Dabie Mountain Martyrs' Cemetery

　　The Dabie Mountain Martyrs' Cemetery is located in Yuexi County in the hinterland of the Dabie Mountains. It is the site of the famous Qingshui Fort, the place where the 28th Red Army was re-established, and served as the political and military center during the three-year guerrilla warfare period in the border region of Hubei, Henan, and Anhui. The cemetery is part of China’s twelve premier red tourism routes and one hundred classic scenic spots. It receives over 100,000 visitors annually and is a national-level martyrs’ memorial facility, as well as a key cultural relic protection unit of Anhui Province. It is also recognized as a Provincial Patriotic Education Base, National Defense Education Base, and Integrity Education Base. The cemetery is situated at the intersection of National Highways 105 and 318, just 1 kilometer from the Yuexi exit of the Dong-Xiang Expressway, offering convenient transportation.

　　The cemetery was first built in 1958 and covers an area of 66,000 square meters. Nestled against the mountains and near the water, it is shaded by lush trees and boasts a beautiful environment. Within the grounds are the Dabie Mountain Martyrs Memorial Hall, the Martyrs Monument, the Red Army Pavilion, the Heroes Group Sculpture, the Hundred Steps Staircase, and the Martyrs’ Tomb Cluster, among other commemorative facilities and structures. The architecture is classic and elegant, with the sites arranged in an orderly fashion, covering a total construction area of 8,000 square meters.

　　The main gate of the cemetery features classical architecture with blue bricks and gray tiles, exuding dignity and simplicity. Beyond the gate lies a large parking plaza and the grand Hundred Steps Staircase. At the top of the staircase sits a massive Heroes Group Sculpture. Carved from granite, the sculpture vividly depicts a group of heroes, represented by the martyr Wang Buwen, who relentlessly fought for the liberation of the people, sacrificing themselves heroically in an unyielding struggle.

　　Walking up the steps southward from the sculpture leads to the majestic Revolutionary Martyrs Monument. Originally built in 1958, the monument stands 13.5 meters tall, commemorating the 135,000 martyrs of the Dabie Mountain region. The white marble structure is built from huge stones, with the front engraved with eight gilded characters “革命烈士永垂不朽” (“Eternal Glory to the Revolutionary Martyrs”) personally inscribed by Commander-in-Chief Zhu De. Thirty-eight marble pillars stand around the base of the monument, symbolizing the 38,000 brave sons and daughters of Yuexi who sacrificed their lives for the country.

　　About a hundred meters from the monument lies the core building of the cemetery — the Dabie Mountain Revolutionary Martyrs Memorial Hall. The exhibition hall features a double-eaved structure surrounded by corridors, with upturned eaves and green-tiled roofs, presenting a spectacular sight.

　　Entering the exhibition hall, on the left are the inscriptions personally written by Chairman Li Xiannian and Marshal Xu Xiangqian for the memorial hall. On the right is the giant oil painting “Bathing in Blood in the Dabie Mountains.” In the center is the large-scale group sculpture “Passionate Spring and Autumn,” depicting the glorious history of the founding of the Party organization in the Dabie Mountain region, the establishment of four major peasant armed forces, and the formation of the three main Red Armies. The back of the sculpture lists the names of over 2,000 martyrs from Yuexi. The exhibition is divided into six sections, highlighting the revolutionary history of the Dabie Mountain area and showcasing the life stories of more than 100 notable martyrs, including Wang Buwen, the first Secretary of the Anhui Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, and Gao Jingting, the political commissar of the 28th Red Army. The hall displays 455 precious revolutionary relics and photographs, and employs various artistic forms such as oil paintings, reliefs, and scene reconstructions, along with technological elements like sound, light, and electricity, making it highly impactful and engaging.

　　Ascending 51 steps from the back of the exhibition hall leads to the highest point of the cemetery. Surrounded by green pines and cypresses, this spot is the burial place of the remains of Martyr Wang Buwen.

　　The southwest section of the cemetery is the centralized burial area for scattered martyrs. Here lie nearly a thousand martyrs, including Chen Luqian, the Political Commissar of the 34th Red Army Division, and Wang Yichun, a regiment commander of the New Fourth Army.

　　In the northwest part of the cemetery is a hill where dozens of martyrs who bravely sacrificed themselves for the revolution and construction in different periods are buried. These include Fang Qiannan, a regiment commander of the 34th Red Army Division; Lin Chengxiang, the political commissar of the Fourth Guerrilla Division of the 28th Red Army; and Wu Yunxia, the secretary of the Qianshan Work Committee.

　　The northeast section of the cemetery features a beautiful plum and peach orchard that blooms year-round. It is the resting place of some battle-hardened Red Army veterans who risked their lives for the revolution. On the back slope of the cemetery stands a Red Army Pavilion, funded by the Nanjing Branch of the People’s Bank of China. The pavilion is nine meters tall, double-layered and octagonal, shining brilliantly. It commemorates the 11th, 12th, 25th, 27th, and 28th Red Armies, as well as the Fourth Front Army, all of which were either formed or fought in the Dabie Mountain region. After visiting the exhibition, guests can climb to the pavilion to rest and enjoy the panoramic view of the mountain city, taking in the beautiful scenery of lakes and mountains.

　　The Dabie Mountain Martyrs' Cemetery has become an important site in the old revolutionary base areas for red tourism, promoting patriotism, and providing education on Party history, national defense, integrity, and revolutionary traditions.

　　Source: Ministry of Civil Affairs of the People’s Republic of China