88 soldiers who fell in 1950s war laid to rest in Shenyang cemetery

A burial ceremony for the remains of fallen soldiers of the ninth group of martyrs of the Chinese People's Volunteers was held in Shenyang, Liaoning province, on Saturday morning.

More than 70 years after the 88 martyrs died for their country in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-53), they were laid to rest in their motherland.

An honor guard of People's Liberation Army soldiers escorted the caskets of the volunteers to their resting place while veterans and local residents in attendance sang the national anthem.

After the caskets were set down, those attending bowed three times to the martyrs, and soldiers then fired 12 times in honor of the fallen volunteers.

As an orchestra played, the honor guard raised the coffins of the martyrs and slowly walked toward the burial ground. Silently and solemnly, the mourners presented flowers to the martyrs, and reverentially viewed the Martyrs' Wall of Fame.

"Because of martyrs' great contributions, the country has become strong, people have gained wealth, and the nation has achieved great rejuvenation. Martyrs, your name will always be remembered and mourned by the people," said Pei Jinjia, minister of the veterans affairs.

He said the heroes' mission had been completed and that they should rest in peace in their homeland instead of remaining in a foreign country.

Since 2014, a total of 913 Chinese volunteers have been laid to rest in Shenyang Volunteer Martyrs' Cemetery, including the special level combat heroes Huang Jiguang and Yang Gensi. So far, more than 20 million people have visited the graves.

"Only when our country is strong enough can our martyrs return to their motherland. It is precisely because of the martyrs' sacrifice that our motherland is now prosperous and strong," said a woman whose surname is Lang, a family member of one of the martyrs.

Lyu Chao, dean of the Institute of American and East Asian Studies of Liaoning University, said, "As the first war since the founding of New China, the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea laid a significant foundation for the peace and stability of China and established its position in the international arena."

He added that it is significant that Liaoning served as the point of departure for Chinese soldiers in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea. Their spirit has kept encouraging both local people and the entire Chinese people in development over the years.

The Chinese volunteers left for the war from Liaoning province on Dec 26, 1950. In all, 2.9 million Chinese volunteer soldiers set out from there. Around 200,000 Chinese martyrs sacrificed their lives during the war.

Shenyang Martyrs' Cemetery was built in 1951. Its 240,000 square meters have a martyr's monument, the cemetery itself, and a memorial hall. In 1986, it was designated as the national martyrs memorial site.