Mingguang City Martyrs' Monument

📍 Address: 50 meters west of Provincial Road 309, Mingguang City, Chuzhou City, Anhui Province
🏛️ Type: Historical & Cultural / Memorial Architecture
📅 Original Construction Date: 1958 (Completely rebuilt in 2004)

🏛 Historical Background

The Mingguang City Martyrs' Monument stands in the heart of the former core area of the New Fourth Army’s anti-Japanese base. It was built to honor revolutionary martyrs who sacrificed their lives during the War of Resistance against Japan, the Liberation War, and the period of socialist construction. Originally constructed in 1958, it was fully reconstructed in 2004 due to deterioration over time. Today, it is a key cultural heritage site under protection and a national patriotism education base in Mingguang City.

🌟 Architectural Features

Rising to a total height of 15.6 meters, the monument is constructed from granite and features a square pyramid shape, symbolizing the enduring strength of revolutionary spirit. The front face bears the eight gilded characters “Eternal Glory to Revolutionary Martyrs,” inscribed by Zhang Yunyi, former Political Commissar of the East China Military Region. The base is surrounded by white marble railings adorned with relief carvings depicting scenes of New Fourth Army soldiers fighting bravely on the battlefield and supporting the front lines—rendered in a solemn and dignified artistic style.

📜 Cultural Relics and Exhibits

A central plaza before the monument features five groups of bronze statues portraying scenes of combat and dedication across different historical periods. Stone walls on either side engrave the names of 3,217 martyrs—local sons from Mingguang or those who died while serving in the region—arranged by place of origin and date of sacrifice, offering significant historical value. Inside, a small exhibition hall displays archival documents, personal belongings, and audiovisual materials related to the New Fourth Army’s activities in Eastern Anhui during the War of Resistance.

🌿 Cultural Significance

As a major red cultural landmark in eastern Anhui, this monument carries profound revolutionary memory and serves as a core venue for party spirit education, national defense education, and patriotic instruction for youth. Public memorial ceremonies are regularly held each year on important occasions such as Qingming Festival and Army Day.

🚶 Visitor Information

• Opening Hours: Open free of charge throughout the year, daily from 8:00 to 17:30 (open on holidays)
• Transportation Tips: Take a bus from Chuzhou to Mingguang, and alight at the “Mingguang Martyrs’ Cemetery” stop, then walk 500 meters
• Visitor Notes: Please maintain solemnity; avoid loud talking or flash photography. Group visits are recommended to be pre-booked

🕊 “Green mountains bury loyal bones, heroic spirit spans the sky.” — The Mingguang City Martyrs' Monument, a towering memorial forged by faith.