Turtle Mountain Park in Wuhan - A Tribute to Martyr Xiang Jingyu

The two famous mountains in Wuhan, known as 'the turtle and snake lock the great river,' are places with a red revolutionary heritage. Indeed, after visiting Snake Mountain, I immediately climbed Turtle Mountain to pay my respects to the only female founder of the Party, Martyr Xiang Jingyu, who rests there. The Martyr Xiang Jingyu Cemetery is nestled against the mountain and by the water, with green trees filling the garden, giving a solemn and respectful feeling. It consists of four parts: the martyr's statue, the martyr's tomb, the cemetery of red warriors, and the exhibition hall displaying the life and deeds of Xiang Jingyu. Xiang Jingyu, as Chairman Mao's fellow Hunanese, the first female member of the Central Committee of our Party, and a pioneer of the women's movement, used her short 33 years of life to exemplify the brilliant life of an outstanding Communist with her final words, 'I come from darkness and go towards the light.' On July 15, 1927, Wang Jingwei openly betrayed the revolution in Wuhan, crazily slaughtering thousands of Communists and revolutionary masses, including famous martyrs such as Xiang Jingyu, Xia Minghan, Ma Jun, Huang Wuyi, Ren Kaiguo, Chen Qike, and others. Touchingly, after the martyrs' sacrifice, seamen Chen Chunhe and Wang Zhaigong risked their lives late at night to secretly bury the martyrs and record their heroic names. Both men were later killed, and the list of martyrs was lost. Later generations remember the martyrs and call them 'red warriors.' I slowly approached the statue of Martyr Xiang Jingyu, gazing at this great woman with a book in hand, looking into the distance with a hopeful expression for the future. With immense admiration, reverence, and respect, I bowed three times to the martyr. Regrettably, it was Monday, and the exhibition hall displaying the life and deeds of Xiang Jingyu was closed. Looking through the glass at the front door, I was reluctant to leave for a long time. Time and again, I reflect on the sacrifices of the martyrs and feel deeply that the good life we enjoy today was bought with the blood and lives of revolutionary martyrs. Remembering history and not forgetting the martyrs is the eternal voice from my heart! The Martyr Xiang Jingyu Cemetery is a national key revolutionary martyr memorial building protection unit and a national-level 'patriotic education base.'