952, on the way to the south to inspect Yellow River , Chairman Mao proposed: Let the special train park in Handan for one hour. After getting off the car, he headed straight to the cemetery of Martyrs in Shanxi, Hebei, Shandong and Henan.
Here are comrades who fight side by side with him, and a history that can never be forgotten. Standing among the green pines and cypresses, Chairman Mao said affectionately: "They should have a place to rest."
Picture|Chairman Mao
Chairman Mao: Special train stayed in Handan
1952, not long after the founding of New China, Chairman Mao left Beijing to visit Xuzhou , Kaifeng , Xinxiang and other places to inspect The old Yellow River and the lives of the people along the way.
However, on the way back to Beijing, Chairman Mao deliberately proposed: Let the special train stop in Handan.
On November 1, 1952, Chairman Mao got off at at Handan Station and immediately went to the Shanxi, Hebei, Shandong and Henan Martyrs Cemetery. This was also the purpose of his trip. Chairman Mao was going to , the first large Martyrs Cemetery after the founding of New China, and personally visited the countless heroes who were sleeping in the cemetery.
Accompanied by Wang Dongxing, Li Yinqiao , Ye Zilong , and Minister of Public Security Luo Ruiqing, Ministry of Railways Minister Teng Daiyuan, Tianjin Party Secretary Huang Jing, and Tianjin Municipal Party Committee Head in charge of industry, Chairman Mao was riding in the car head towards the Martyrs Cemetery.
Picture|Chairman Mao
Soon, the convoy arrived at the gate of the Martyrs' Cemetery, and Chairman Mao, Luo Ruiqing, Teng Daiyuan and others walked into the Martyrs' Cemetery. The martyrs memorial tower was standing towards the door. Chairman Mao walked straight towards the memorial tower. He stopped under the memorial tower, took off his hat, and stood silently for a long time to commemorate the deceased heroes.
Then, he slowly put on his hat and circled the martyrs' memorial tower. While walking slowly, he read the words of each inscription, as if he had returned to that tragic moment of the year. Chairman Mao's footsteps finally settled on the east side of the martyrs' memorial tower, with words written by him engraved on it: "The martyrs who died bravely are glorious for the ages." It was magnificent and powerful, and he nodded.
It is worth mentioning that many years later, the national leader Bo Yibo also came to the Shanxi, Hebei, Shandong and Henan Martyrs Cemetery in Handan, and Bo Yibo proposed: highlight the position of Chairman Mao’s inscription. The inscription of the 1965 Martyrs Memorial Tower was rebuilt, and Chairman Mao’s inscription was placed on the front of the memorial tower.
So if we go to the Shanxi, Hebei, Shandong and Henan Martyrs Cemetery again today, what we see is Chairman Mao’s inscription on the front of the memorial tower. When we first enter the Martyrs Cemetery, the first thing we see is Chairman Mao’s vigorous and powerful words, and the heroic spirit of the heroes also came to our face.
pic | Shanxi Hebei Shandong and Henan Martyrs Memorial Tower
Let’s talk about it again after Chairman Mao left the Martyrs Memorial Tower in the Shanxi Hebei Shandong and Henan Martyrs Cemetery, Chairman Mao, Luo Ruiqing, Teng Daiyuan and others walked through the large square of the public memorial martyrs, came to the People’s Heroes Memorial Tomb opposite the tower monument to visit the cemetery.
Suddenly, Chairman Mao asked Luo Ruiqing and Teng Daiyuan beside him: "Where is Zuo Quan's tomb?"
"It's east." Teng Daiyuan left and answered.
Chairman Mao and his group immediately came to General Zuo Quan's tomb. General Zuo Quan's tomb was built of bluestone, with green cypresses on both sides, and the tombstone was engraved with five big words "Tomb of General Zuo Quan".
Chairman Mao took off his hat again, his serious expression climbed up his eyebrows again, stood solemnly and observed a long silence, and his heavy and sad emotions spread in the huge cemetery.
Picture | Chairman Mao and Luo Ruiqing
Luo Ruiqing noticed that Chairman Mao was obviously deeply in the sad and depressed mood. He whispered to Chairman Mao: "There is also an inscription from President Zhu over there."
After General Zuo Quan died, Commander-in-Chief Zhu De personally wrote a lyric to mourn his comrades:
" Famous generals sacrificed their lives for the country, and were willing to fight for their blood to protect our country.
TaihangThe great spirit has been passed down through the ages, leaving Qingzhang's blood spitting flowers."
After Luo Ruiqing reminded, Chairman Mao came to the stele of the poem written by President Zhu himself and recited every word. After he finished reading it, he sighed deeply. People around him could clearly capture the nostalgia and regret contained in his sigh.
