Guangzhou Naval Martyrs' Cemetery

Guangzhou Naval Martyrs' Cemetery

The Guangzhou Naval Martyrs' Cemetery is a cultural relic protection unit of Guangzhou City.

The Guangzhou Naval Martyrs' Cemetery is located on the western hillside within the compound at No. 170 Junxiao Road, Changzhou Subdistrict, Huangpu District.

In 1950, 24 brave soldiers of the People's Liberation Army Navy who sacrificed their lives during the liberation of the Wanshan Islands (also known as the Battle of Wanshan Islands) were laid to rest here. The cemetery features a bust and a memorial monument of one of the martyrs, Lin Wenhhu. The inscription on the monument reads “Political Department of the First Fleet, PLA Navy, August 4, 1953.”

Lin Wenhhu was from Qiaotou Village in Chaoshan, Guangdong, and a member of the Communist Party of China. During the Battle of Wanshan Islands, he served as the deputy commander of the Coastal Defense Unit under the River Defense Command. He led three gunboats — the "Liberation," the "Labor," and the "Advance" — in frontline combat missions. At around 5 a.m. on May 25, near the waters of Lajiwei Island, his unit encountered over 20 enemy ships. Undeterred, Lin Wenhhu charged into the enemy fleet to direct the battle, sinking the "Yongning" ship and damaging the "Zhongzi" ship. He defeated enemy vessels with a total tonnage more than a hundred times greater than his own, achieving the first major victory for the People’s Navy. Lin Wenhhu eventually died a heroic death and was posthumously honored as a Combat Hero of the Central-South Military Region Navy. Chairman Mao Zedong praised the Battle of Wanshan Islands, saying, “This is the first battle example of the People’s Navy and deserves recognition.”

In 1994, the Guangzhou Municipal People’s Government and the Guangzhou Naval Base built the cemetery to commemorate the martyrs who fell in the Battle of Wanshan Islands. The site covers an area of approximately 1,000 square meters.

In 2008, the Guangzhou Naval Martyrs' Cemetery was designated as a cultural relic protection unit of Guangzhou City.

Protected area: Extending 5 meters beyond the boundary of the cultural relic itself.

Construction control zone: The construction control zone of this cultural relic protection unit is included within the construction control zone of the national-level protected site, the Former Site of the Whampoa Military Academy, and shall comply with the relevant regulations thereof.

Changzhou Subdistrict: Established in August 2002, Changzhou Subdistrict is located in the southwest of Huangpu District and is an independent island at the mouth of the Pearl River. It is the site of the famous former Whampoa Military Academy. To the southeast, it is connected by bridge to Xiaoguwei in Xinzao Town, Panyu District; to the west, it faces Haizhu District; and to the north, it faces the old port of Huangpu across the river. The subdistrict covers a total area of 11.5 square kilometers, including 8.5 square kilometers of land area. By the end of 2003, it had 177 hectares of arable land and 1,146.5 mu of forested hills; it comprised four community neighborhood committees — Shenjing, Changzhou, Huangchuan, and Meiyuan — and 36 resident groups; the registered population was 20,935 people in 6,231 households... More details about Changzhou Subdistrict++

Further reading:

· Seventh Batch of Guangzhou Cultural Relic Protection Units