Chongqing Red Guards Cemetery Travel Guide

Scenic spot introduction:

The Red Guard Cemetery in Chongqing is the only surviving tomb of the Cultural Revolution that is basically well-preserved in China. The period in which it is located is also a chapter that cannot be ignored in Chinese history. As a special historical recorder, the "Red Guard Tomb" has also experienced many twists and turns, and has been in danger of being demolished several times. As time went by, its role in recording history and providing reflection for future generations was reflected. Most of the tombs in the cemetery are joint tombs, with 37 people buried in the largest tomb. Some of the tombs have no inscriptions, or the inscriptions have been weathered and cannot be examined.
During the "Cultural Revolution", armed fighting in Chongqing was fierce. From the summer of 1967 to the summer of 1968, there were 31 officially recorded armed fighting in Chongqing, using guns, cannons, tanks, gunboats and other ordnance. Weapons were counted 24 times and 645 people died. The construction of tombs and monuments in the cemetery in Shaping Park took place from June 1967 to January 1969. Shaping Park is located in the core area controlled by the "August 15th Faction" during the armed struggle. It is secretive and quiet. This is one of the reasons why it became the tomb of the Red Guards. After the fighting during the Cultural Revolution, the Red Guard Cemetery was severely damaged in the 1970s. In 1975, the park was renovated during a comprehensive overhaul, and the courtyard wall that was isolated from the outside world was built, and the cemetery began to receive minimal protection. In 1985, Liao Bokang, then Secretary of the Chongqing Municipal Party Committee, issued the "Three Nos": no demolition, no publicity, and no opening. Subsequently, the Civil Affairs Bureau allocated funds to build higher and stronger walls, and Shaping Park built a stone road from the park to the cemetery, forming today's layout.

Attractions distribution:

The Red Guard Cemetery is located in the southwest corner of Shaping Park, on a gentle slope on the bank of an artificial lake, covering an area of ​​about 3,000 square meters (approximately 4.5 acres). The tombs sit west and face east. There are 113 tombs in total, 6 of which are early military tombs. About 404 victims of fighting were buried. The tallest tombstone is about 8 meters. There are also some very representative inscriptions among the tombstones, such as the inscription on Tomb No. 105, the Inscription on Tomb No. 82, etc.

Scenic spot features:

Visit, history, cemetery