General Zuo Quan was the highest-level martyr buried in the Shanxi, Hebei, Shandong and Henan Martyrs Cemetery, and the highest-level general of the Communist Party who died on the battlefield of the Eighth Route Army on the Anti-Japanese War. His sacrifice back then was a pain in the hearts of countless people.
pic|Zhu De wrote the inscription for Zuo Quan
Left Quan: Taihang's great spirit has passed through the ages
年后大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大大� Zhu De was appointed as the commander-in-chief, Peng Dehuai was appointed as the deputy commander-in-chief, Ye Jianying was appointed as the chief of staff, and Zuo Quan was appointed as the deputy chief of staff.
Zuo Quan is one of the main commanders and leaders of the Taihang Mountain Anti-Japanese Base Area. He led the Eighth Route Army soldiers to win many victories. He is the "war general" in the eyes of the military and civilians, and the "thorn in the eyes" that the Japanese army wants to kill him quickly.
pic | Zuo Quan (second from right), Zhu De (third from right)
In May 1942, the Japanese invaders were unwilling to the failure of the Hundred Regiments Battle , and launched an unprecedented large-scale mobilization of the anti-Japanese base areas behind the enemy in North China. They gathered tens of thousands of troops to invade the hinterland of the Taihang Mountain Base from , Liao County (that is, today's Zuoquan County), Wuxiang , Xiangyuan and other places, trying to kill the headquarters of the Eighth Route Army in Taihang Mountain .
A large number of Japanese troops launched an iron-clad siege on the Eighth Route Army headquarters. Peng Dehuai ordered:
"Zuo Quan led the headquarters and Northern Bureau to break through the northwest, and Luo Ruiqing led the field political department to break eastward..."
Peng Dehuai had not finished speaking, Zuo Quan raised an objection. He emphasized: "You are the commander, and the headquarters cannot be without you, you can rush out first." Zuo Quan believes that protecting Peng Dehuai's safety is very important and that Peng Dehuai must not stay.
Amid the fierce artillery fire of the enemy, various departments of the Eighth Route Army Headquarters were ordered to transfer, and Zuo Quan could not let go of the safety of the masses. When he saw that there were still some people on the mountain that were not out of danger, he asked the guard company commander Tang Wancheng to withdraw part of the troops that were already very tight to attract the attention of the Japanese army and cover the masses to transfer as soon as possible.
At the same time, Zuo Quan kept urging Peng Dehuai to transfer quickly. Peng Dehuai was unwilling to leave. Zuo Quan shouted to him: "Your transfer is of great importance. Only when you safely break through the encirclement can the headquarters be saved." He ordered the guard company commander Tang Wancheng to quickly cover Peng Dehuai's departure.
Peng Dehuai saw Zuo Quan so persistent and was unwilling to miss the opportunity to fight anymore. He waved his whip and galloped away under the cover of the guards. Until he saw General Peng being taken away safely, Zuo Quan felt relieved.
Picture | Zuo Quan
Japanese planes projected and strafed from time to time. Tang Wancheng grabbed Zuo Quan's arm and told him: "General Peng has already rushed through the blockade line, please follow me quickly." Zuo Quan resolutely rejected Tang Wancheng's proposal, and he wanted to stay and command the breakthrough.
Tang Wancheng was unwilling to let Zuo Quan take risks, so he held his arm tightly. Zuo Quan was also anxious and directly scolded Tang Wancheng: "You must understand that if President Peng has a few shortcomings, I will shoot you."
Zuo Quan's determination made Tang Wancheng have no choice but to let go, pursue General Peng's direction, and be ordered to protect his safety.
Zuo Quan climbed up to the Gaojiapo of Cross Ridge and shouted to the team behind him in a hoarse voice: "Don't hide, rush out of the mountain pass is victory, comrades, rush forward."
With his encouragement, everyone was full of ambition and moved forward step by step. Zuo Quan walked at the front of the team. He always observed the situation ahead in order to deal with any emergencies.
When he was about to reach the last blockade of the enemy, Zuo Quan signaled the troops to stop. He told everyone to lie down first and said, "I have nothing to do in the past and you will go."
Zuo Quan walked forward a few steps, and suddenly a shell landed beside him. Zuo Quan didn't care about his safety and shouted that everyone should lie down quickly. Immediately afterwards, when everyone had no time to react, the Japanese army threw several shells one after another, and Zuo Quan's head, chest, and abdomen were all hit, and blood was flowing.
