Cemetery of Revolutionary Martyrs of the Three Districts

Cemetery of Revolutionary Martyrs of the Three Districts

The Cemetery of Revolutionary Martyrs of the Three Districts is a cultural tourism attraction, a classic red tourism destination, and a patriotic education base.

Cemetery of Revolutionary Martyrs of the Three Districts

The Cemetery of Revolutionary Martyrs of the Three Districts in Yining, also known as the Xinjiang Three Districts Revolutionary History Memorial Hall, was funded and built by the Autonomous Region People's Government in July 1957. It is situated on the west side of the People’s Park along Aheymatjiang Street in Yining, covering an area of 6.67 hectares. The site houses the martyr tombs, a memorial monument, and a memorial hall dedicated to the seven leaders of the Three Districts Revolution.

In August 1944, a revolution against reactionary rule broke out centered around Ili, Tacheng, and Altay (now Altay Prefecture), later leading to the establishment of a provisional government of the Three Districts Revolution in Yining. In August 1949, leaders of the Three Districts Revolution — Ahmatjan Qasimi, Ishak Beg Mononov, Abdulkerim Abbasov, Dalelhan Sugurbayev, Osmanjan Naser, and Luo Zhi — were invited by Chairman Mao Zedong to attend the first session of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference in Beijing. Tragically, their plane crashed over Irkutsk, Soviet Union, and all aboard were killed. In April 1950, the martyrs’ remains were transported back from the Soviet Union to Ili and buried in the original Three Districts Revolutionary Cemetery (located on the site of the current Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture Finance and Trade School). In July 1959, they were reinterred at the present cemetery.

The cemetery consists of two main parts: the martyrs’ tomb area and the exhibition hall. In front of the tomb area lies a 600-square-meter memorial square paved with square cement slabs. Standing in the square is a martyrs’ memorial tower designed in the architectural style of Xinjiang’s ethnic minorities. The tower is 13 meters high with a base area of 16 square meters. Its top features a gilded metal dome, and its body is inscribed with the following inscription by Chairman Mao Zedong in Uyghur, Kazakh, and Chinese:

“The spirits of Comrades Ahmatjan Qasimi, Ishak Beg Mononov, Abdulkerim Abbasov, Dalelhan Sugurbayev, and Luo Zhi, who sacrificed their lives in service of national liberation and the people’s democratic cause, will live forever.”

On the side of the tower are inscriptions in Chinese and Uyghur:

“The martyrs such as Ahmatjan Qasimi made outstanding contributions to the national liberation and people’s democratic revolution. After the victory of the Chinese revolution in 1949, the martyrs represented the people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang to attend the founding ceremony of the People’s Republic of China and the first plenary session of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. Unfortunately, their plane crashed en route to Beijing, resulting in their tragic deaths. The merits of the martyrs will be immortalized in the annals of the revolution!”

December 27, 1959

In August 1984, the Autonomous Region allocated special funds to renovate the martyrs’ tombs and the memorial monument. On August 20, 1989, it was designated as a National Key Martyrs’ Memorial Building Protection Unit by the State Council. In 1994, the memorial hall was recognized as an Autonomous Region-level patriotic education base. In 2000 and 2004, the memorial monument, memorial hall, and martyrs’ tombs underwent maintenance.

In 2004, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the outbreak of the Three Districts Revolution and the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Autonomous Prefecture, a new Xinjiang Three Districts Revolutionary History Memorial Hall with an area of 840 square meters was constructed. The hall features newly arranged exhibits including over 170 photographs and more than 40 artifacts. These precious photos and items vividly recreate the scenes of revolutionary activities carried out by the martyrs and soldiers of the National Army, as well as the commemorative events held by party, government, military personnel, and people of all ethnicities after the founding of New China to honor the martyrs.