General Mountain Revolutionary Martyrs' Monument

General Mountain Revolutionary Martyrs' Monument

The General Mountain Revolutionary Martyrs' Monument is situated at the summit of General Mountain to the west of Xiaobian Village in Chang’an Town, Dongguan City. It was built to honor the martyrs from Chang’an who gave their lives during the New Democratic Revolution, the Korean War, and the Sino-Vietnamese Self-Defense Counterattack. Initially built in 1976, it originally occupied 80 square meters. After being damaged by lightning, it was renovated through public fundraising in 1981 and rebuilt again in 1997. It now covers an area of over 1,000 square meters. Surrounded by lush green trees, the site enjoys a tranquil environment. The monument faces south and is enclosed by stone railings on all four sides, forming a square perimeter. At the central gap on the southern side, dozens of steps lead down to the main entrance of the hillside park. The monument consists of three levels. The lower level is a square base, with a black stone slab on each of its four sides, inscribed with the monument’s inscription and lists of martyrs from various revolutionary periods. The middle section is a square tiered base, adorned with carved stone patterns on all sides. The upper part is a square pillar, faced with gray granite on the outer edges. The front and back center of the pillar are made of white marble, inscribed respectively with “Eternal Glory to Revolutionary Martyrs,” written by Zeng Sheng, former commander of the Dongjiang Column, and “Mighty Spirit Lives On,” penned by famed traditional Chinese painter Guan Shanyue.

In the winter of 1924, Communist Party members Cai Rixin and Cai Ruping from Xiaobian, Chang’an, were dispatched by the Party organization to return to their hometown from Guangzhou to carry out peasant movement activities. After the April 12 Counterrevolutionary Coup in 1927, due to betrayal, Cai Rixin was secretly arrested by the Kuomintang reactionaries, subjected to severe torture, and shortly after was taken to the banks of Bai’e Pond in Guangzhou where he was executed. Cai Ruping also passed away in the autumn of 1948 due to years of hard work and overexertion in the revolutionary cause. He was posthumously recognized as a revolutionary martyr after liberation.

General Mountain in Xiaobian, Chang’an, served as a vital transportation route between Dongguan and Bao’an. During the Anti-Japanese War, several important battles took place here, and more than ten soldiers from the Dongjiang Column sacrificed their lives heroically. Among them, Cai Jixu from Xiaobian and Li Jingquan from Jinsha, among others, died valiantly while fighting against Japanese puppet troops on General Mountain in Xiaobian.

During the Liberation War, two soldiers from Chang’an who fought for the People’s Liberation Army lost their lives. Li Guang from Jinsha Village was killed in the Huaihai Campaign on January 10, 1949, while Chen Hong from Chenwu Village in Wusha died in battle against the Kuomintang army near Beizha in Humen, Dongguan, during the summer of 1949.

In the Korean War, Cai Qing, a Chinese People’s Volunteer Army soldier from Xiaobian, sacrificed his life while fighting against U.S. forces in Deosili, Korea. During the 1979 Sino-Vietnamese Self-Defense Counterattack, six soldiers from Chang’an gave their lives for their country. They were: Wang Runhui from Shangjiao Village, Deng Wanxing from Xin Village at the Street Entrance, Mai Manxiang and Mai Xihui from Xianxi Village, Cai Hanting from Xiaobian Village, and Mai Baigen from Xiabian Village.

In 1996, the General Mountain Revolutionary Martyrs' Monument was listed among the first batch of cultural heritage protection units in Chang’an Town, Dongguan City.