On May 25, 1942, General Zuo Quan sprinkled blood on the battlefield and sacrificed heroically.He successfully covered the transfer of headquarters and troops, protecting the lives of soldiers and the masses, but his life is forever frozen on the Cross Ridge of Liao County.
Picture | Zuoquan
On May 27, the bad news of Zuoquan's sacrifice spread to Yan'an , and it reached Chairman Mao and Zhu De's ears. Chairman Mao specially sent a telegram to mourn Zuoquan:
"It's been heard at 5:00 on the day. The headquarters was attacked, Zuoquan died, and he deeply mourned..."
in Zuoquan Peng Dehuai, who escaped safely from the Japanese encirclement under cover, said passionately in the face of the Eighth Route Army soldiers:
"Comrades, let us wipe away our tears, grit our teeth, avenge our chief of staff (i.e. Zuo Quan), avenge our sacrificed comrades, and avenge our tragic death!"
All the Eighth Route Army soldiers had tears in their eyes, made up their minds, and vowed to turn grief into strength, and use the results of bravely killing the enemy to avenge our sacrificed General Zuo Quan!
pic | Zuo Quan's old photo
General Zuo Quan's tomb
After Zuo Quan's sacrifice, his comrades had no time to deal with his body. The guard company soldiers hurriedly carried his body into the thorn bush of Cross Ridge , covered it with a military quilt, and covered some branches.
After the Japanese army withdrew, the soldiers bought coffins again, returned to Cross Ridge, put on a new military uniform for General Zuo Quan, covered him with a red flag, and buried him properly on the spot.
To say how evil the Japanese army is doing is so numerous! When they learned that the famous anti-Japanese general Zuo Quan died, they actually returned to Cross Ridge, dug up on Cross Ridge, found Zuo Quan's coffin, took inhumane photos of General Zuo Quan's body, and published it in enemy and puppet newspapers.
Their bad behavior further aroused the indignation of the military and civilians in the anti-Japanese base areas. Everyone was determined to unite and defeat these hateful Japanese troops.
pic | General Zuo Quan statue
June 24, 1942, according to the signature request of more than 10,000 people in Liao County, Shanhebei-Shandong-Hebei Border Region Government decided to rename Liao County, this land sacrificed by Zuo Quan, to Zuo Quan County, commemorate Yongzhi. On September 18, in Xihuangjin Village, the county government’s headquarters, everyone held a grand name change conference, and since then the name of Zuoquan County has been passed down.
After Zuo Quan died for half a year, Chairman Mao approved the burial of Zuo Quan. The headquarters of the Eighth Route Army built a tomb at the foot of Lianhua Mountain at the foot of Taihang Mountain in Shimen Village, She County, Hebei Province. The Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Border Region Government also moved General Zuo Quan's coffin from Cross Ridge to Lianhua Mountain.
General Zuo Quan's tomb is against Lianhua Mountain. Facing Qingzhang River , the heroic soul is accompanied by the green waters of Cangshan Mountain. His tomb is made of bluestone and is rectangular. The tombstone is engraved with the words "General Zuo Quan's tomb". The base is carved with decorative pictures such as hammers, gears, chains, and rifles, which look particularly solemn and solemn.
Picture | General Zuo Quan Memorial Tower
On October 10, thousands of military and civilians gathered at the foot of Lianhua Mountain to attend the public funeral conference. Peng Dehuai wrote and wrote the "Inscription on the Inscription on Comrade Zuo Quan" by himself.
Teng Daiyuan, the new deputy chief of staff of the Eighth Route Army who took over Zuo Quan's position, presided over the ceremony and read out the "Eighth Route Army Memorial Text". Teng Daiyuan said:
"As long as there is a place where the Eighth Route Army lives, there will be his shadow. For twenty years, he has always lived among us. Until the enemy snatched his life, his figure still lives in the hearts of every comrade."
Yang Xiufeng, chairman of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Border Region Government, covered the last tombstone for Zuo Quan's tomb. Luo Ruiqing, Deng Xiaoping, Liu Bocheng and others held shovels in their hands to cover up the loess for General Zuo Quan's cemetery. Luo Ruiqing, then director of the field political department, stood in front of General Zuo Quan's tomb and said firmly:
"It is not finished to salute the martyrs. There are three things to do in the future. The first is revenge! The second is revenge! The third is revenge!"
everyone was filled with righteous indignation and fighting spirit. Driven by patriotism and the spirit of martyrs, more than 500 passionate young people voluntarily signed up on the spot.
Picture | Zuoquan
Since General Zuo Quan was buried here, a young man named Yang Aigong has begun to guard his tomb. Yang Aigong is from Shimen Village, She County, Handan City, Hebei Province. In the year when Zuo Quan died, he was only 14 years old. With the protection of the Eighth Route Army, he barely survived the Japanese killings.
