Martyrs' Cemetery of the 1910 New Army Uprising

Martyrs' Cemetery of the 1910 New Army Uprising

The Martyrs' Cemetery of the 1910 New Army Uprising is a protected cultural heritage site of Guangzhou.

The Martyrs' Cemetery of the 1910 New Army Uprising, situated on Xianlie Middle Road in Guangzhou, was established to honor the new army soldiers who died heroically in the Guangzhou Uprising of the second year of the Xuantong reign (1910). The site features three terraced platforms built along the natural slope, atop which stands a square cement memorial monument about 4 meters tall. The front of the monument bears 12 large characters reading “Martyrs’ Cemetery of the 1910 First Uprising of the Guangdong Army,” while the back describes the details of the uprising. Behind the monument lies a circular burial mound. The entire memorial site is simple yet solemn in appearance.

The New Army was a modern military force established by the late Qing government, modeled after Western armies in terms of equipment and training methods. In the winter of 1909 (the first year of the Xuantong reign), the Tongmenghui (Chinese Revolutionary Alliance) led by Dr. Sun Yat-sen dispatched members such as Ni Yingdia and Zhao Sheng to Guangzhou to establish contact with the New Army and persuade them to stage an uprising on February 24 of the following year (Lantern Festival). They set up a New Army liaison office at No. 5, Tian Guan Li, Jia Yuan Xiang, Hao Xian Street, serving as the headquarters for the uprising. By the eve of the rebellion, Ni Yingdia and others had recruited over 300 Tongmenghui members within the New Army. Just as success seemed imminent, an unexpected conflict arose on February 9 when soldiers from a New Army unit got into a dispute with local Guangzhou patrol police over a minor issue, resulting in the arrest of two soldiers. Tensions escalated, and some New Army soldiers stormed into the city and vandalized the police station where their comrades were detained. Upon hearing the news, the then Viceroy of Guangdong and Guangxi, Yuan Shusheng, ordered the closure of the East Gate and the Little East Gate, deployed troops to suppress the New Army, and planned to disband the force altogether. To prevent the uprising from being compromised, Ni Yingdia, then a New Army artillery platoon leader, went to the barracks to pacify the soldiers. Upon his arrival, he was spontaneously proclaimed “Commander-in-Chief” by the New Army soldiers eager to attack Guangzhou. Given the urgency of the situation and fearing that news of the uprising would leak, Ni decided to advance the revolt. On the 12th, he led over 300 New Army soldiers in the uprising. They first killed their commanding officer Qi Ruhan, seized weapons and ammunition, and launched a three-pronged attack on the provincial capital. However, due to the hasty planning and severe shortage of ammunition, coupled with the Qing army’s preparedness, the New Army, despite their valiant efforts, could not prevail. At the front lines, the enemy pretended to offer a truce, lured Ni forward, and then suddenly attacked, causing him to fall and die a martyr. After Ni’s death, the rebel soldiers fought bravely but, lacking unified command, suffered heavy casualties after hours of fierce battle and running out of ammunition, leading to the ultimate failure of the uprising.

Martyr Ni Yingdia, a native of Hefei, was one of the “Three Martyrs of Hefei.” He was a man of both literary and martial talent, especially skilled in horseback riding. In his youth, he joined the Tongmenghui and once served as the commander of a New Army cavalry unit in Anhui. Later, he was dismissed after his revolutionary activities were discovered. While in the Qing army, he promoted revolutionary ideals and lectured on national affairs, earning the title of “Revolutionary Firebrand” among the New Army soldiers.

After the uprising failed, the remains of the New Army martyrs were collectively buried at Niuwang Temple (in the area of present-day Xianlie Road). Following the Xinhai Revolution, this martyrs' cemetery was built at the original burial site. In March 1963, it was designated as a protected cultural heritage site of Guangzhou. During the Cultural Revolution, the cemetery was demolished, but it was rebuilt on the original site in 1981. However, the current design of the monument differs slightly from the original.

Niuwang Temple, Xianlie Middle Road (Enter via a small road near the intersection with Yongfu Road, about 20 meters from Zhejiang Building, next to the Guangzhou Garrison District Kindergarten)

Further Reading:

· First Batch of Protected Cultural Heritage Sites of Guangzhou