Shenzhen Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery

Shenzhen Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery

The Shenzhen Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery is a classic red tourism destination and a patriotic education base.

Shenzhen is one of the important old revolutionary bases in Guangdong Province and also one of the birthplaces of the Dongjiang Column during the War of Resistance against Japan, boasting a glorious revolutionary history and tradition. For the liberation of the motherland and the happiness of the people, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, the people of Shenzhen fought bravely and relentlessly, engaging in a long and arduous struggle.

During the Great Revolution, the peasant movement in Shenzhen was surging, actively supporting the Northern Expedition and the Canton–Hong Kong strike, shaking the strongholds of reactionary forces. During the War of Resistance against Japan, the people of Shenzhen fought bloodily against Japanese invaders, desperately rescuing patriotic democrats in Hong Kong and sheltering international friends fleeing from enemy-occupied areas. During the Liberation War, the people of Shenzhen delivered devastating blows to the local Kuomintang reactionaries in famous battles such as those on Sanmen Island, Wanshan Islands, Dachan, Lingding Island, and Zhangge, making indelible historical contributions to the nationwide liberation.

Throughout the long revolutionary struggle and socialist construction, countless outstanding sons and daughters of Shenzhen fought on the battlefield for the motherland and the people, shed their blood in the southern front, faced death fearlessly, and sacrificed their lives generously, contributing selflessly and bravely. Notable martyrs include Chen Rixiang, Dai Zhuowen, Cai Zixiang, the Sixteen Heroes of Huangtian, Huang You, Liu Heizai, Lin Wenhǔ, Liu Yuanbo, and Ling Wenhui.

To better honor and commemorate the revolutionary martyrs who sacrificed in Shenzhen and the Kowloon region throughout various historical periods, and to promote the glorious traditions and patriotic education, in 1983, the Shenzhen Municipal People's Government, in accordance with the urban development plan of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone, relocated the Revolutionary Martyrs Monument originally located in Bao’an County People’s Square to Boling on Beihuan Road in Shenzhen.

The Shenzhen Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery covers an area of 57,000 square meters, including a built-up area of 1,486 square meters—986 square meters for the Shenzhen Revolutionary Martyrs Memorial Hall, and 500 square meters for offices, meeting rooms, property management rooms, and guard rooms. There is also a gathering plaza and parking lot spanning 10,000 square meters, internal roads covering 4,000 square meters, and landscaping occupying 36,500 square meters. The first phase of the project was completed and opened to the public in 1987. To date, approximately 22.32 million yuan has been invested to construct the Revolutionary Martyrs Monument, the Revolutionary Martyrs Memorial Hall, the Martyrs’ Names Pavilion, the Tombstone of Comrade Zeng Sheng, the cemetery’s thematic sculpture, offices, public toilets, the gathering plaza, parking lot, perimeter walls, internal roads, and landscaping facilities.

In 1988, the Shenzhen Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery was listed as a provincial-level key protected unit of martyrs’ memorial architecture by Guangdong Province. In July of the same year, it was designated as the third batch of key cultural relics protection units by the Shenzhen Municipal Committee. In 1995, it was named the first batch of patriotic education bases in Shenzhen by the Shenzhen Municipal Committee. In June 2009, it was designated as the first batch of Party member education bases in Shenzhen. In November 2012, it was recognized as a CPC History Education Base by Shenzhen City.

The Revolutionary Martyrs Monument is located in the center of the cemetery, built in 1983. The monument base is seven meters wide, the main body is 27 meters tall, and the shaft is five meters wide. The monument is made of high-grade granite, with the eight large characters “Revolutionary Martyrs Live Forever” engraved on all four sides, written by Comrade Zeng Sheng, commander of the Dongjiang Column at the time. The design and sculpture of the monument and its reliefs were created by sculptor Zhang Songhe from the Beijing Painting Academy; the Aerospace Ministry’s Seventh Design and Research Institute was responsible for the design, and calligrapher Qin Esheng inscribed the epitaph. The relief on the north side of the monument base is a bronze-cast inscription; the west side depicts the heroic scenes of the War of Resistance against Japan; the east side shows the struggle of our Party to rescue progressive patriots and international friends trapped in Japanese-occupied Hong Kong; the south side reflects scenes from the Liberation War.

The Martyrs’ Names Pavilion is located in the southwest corner of the cemetery, built in 1992. Currently, 1,050 revolutionary martyrs are inscribed in the pavilion, including: 10 martyrs who died during the First and Second Revolutionary Civil Wars; 490 who died during the War of Resistance against Japan; 416 who died during the Liberation War; 65 who died during the Socialist Revolution and Socialist Construction period; 25 who died since the establishment of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone; and 44 whose dates of sacrifice remain unidentified. Among the 1,050 martyrs, 43 are female, and 145 are from the Kowloon region.

Approved by relevant municipal government departments, the currently under-construction “Shenzhen Revolutionary Martyrs Memorial Hall” is located on the east side of the cemetery, with a built-up area of 1,000 square meters. The main structure has been completed. Once finished, the memorial hall will primarily display materials, photos, and relics of revolutionary martyrs, serving as a venue for young students and the public to visit, learn about revolutionary heroism, understand the history of Shenzhen’s revolutionary struggles, and participate in educational activities promoting revolutionary heroism and patriotism.

The Tombstone of Comrade Zeng Sheng is located on the east side of the cemetery, built in October 1996. Comrade Zeng Sheng was a native of Pingshan, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province. He joined the revolution in 1934 and the Communist Party of China in 1936. During the War of Resistance against Japan, he served as commander of the Dongjiang Column, making significant contributions to the development of guerrilla warfare in South China and the victory of China’s War of Resistance. During the Liberation War, he was commander of the Liangguang Column of the East China Field Army, leading troops in the Battles of Jinan, Huaihai, and the Liberation of Guangdong. After the founding of New China, he served successively as Deputy Commander of the Guangdong Military Region, Minister of Communications, and member of the Central Advisory Commission. He passed away due to illness in November 1995. In May 1996, with approval from the General Office of the Central Committee and the State Council, Zeng Sheng’s ashes were laid to rest and his tombstone erected on the east side of the Shenzhen Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery, serving as a meaningful educational site for future generations.

The overall layout and design of the Shenzhen Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery are novel, solemn, and dignified. The entire cemetery is adorned with fresh flowers, green grass, pines, and cypresses, symbolizing the everlasting revolutionary spirit of the martyrs. Let us inherit the aspirations of the revolutionary martyrs, carry forward their traditions, and make due contributions to advancing the city’s “Three Civilizations” construction and the development of a modern international city.