subdistrict: Nanquan Town was formed in July 2001 through the merger of the original Nanquan Town and Lujiao Town. Located in the suburbs of central Chongqing and part of the eastern new town development zone, it is traversed by the Chongqing–Guizhou and Shangjie Expressways. It is 18 kilometers from the city center and 32 kilometers from Jiangbei Airport. The town covers an area of 84.26 square kilometers, with an urban built-up area of 2.1 square kilometers. Its total population is 51,000 (including 44,000 permanent residents), of which 14,000 are non-agricultural. The jurisdiction includes 18 administrative villages, 3 neighborhood committees, and 123 cooperatives.

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