Daojiao National Martyrs' Tomb

Daojiao National Martyrs' Tomb

The Daojiao National Martyrs' Tomb is a cultural relic protection unit of Guangdong Province.

The Daojiao National Martyrs' Tomb, a cultural relic protection unit of Guangdong Province, also known as the "June 11 Pavilion," was built to commemorate the civilians who were suffocated by poison gas during the second village massacre by Japanese invaders on the 11th day of the intercalary sixth lunar month in 1941. The pavilion was constructed in 1946 and reopened after renovation on February 24, 1949. It is a base for patriotic education. In 1982 and 1988, the Daojiao Town government allocated funds twice for its renovation. On every Tomb-Sweeping Day, primary and secondary schools in Daojiao organize teachers and students to visit the tomb for patriotic education.

The original site was the residence of a family surnamed Lu during the late Qing Dynasty. On February 24, 1949, the original civilian house was demolished and the National Martyrs' Tomb was built to commemorate those who perished during the Anti-Japanese War at the hands of the Japanese army. The tomb was unveiled on March 28 of the same year. The tomb is 20 meters long and 8.6 meters wide, covering an area of 172 square meters. At its center stands a square pavilion named the "June 11 Pavilion," which is 4.25 meters long, 5 meters wide, and 3.4 meters high. The name of the pavilion was inscribed by General Jiang Guangnai, a renowned anti-Japanese military leader. Inside the pavilion, there is a couplet gifted by Li Fulin, who served as commander of the Fifth Army of the National Revolutionary Army during the Northern Expedition. The couplet reads: “Fresh blood remains eternal, noble spirits never die; the great river is picturesque, heroic souls return.” In late 1998, the Daojiao Town government funded another renovation of the tomb, which has been well preserved to this day.

At 7:00 a.m. on August 3, 1941 (the 11th day of the intercalary sixth lunar month), several hundred Japanese soldiers invaded Daojiao by motorized boats and rubber rafts through multiple river mouths. After entering the village, the Japanese soldiers broke into homes one by one, dragging men, women, and children out and gathering them in three assembly points, one of which was the Lu residence in Zhakoufang. Over a thousand villagers from Zhakou were gathered in the open space outside the Lu ancestral hall, where they were forced to surrender weapons and ammunition. Men and women were separated, with women and children sent to the Lu ancestral hall, and five or six hundred men forced into the Lu residence. The doors were then locked, and poison gas was released inside. A few people managed to escape by lifting the roof tiles but were spotted and shot dead by the Japanese. The poison gas was released five times, resulting in many deaths due to poisoning. The next morning, the Japanese released the villagers and again demanded the surrender of weapons. When the villagers could not comply, they were beaten until the afternoon before being let go. In total, 48 people died from the poison gas, and including those killed in the rice fields, over 260 people lost their lives. The names of 61 victims were engraved on the June 11 Pavilion when it was built in 1949.

The National Martyrs' Tomb currently houses 19 stone tablets, each inscribed with words from notable figures. The tomb’s name and inscriptions were written by He Efang, who served as the magistrate of Dongguan County under the Kuomintang during its construction. Other influential figures from the Kuomintang in Guangdong Province, including Li Yangjing, Xue Yue, Yu Hanmou, Huang Guoliang, Xu Jingtang, Wang Guanghai, Lin Yizhong, Zhang Jian, Wang Ruozhou, and Zhang Wodong, also contributed inscribed tablets.

Since its establishment, the National Martyrs' Tomb has been protected by local governments and residents. In July 2002, it was designated as a cultural relic protection unit of Guangdong Province. The tomb stands as one of the important testimonies to the atrocities committed by the Japanese army during their invasion of China.

In 2002, it was listed as a cultural relic protection unit of Guangdong Province by the People's Government of Guangdong Province.

Zhakou Village: Located in the central area of Daojiao Town, Zhakou Village sits by the Dongjiang River, adjacent to the Daojiao exit of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen Expressway and the Western Expressway. The village covers a total area of 3.99 square kilometers and includes ten villager groups: Xincunzai, Xinji, Guangning, Fu’an, Xiashè, Yishe 1, Yishe 2, Ershè 1, Ershè 2, and Ershè 3. It has a registered population of 2,790 and over 8,000 migrants. Zhakou Village features cultural facilities such as a basketball court with lighting, Riverside Road, Riverside Park, a village library, a village history exhibition hall, and community centers for elders and children in each villager group. ... More details about Zhakou Village++

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Guangdong Province