Yang Aigong attended the public memorial meeting that year. He knew that the hero Zuo Quan was sleeping here, and many Eighth Route Army soldiers also sleeping here. Yang Aigong had never seen Zuo Quan or those martyrs who died, but that bloody history was something he had experienced personally. He began to be a gravekeeper, taking care of and accompanying the heroes for the Party and the government.
He goes to farm work every day, and then makes time to come to the cemetery to clean, and then continue to farm after cleaning. He has been voluntarily doing these things to express the respect of an ordinary person to the great martyr.
After the arduous battle of the Chinese people, the War of Resistance Against Japan ushered in victory and the revolutionary cause ushered in spring. General Zuo Quan did not see that on the day of the founding of New China, the people's faces were filled with bright smiles, and this was probably what he wanted.
Picture | General Zuo Quan Memorial Hall
1950, eight years after General Zuo Quan died in his country, with the approval of the Central People's Government, his coffin moved from She County to the Shanxi Hebei Martyrs Cemetery in Handan City, Hebei.
Even so, Yang Aigong did not give up guarding the tomb. He believed that although the remains of martyrs such as Zuo Quan were not here, the heroic souls of martyrs must still be here because this is the land they protected with their lives.
So from the cold and the heat, Yang Aigong insisted on cleaning the cemetery. He said: "Winning the Zuoquan cemetery every day is particularly large. It is not easy to clean it once a day. It takes 6 hours to clean it once." But he still has no regrets.
A great hero like Zuo Quan is remembered by millions of people, and of course he is also cared about by the people's leader Chairman Mao.
Picture|Chairman Mao wrote an inscription for the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Hebei Martyrs Cemetery
Chairman Mao: They should have a resting place
The year Chairman Mao came to the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Hebei Martyrs Cemetery was two years after Zuo Quan's coffin was moved. He looked at General Zuo Quan's tomb and felt nostalgic.
Chairman Mao stood in the square in front of Zuoquan Monument, looking at the green pines and cypresses in the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Hebei Martyrs Cemetery, and sighed deeply: "They should have a resting place!"
In fact, in addition to General Zuo Quan, there are many heroes who sleep in the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Hebei Martyrs Cemetery.
For example, Fan Zhuxian, a national hero of anti-Japanese war, in November 1938, General Fan Zhuxian commanded his subordinate troops to fight fiercely with the Japanese army. Fan Zhuxian was seriously injured in his arm and fought with wounds. Faced with a large number of Japanese reinforcements, Fan Zhuxian was unwilling to be captured, raised his gun and committed suicide, and died heroically for his country.
For example, Fan Zhuxian's son Fan Shumin. In August 1938, Fan Zhuxian led his troops to kill the enemy. The Anti-Japanese Advance Brigade was the vanguard of the combat, and his son Fan Shumin was the captain of the Anti-Japanese Advance Brigade. When the troops met the Japanese army, Fan Shumin immediately fought fiercely with the enemy and died heroically in the battle. Unexpectedly, three months after Fan Shumin's death, his father Fan Zhuxian also sprinkled blood on the battlefield.
In the Shanxi, Hebei, Shandong and Henan Martyrs Cemetery, there are many great heroes like Zuo Quan, Fan Zhuxian, and Fan Shumin. They defend their homes with their lives and protect our people. Their young lives will always be frozen in those years of war. Fortunately, the war is gone now, and these heroes can sleep peacefully in the land of the motherland, accompanying Qingsong Green Cypress , and countless comrades, people, and future generations come here to commemorate them.
Chairman Mao walked out of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Hebei Martyrs Cemetery. After getting on the car, his eyes still did not leave the tall stele tower in the Martyrs Cemetery. He returned to Beijing and rushed to the cause of serving the people again. But his memories, his thoughts, and his sorrow were all left in this solemn cemetery...
In June 1956, Premier Zhou and Deng Yingchao also came to the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Hebei Martyrs Cemetery. Before entering, Premier Zhou waved his hand and signaled that the car was parked outside the door. He wanted to walk in step by step. Premier Zhou and Deng Yingchao visited the memorial tower and the People's Heroes Memorial Tomb to express their remembrance of the heroes.
Today's Shanxi, Hebei, Shandong and Henan Martyrs Cemetery is still surrounded by green pines and cypresses. Thousands of descendants have entered the cemetery and are also approaching the magnificent history. As the stars change, the sea changes greatly, the people will never forget those heroes who sacrificed their lives for the nation!
