Ruijin Red Army Martyrs' Memorial Tower

　　The Red Army Martyrs' Memorial Tower is 13 meters high. Its shell-shaped body is embedded with small stones, each representing the unity of innumerable revolutionary martyrs. The base is pentagonal, with ten stone tablets inlaid around it—five bearing inscriptions from leaders including Mao Zedong, [redacted], [redacted], Bo Gu, Xiang Ying, Luo Fu, Wang Jiaxiang, Kai Feng, and Deng Fa, and the other five marking the construction of the tower. On the ground directly in front of the tower, cinders are arranged to spell out eight bold characters: "March Forward on the Bloodstained Path of the Martyrs." Together with the memorial tower, they form a complete composition, expressing the profound reverence and remembrance of the people in the Soviet Area for the martyrs.

　　The Red Army Martyrs' Memorial Tower was built by the Provisional Central Government of the Chinese Soviet Republic to honor the martyrs and perpetually commemorate the Red Army officers and soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the revolutionary wars over the years. Its construction was decided at the 45th meeting of the Central People's Committee on July 11, 1933. It was designed by Qian Zhuangfei, with Liang Botai serving as the engineering supervisor.

　　In October 1934, after the main forces of the Red Army embarked on the Long March, the Red Army Martyrs' Memorial Tower was demolished by the enemy. Amid grief and anger, local residents risked their lives to dismantle the only intact character “Martyr” (烈) from the tower and took it home to hide, preserving it until the liberation of China. To restore the historical appearance, the tower was reconstructed on the original site in 1955 according to its former design and was listed as a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit in 1961.

　　Every year during Qingming Festival, students come to pay their respects. When central leaders visit Ruijin, their first act is to lay a wreath at the martyrs' tower to express their reverence. Indeed, every stone of the memorial tower carries the spirit of the martyrs and records the touching stories of how the people of the Soviet Area made selfless sacrifices and shed blood for the victory of the Chinese revolution. Mr. Yang Rongxian from Shazhouba, Ruijin, had eight sons. During the height of the Fifth Encirclement Campaign, he resolutely responded to the government’s call to expand the Red Army and sent all eight of them to join. Tragically, none of the eight sons survived; all died on the battlefield. When Mr. Yang lay on his deathbed, not a single son was there to see him off. What sorrow, what heroism that was. The people of the Soviet Area sacrificed and contributed enormously for the Chinese Soviet Republic. At that time, Ruijin County had a population of just 240,000, yet 49,000 joined the Red Army—nearly all able-bodied young men, even 14- and 15-year-old “Little Red Devils,” joined the revolutionary ranks. Among them, 17,166 named martyrs gave their lives for the revolution. After the Red Army’s Long March, the people of Ruijin suffered brutal retaliation from the enemy. The families of Red Army soldiers and ordinary civilians were wantonly arrested and killed. Many areas became “blood-soaked villages” or “ghost villages.” “The population of Ruijin County was almost halved.” The devastation was as described in a report: “No house left unburned, no tree left uncut, no chicken or dog left alive, no able-bodied man left, no smoke from kitchens, only the wailing of ghosts in the fields.” From the Red Army’s Long March in 1934 until the area’s liberation again in 1949—about 15 years—the population of Ruijin continuously declined.

　　The Red Army Martyrs' Memorial Tower is a spiritual monument forged from the blood of revolutionary martyrs. It will forever shine brilliantly in the hearts of the people.

　　Location

　　Yangxi Village, Yeping Township, Ruijin City, Jiangxi Province