The People's Reverence · General Zuo Quan Memorial Hall

Leaving Zhaoyuan Park, we arrive at the Jin-Ji-Lu-Yu Revolutionary Memorial Park. The General Zuo Quan Memorial Hall inside the park is the main destination of this trip. The memorial park is located on Lingyuan Road, south of Congtai Park, divided into north and south sections, covering a total area of 213,000 square meters. It was established in 1950 to commemorate the revolutionary martyrs of the Eighth Route Army Headquarters Front Command, Political Department, Jin-Ji-Lu-Yu Military Region, and the 129th Division who sacrificed their lives in the Jin-Ji-Lu-Yu border area. Entering the park gate, the towering memorial tower ahead is inscribed with the four golden characters "Supreme Glory," personally written by a great leader. The Jin-Ji-Lu-Yu Martyrs Memorial Tower stands 24 meters tall, shaped like a square pyramid, with a red five-pointed star at the top that shines brightly under the sun. It symbolizes the arduous revolutionary struggle of the Chinese people and the great victory of the Chinese revolution. Turning right from the memorial tower, there is a pond, and the General Zuo Quan Memorial Hall is built in the center of the pond. This was originally the Lakeside Pavilion, renamed the General Zuo Quan Memorial Hall in 1957, and the current square building was completed in 1975. Zuo Quan was from Liling, Hunan. In 1923, at the age of 18, the talented youth gave up his pen to join the army and went to Guangzhou, the revolutionary center at the time. In 1924, he entered the Army Military Academy and later transferred to the first class of the Whampoa Military Academy at the end of the year. In 1925, introduced by Chen Geng and Zhou Yiqun, he joined the Communist Party. In February of the same year, he participated in the Second Eastern Expedition. At the end of the year, as an outstanding student, he was sent to study in the Soviet Union, first at Moscow Sun Yat-sen University, then transferred to the Frunze Military Academy for advanced command training. In 1930, Zuo Quan returned from the Soviet Union to Shanghai and entered the Minxi Soviet Area, holding important positions in the Red Army. In December 1933, the Central Revolutionary Military Commission appointed Zuo Quan as Chief of Staff of the First Red Army Corps. During the Long March, he participated in commanding famous battles such as the crossing of the Dadu River, the seizure of Luding Bridge, and the Zhiluo Town campaign. After the three main forces of the Red Army united, Zuo Quan led his troops in the Eastern Expedition, Western Expedition, and the Battle of Shanchengbao, where they annihilated Hu Zongnan’s 78th Division, achieving remarkable military success. After the full-scale Anti-Japanese War broke out, Zuo Quan served as Deputy Chief of Staff of the Eighth Route Army, cooperating with Zhu De and Peng Dehuai to lead the Eighth Route Army Headquarters, including the 115th, 120th, and 129th Divisions, totaling 45,000 troops, to advance to the anti-Japanese front in North China. From August 20 to December 5, 1940, Zuo Quan and the Eighth Route Army Headquarters launched the nationwide-shaking Hundred Regiments Offensive, writing a brilliant chapter in the history of China’s War of Resistance. On May 25, 1942, near Shiziling in Liao County, Shanxi Province, Zuo Quan heroically sacrificed his life while commanding troops to cover the breakout and transfer of the Central Northern Bureau and the Eighth Route Army Headquarters. He was 37 years old. In front of the memorial hall is a bridge called Zhu De Bridge. Commander-in-Chief Zhu De stayed several times in the Martyrs’ Cemetery and was very satisfied with the construction and management of the cemetery. He awarded 2 million border currency as encouragement, and the bridge was named Zhu De Bridge to commemorate this. Not far away is the tomb of General Zuo Quan. In front of the tomb stands a stele pavilion with the four characters "The People's Reverence" inscribed by Xie Juezai. The couplets on both sides of the pavilion read, "Great integrity and loyalty immortalized in history, righteous spirit magnificently strengthens the mountains and rivers." Below the pavilion stands a stone tablet engraved with the six golden characters "Tomb of General Zuo Quan," inscribed by Premier Zhou Enlai. Another stone tablet in front of the tomb bears an inscription personally written by Commander-in-Chief Zhu De.