Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, April 3 Title: Remembering and Protecting the Inheritance – Transcript of Activities to Remember the Heroes in Many Places
Xinhua News Agency reporter
Tomb-Sweeping Day is here again, and a series of activities to commemorate the deeds of the martyrs and inherit the spirit of the heroes have been carried out in many places across the country. Recently, people have come to martyrs’ cemeteries, memorial parks, revolutionary museums and other places to remember their loved ones, pay homage to heroes and martyrs, express their feelings, and draw strength for progress from the memory and look back. The red gene and red blood continue to exist in the thoughts and perseverance across time and space.
In memory·Chrysanthemums send lovesickness
In the early morning of April 2, the sun shone on the Revolutionary Martyrs Cemetery in Changchun City. The daughter of martyr Chen Mingxiu from Puding County, Guizhou Province presented a flower basket to her father and touched the tombstone with her hands, unable to conceal her excitement. “We finally found my father’s resting place,” she said, choking up tears.
Martyr Chen Mingxiu joined the Chinese People’s Volunteers and went to the front line to resist U.S. aggression and aid Korea. He was only 22 years old when he died. He was a Guizhou martyr found since the Changchun Revolutionary Martyrs Cemetery launched its family search service.
In 2023, with the joint efforts of the Changchun Municipal Veterans Affairs Bureau, Changchun Revolutionary Martyrs Cemetery and the Puding County Veterans Affairs Bureau of Guizhou Province, staff from the two places repeatedly compared and verified the information, and finally allowed martyr Chen Mingxiu and her daughter to be reunited in Changchun. “Meet each other”.
Wang Gang, the grandson of martyr Chen Mingxiu, said: “After so many years, I never expected to find my grandfather again, giving us the opportunity to worship at the tomb and fulfilling our family’s dream.”
On April 2, people from all walks of life paid their respects to the heroes and martyrs in front of the Changchun Revolutionary Martyrs Monument at the Changchun Revolutionary Martyrs Cemetery.Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Yan Linyun
Loyal bones are buried everywhere in the green mountains, and every flower and tree expresses lovesickness.
On April 3, the Chongqing Geleshan Martyrs Cemetery was surrounded by pines and cypresses and stood tall sculptures. More than 800 relatives of martyrs, students, officers and soldiers, the masses and other representatives from all walks of life held flowers and walked around the tombs to pay homage to the martyrs. They presented white chrysanthemums to the revolutionary martyrs in turn.
Xia Jiyan, a 78-year-old relative of the martyrs, brought chrysanthemums to his father’s tomb, wiped the tombstone over and over again, and expressed his thoughts.
“In 1949, my father Xia Huilu died heroically in Zhazi Cave. I was only 3 years old at that time.” Xia Ji said that now the big family has been together for several generations, and the children have inherited the legacy of their ancestors and preached the red line in schools, government agencies, and village communities. The rock spirit spreads the red seeds farther away.
Guard·the original intention will never change
There is also a special group of “guardians” where the heroes rest. For decades, they have been voluntarily guarding the tombs of the martyrs, allowing the red stories to continue to spread and the heroic spirit to shine.
On April 1, 71-year-old Chen Jinguo came to the Du Chongjie Martyrs Cemetery in Chongjie Village, Yaojiaji Street, Huangpi District, Wuhan City, Hubei Province as usual. With a basket and a broom, he volunteered to guard the tomb of the martyrs for 58 years.
According to “Huangpi Literary History”, Du Chongjie served as the head of the Fifth District of the Anti-Japanese Democratic Government of Huangpi County and died in 1942. In 1966, a martyr’s tomb was built locally at the place where he died, and was later expanded into the “Du Chongjie Martyr Cemetery”.
During the relocation, Chen Jinguo clearly remembered that he felt the knife wound on the leg bone of the martyr. “That was a scar left to protect the people.”
The Qingming Festival is approaching, and many students come here to remember the martyrs. “I will tell the children the stories of the martyrs and tell them that the happy life now is hard-won and that they should learn from role models with practical actions.” Chen Jinguo said.
At the Red Army Martyrs’ Tomb in Shihao, Zhao Fujian stood in front of the monument.Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Tang Yi
Five unknown Red Army soldiers are buried at the Red Army Martyrs Tomb in Shihao, Qijiang District, Chongqing. Zhao Fuqian, 62 years old this year, and his father have guarded the tombs of the martyrs for more than 30 years.
“Shihao Town is a place where the Red Army once fought. We grew up listening to the deeds of the Red Army.” Zhao Fujian said that his father, Zhao Zhonghuai, was a veteran of the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea. After returning, he began to organize and tell stories about the tombs of the Red Army martyrs in Shihao. story.
Later, Zhao Fujian took over the baton from his father, told the story of the Red Army for a lifetime, and also cultivated a volunteer service team composed of more than 20 young commentators.
“Nowadays, more and more cadres and people come to pay their respects to the martyrs’ tombs. Sometimes we have to receive 3 to 5 teams a day. Although these five Red Army martyrs have no names, we will definitely tell their stories.” Volunteer commentator Peng Tianyu, a member of the service team, said.
Inheritance·continuing the red bloodline
Be cautious and pursue the long distance, and move forward bravely. In patches of red land, people reminisce about history, follow the footsteps of their ancestors, and absorb the spiritual strength of forging ahead.
Silently wiping the dust on the tombstones and touching the life stories of the martyrs on the tombstones… With a reminiscence, the students of Jilin Agricultural University silently paid tribute to the heroes with actions.
“Sweeping and wiping tombstones are of far-reaching significance to college students, allowing them to better receive patriotic education and improve their ideological cultivation.” said Wang Yan, a counselor at the School of Food Science and Engineering of Jilin Agricultural University.
Yu Na, director of the Changchun Revolutionary Martyrs Cemetery Management Center, said that visitors to the cemetery come from all walks of life. “The current daily reception volume is around 20,000 people, and it is expected to receive 150,000 visitors during the Qingming Festival.”
On April 2, students from Jilin Agricultural University paid homage in front of the tombstones of the revolutionary martyrs in Changchun City.Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Yan Linyun
In the past half month, the Wuhan Revolution Museum located in “Red Alley” in Wuchang, Hubei Province has received 80,000 visitors. Young volunteers wearing red vests can be seen everywhere in the venue, enthusiastically providing consultation guidance and volunteer explanation services to the audience.
“While doing volunteer service, I also received a profound education. Every time I talk about the deeds of our ancestors who sacrificed their lives and blood for the cause of liberation, I am very moved. I am honored to be a volunteer of the ‘Red Alley Miao Miao’ and tell the red story , carry forward the revolutionary spirit.” said Wu Huangwei from the Second Affiliated Primary School of Wuhan University.
Around the Qingming Festival, the Wuhan Revolution Museum has also launched a series of activities and new exhibitions. Through multiple red-themed activities such as poetry recitations, song and dance performances, and live dramas, red resources are “alive” and red tourism is “popular”. (Reporters Zhou Siyu, Hu Ge, Xiong Xianghe, Tang Chengzhuo)
2024-04-03 12:57:34
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