Xinghai Park (Xian Xinghai’s Tomb)

Xinghai Park (Xian Xinghai’s Tomb)

Xinghai Park (Xian Xinghai’s Tomb) is a Guangzhou Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Unit and a patriotic education base.

Xian Xinghai’s Tomb is the burial site of the renowned Chinese musician and composer Xian Xinghai. It is located in Xinghai Park by Luhu Lake in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, and is constructed of cement. The tomb covers an area of 4,200 square meters and includes a statue of Xian Xinghai. The tomb was built in 1985 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of his death and the 80th anniversary of his birth. Upon its completion, a ceremony was held to relocate Xian Xinghai’s ashes. The surrounding Xinghai Park also features a memorial monument and memorial hall dedicated to Xian Xinghai.

Xinghai Park is located on the western shore of Luhu Lake and covers an area of 6,000 square meters. It was jointly funded and constructed by the Guangdong Musicians Association and the Guangzhou Municipal People’s Government to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the death and the 80th anniversary of the birth of the celebrated Chinese musician Xian Xinghai. Construction began on April 12, 1985, and the park was completed and the ashes of Xian Xinghai were relocated on December 1, 1985. The park is solemn and serene, with lush pines and cypresses. It houses a statue of Xian Xinghai, a memorial monument, and his tomb. Other features include pavilions, corridors, flower stands, a 70-meter-long tomb path, and a 300-square-meter exhibition room that showcases Xian Xinghai’s life and achievements. The exhibition is divided into seven sections: “In Guangzhou, Beijing, and Shanghai,” “In Paris,” “Returning to Shanghai,” “Shanghai – Wuhan,” “In Yan’an,” “In the Soviet Union,” and “In Memory.”

The elevated platform of the tomb resembles a giant yueqin (a traditional Chinese moon lute). The tomb is faced with dark red marble, atop which stands a 2.5-meter statue of Xian Xinghai—he is depicted in deep thought, his left hand slightly raised as if keeping time, while the rough, freely hewn lines of the granite around him resemble the surging waves of a river or sea—this imagery represents the People's Musician deeply engrossed in composing stirring melodies, with emotions running high. At the entrance of Xinghai Park stands a 2-meter-high memorial monument made of yellow wax stone (quartzite), reminiscent of a rock standing firm against the mighty waves of the Yellow River. The inscription on the monument quotes a line from a letter Xian Xinghai wrote to his mother: “For the sake of survival, we must fight hard to defend a motherland greater than our own mothers.” Xinghai Park also includes two buildings with glazed tile roofs and upturned eaves—the Xinghai Pavilion and the Xian Xinghai Memorial Hall.

Nestled by hills and water, Xinghai Park is lush with trees and enjoys a tranquil environment. Just inside the main gate stands a naturally shaped yellow wax stone monument. The front is inscribed with the eulogy written by Comrade Mao Zedong upon Xian Xinghai’s death: “In mourning for the People’s Musician Xian Xinghai,” while the back bears an inscription by Lü Ji, Honorary Chairman of the National Musicians Association. The monument’s text includes a famous quote by Xian Xinghai: “For the sake of survival, we must fight hard to defend a motherland greater than our own mothers,” reflecting the noble character of a people's musician. On the marble pedestal sits a bust of Xian Xinghai, and beneath the base lies a portion of his ashes.

Xinghai Park is one of Guangzhou’s patriotic education bases. In 1989, the Guangzhou Municipal People’s Government designated Xinghai Park as a Guangzhou Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Xian Xinghai (1905–1945) was from Panyu, Guangzhou (now Lanhe Town, Nansha District). Born into a poor fishing family, he lost his father at an early age and spent his childhood with his mother and grandfather. He was often inspired by the nursery rhymes and Cantonese opera songs sung by his mother, sparking an early love for music.

In the third year of the Xuantong era (1911), after his grandfather passed away, Xian Xinghai moved with his mother to Singapore, where they relied on his mother’s work as a maid to support their living and his education. In the seventh year of the Republic of China (1918), he returned to China and studied at the affiliated middle school of Lingnan University. After graduation, he was admitted to the liberal arts department of Lingnan University. He was a diligent student with a love for literature, calligraphy... More details about Xian Xinghai++

Further reading:

· Third Batch of Guangzhou Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Units