The Chinese people celebrated the traditional Qingming Festival this year on April 5. A day to remember and honour ancestors, its origins date back to the Zhou Dynasty (1046–256 BCE). However, it became an official festival during the Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE) when Emperor Xuanzong decreed that people should formally honour their ancestors during this period. One of the most important customs of the Qingming Festival is tomb sweeping. Families visit cemeteries to clean the graves of their ancestors, remove weeds, and offer food, tea, wine, and incense as a sign of respect.
Particularly poignant this year were those ceremonies performed in foreign lands where Chinese fighters and workers laid down their lives while fulfilling their internationalist duties.
On March 30, Chinese Ambassador to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Wang Yajun led all staff members and other members of the local Chinese community to pay tribute to the Yang Gensi Martyrs Monument in Chongjin County.
The Chinese Embassy’s website noted that, “The heroic deeds of the martyr Yang Gensi, who detonated the explosive pack and died together with the enemy in the battle of Xiaogaoling in Xiajieyu Village, Chongjin Lake, and was the first special meritorious service and special combat hero of New China, a Hero of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, [and holder of] the First Class National Flag Medal and the Gold Star Medal, are well known to everyone.”
It reported that the DPRK monument administrator introduced the history, repair and management of the Yang Gensi Martyrs Monument to Ambassador Wang and his delegation and said that the deeds of Martyr Yang Gensi are well known in his country. The DPRK people will always remember the great sacrifices and great achievements made by the Chinese People’s Volunteers and will come here to pay tribute and mourn on every important anniversary.
Ambassador Wang thanked the DPRK Party and Government for their long-term meticulous maintenance and management of the memorial facilities for the Chinese People’s Volunteers in Korea and said that this year marks the 75th anniversary of the Chinese People’s Volunteers’ participation in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea. 75 years ago, the Chinese People’s Volunteers, represented by Yang Gensi, composed of outstanding Chinese sons and daughters, crossed the Yalu River, and withstood the severe cold, the difficulties of transport lines being cut off by enemy planes, insufficient supplies, and lack of heavy weapons. They, together with the DPRK soldiers and civilians, won the victory of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea with their flesh and blood. Today, we comfort the spirits of the martyrs of the Volunteer Army with the brilliant achievements made in the construction of New China and the fruitful results of the sustained development of China-DPRK relations. In the new era and new situation, we must inherit and carry forward the great spirit of resisting US aggression and aiding Korea, eliminate all interference, unswervingly deepen the traditional friendship between China and the DPRK cemented with blood, work together to advance the socialist cause of the two countries, and create a happier and better life for the people of the two countries.
Recent Chinese feature films have vividly recorded much of this history.
In an article published by China Military on October 16, 2020 (marking the 70th anniversary of the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army entering Korea), the newspaper of China’s Ministry of National Defence noted:
“Yang Gensi, the Special-Class Combat Hero of the Chinese People’s Volunteers (CPV), was born in 1922 in Taixing, Jiangsu Province. Joining the New Fourth Army in 1944, Yang used to serve as commander of the squad, platoon and company and had the reputation of ‘Master of explosives’.
“Yang Gensi and his platoon, in the heroic spirit of guarding the position regardless of life or death, repelled eight waves of US offensives. Seeing that more than 40 American soldiers had climbed up to the hilltop when only he and two injured soldiers were still holding the position, Yang grabbed the last blasting charge, pulled the fuse and plunged into the enemies, dying a heroic death along with them.
“In 1952, the leading authority of the Chinese People’s Volunteers granted Yang Gensi the Special-Class Merit Citation posthumously and honoured him as Special-Class Combat Hero and his company was named as the ‘Yang Gensi Company’. On June 25, 1953, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea conferred to Yang the title of ‘Hero of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’ as well as the Gold-Star medal and the First-Class Medal of National Flag.”
Meanwhile, on April 2, in Tanzania, a solemn ceremony was held at the Gongo la Mboto cemetery on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam, honouring 70 Chinese experts who sacrificed their lives while constructing the Tanzania-Zambia (TAZARA) Railway in the 1970s.
“The governments of Tanzania and Zambia will forever remember the utmost sacrifice that the Chinese people gave during the construction of this railway line,” said Tanzanian Deputy Minister for Transport David Kihenzile, noting that the project was fraught with challenges and dangers, requiring heroism and ingenuity from both Chinese and local Tanzanian and Zambian workers.
Chargé d’Affaires ad interim of the Chinese Embassy in Tanzania Wang Yong described the fallen experts as heroes whose legacy continues to symbolise China-Tanzania and China-Africa friendship. They will live forever in the hearts of the Chinese and Tanzanian people, just as the TAZARA railway stands as a testament to their efforts.
