Left County Taihang News Martyrs Monument

Left County Taihang News Martyrs Monument

The Left County Taihang News Martyrs Monument is a classic red tourism attraction.

The Taihang News Martyrs Monument is located at the foot of Xishan Mountain, 200 meters south of Xishan Village on the banks of the Qingzhang River in Matian Town, Left County. It faces northeast toward Dayangjiao Village (the site where the news martyrs perished) and was built to commemorate 57 news fighters including He Yun, the chief editor of the Xinhua Daily. It was unveiled on May 28, 1986, and stands 7.5 meters tall. The base of the monument is square-shaped with raised steps on all four sides and is surrounded by carved railings. The main body of the monument is also square, with an inscription on the front personally penned by Yang Shangkun that reads: “The Taihang News Martyrs Shall Live Forever!” The right side bears an inscription by Lu Dingyi: “In May 1942, more than 40 comrades including He Yun, the director of the North China Xinhua Daily, sacrificed heroically. The martyrs shall live forever.” The left side features an article titled “Biography of Comrade He Yun,” which outlines the glorious combat journey of this news fighter who shed his blood on the Taihang Mountains. The back of the monument lists the names of the Taihang news martyrs such as He Yun and Li Zhuru.

He Yun (1905–1942), Chief Editor and Director of the North China Edition of the Xinhua Daily

He Yun, originally named Zhu Shiqiao, was from Shangyu, Zhejiang. He graduated from Hangzhou Normal School and attended Fudan University. In 1929, he went to Japan to study economics at Waseda University and later served as the principal of a Japanese overseas Chinese primary school for half a year.

After the September 18 Incident in 1931, he resolutely suspended his studies and returned to China to join the anti-Japanese salvation movement. He joined the Communist Party of China in 1932. In March 1933, the “Shanghai National Self-Defense Association Against Humiliation” was established, and He Yun served as its head of publicity. In June of the same year, he was arrested by the Shanghai Kuomintang— He Yun’s detailed information++