Gazing up, do you notice the imposing monument before us? This is the \u7ca4\u519b\u7b2c\u4e00\u5e08\u8bf8\u5148\u70c8\u7eaa\u5ff5\u7891. It stands as a solemn reminder of a tumultuous period in Chinese history.
This monument is located in Guangzhou’s Tianhe District. More precisely it is in the Xinghua Street Jianwu Community Yanshan Road Niuzhu Gang. It is a Guangdong Province cultural relic. The \u7ca4\u519b\u7b2c\u4e00\u5e08\u8bf8\u5148\u70c8\u7eaa\u5ff5\u7891 represents modern history and architecture. It gained recognition in July 2022. Its history dates back to 1937.
Originally this area was a burial ground. It was for soldiers of the Guangdong First Division. Later it included the National Revolutionary Army Fourth Army. This was a tribute to those who died in the Eastern Expedition and Northern Expedition. Initially the graves of the fallen lined the memorial.
In September 1939 the Nationalist Government renovated the cemetery. They then constructed the \u7ca4\u519b\u7b2c\u4e00\u5e08\u8bf8\u5148\u70c8\u7eaa\u5ff5\u7891 within it. Before the monument lay the Guangdong First Division Martyrs Cemetery. The cemetery was arranged in a sloped pattern. The graves were neatly aligned. Each grave had a porcelain statue made in Jingdezhen. These detailed statues represented each soldier. They included their rank and name. This arrangement resembled the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang. It also mirrored the layout of the 19th Route Army淞沪 Anti-Japanese War Cemetery.
The \u7ca4\u519b\u7b2c\u4e00\u5e08\u8bf8\u5148\u70c8\u7eaa\u5ff5\u7891 faces west. It was built in September 1939. The structure is a square cone made of granite. Inside there is a reinforced concrete structure. It stands 38 meters tall with a base area of 197 square meters. The monument has nine levels split into upper and lower sections. The lower part consists of three square terraces. Each side measures 15.2 meters. The upper section is a four-sided spire that rises from the fourth floor.
The monument’s front is inscribed with eleven large characters. They spell out “\u7ca4\u519b\u7b2c\u4e00\u5e08\u8bf8\u5148\u70c8\u7eaa\u5ff5\u7891”. There is also an inscription indicating the year. Chiang Kai-shek wrote this inscription. At the top of the monument is the Kuomintang emblem. It shows a blue sky and white sun.
In the 1950s the site became a rubber testing station. It was later used as an open-air warehouse. Much of the cemetery was destroyed. During the Cultural Revolution almost all the tombs were razed. The remains of the soldiers were lost. Only the monument and a few scattered tombstones remained. The 青天白日 emblem and inscriptions were covered up.
In 1986 the Guangzhou Municipal People’s Government renovated the monument. They restored the 青天白日 emblem. They also restored Chiang Kai-shek’s inscription using cement. In 1993 it became a key cultural relic of Guangzhou. The Guangzhou Municipal Institute of Archaeology manages it.
Since 2004 there have been proposals to restore the monument. The proposals also suggested turning the monument into a memorial park. In 2010 the Guangzhou Municipal Institute of Archaeology reinforced the monument. In 2011, management was supposed to shift to the Guangzhou Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau.
To the left of the monument is the “Overseas Chinese Communications Department Martyrs Tomb”. This tomb commemorates Chinese people. They gathered funds for the revolution during the Xinhai Revolution. Their ship sank and they died. Much of the area around the monument has been developed. It now has residential buildings and gardens. It was once used as a driving school training ground. In November 2010, the remains of martyr Wu Hanzhi were found nearby. They were temporarily placed near the monument. They were moved back at the end of March 2012.
The \u7ca4\u519b\u7b2c\u4e00\u5e08\u8bf8\u5148\u70c8\u7eaa\u5ff5\u7891 stands as a powerful reminder. It represents sacrifice and remembrance. It invites contemplation on the past. It urges us to remember the heroes of the revolution.