Also known as the Uhuru, Independence or Freedom Railway, TAZARA was China’s biggest overseas aid projection to date. It enabled Zambia to export its copper without transiting countries then under white racist and colonial rule and made a major contribution to the liberation of southern Africa.
The following articles were originally published on the website of the Chinese Embassy in the DPRK and by China Military and the Xinhua News Agency. That from the Chinese Embassy in the DPRK was published in Chinese and has been machine translated.
His achievements will shine through the ages, and his heroic name will live forever – Chinese embassies and consulates in North Korea presented wreaths to the Yang Gensi Martyrs’ Monument
On March 30, 2025, on the occasion of the upcoming Qingming Festival, Ambassador Wang Yajun led all staff of the Chinese Embassy in North Korea, the Consulate General in Chongjin, representatives of Chinese-funded institutions and media in North Korea, and representatives of overseas Chinese in North Korea, nearly 60 people, to South Hamgyong Province, North Korea, to pay tribute to the Yang Gensi Martyrs Monument in Hagaru-ri, Changjin County. They were accompanied by Major General Wang Yisheng, Defense Attaché of the Chinese Embassy in North Korea, Minister Counselor Wang Congrong, Counselor Zhu Jiayao, Counselor Gao Wu, Consul General in Chongjin Jin Yanguang, Section Chief of the Asian First Bureau of the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs Jin Yingzhu, Director of the Foreign Affairs Bureau of the South Hamgyong Provincial People’s Committee Zheng Chengzhe, and Minister of Urban Management of the Changjin County People’s Committee Zheng Renlong.
The heroic deeds of the martyr Yang Gensi, who detonated the explosive pack and died together with the enemy in the battle of Xiaogaoling in Xiajieyu Village, Changjin Lake, and was the first special meritorious service and special combat hero of New China, the title of “Hero of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea”, the “First Class National Flag Medal” and the “Gold Star Medal”, are well known to everyone. With deep remembrance and infinite respect for the martyr Yang Gensi, Ambassador Wang Yajun and his entourage came to the monument. The monument is located at the foot of a small hill next to the main street of Changjin Town (the seat of the Changjin County Government), surrounded by proudly standing green pines. Climbing up the stairs, a towering stone monument stands on a 2-meter-high pedestal, engraved with four bright red characters “Eternal Immortality”.
The clouds were low, the pines and cypresses were silent, and the monument surrounded by green pines was solemn and majestic. All the staff sang the national anthem of the People’s Republic of China and presented a flower basket to the monument of martyr Yang Gensi. Afterwards, all the staff bowed in silence, poured wine to pay tribute and presented bouquets. The clear hometown wine and the elegant white and yellow chrysanthemums expressed the high respect and infinite remembrance of the martyr Yang Gensi. The heroic spirit is immortal, the mountains and rivers will always remember it, and the martyr Yang Gensi will live forever! The heroes of the Volunteer Army will live forever!
The DPRK monument administrator introduced the history, repair and management of the Yang Gensi Martyrs Monument to Ambassador Wang and his delegation, and said that the deeds of Yang Gensi Martyrs are well known in North Korea. The DPRK people will always remember the great sacrifices and great achievements made by the Chinese People’s Volunteers, and will come here to pay tribute and mourn on every important anniversary. In the future, the DPRK will continue to do its best to maintain and manage the monument.
Ambassador Wang thanked the DPRK Party and Government for their long-term meticulous maintenance and management of the memorial facilities for the Chinese People’s Volunteers in Korea, and said that this year marks the 75th anniversary of the Chinese People’s Volunteers’ participation in the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea. 75 years ago, the Chinese People’s Volunteers, represented by Yang Gensi, composed of outstanding Chinese sons and daughters, crossed the Yalu River, and withstood the severe cold, the difficulties of transport lines being cut off by enemy planes, insufficient supplies, and lack of heavy weapons, they, together with the DPRK soldiers and civilians, won the victory of the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea with their flesh and blood. Today, we comfort the spirits of the martyrs of the Volunteer Army with the brilliant achievements made in the construction of New China and the fruitful results of the sustained development of China-DPRK relations! In the new era and new situation, we must inherit and carry forward the great spirit of resisting U.S. aggression and aiding Korea, eliminate all interference, unswervingly deepen the traditional friendship between China and the DPRK cemented with blood, work together to advance the socialist cause of the two countries, and create a happier and better life for the people of the two countries.
Yang Gensi: Special-class Combat Hero
Yang Gensi, the Special-class Combat Hero of the Chinese People’s Volunteers (CPV), was born in 1922 in Taixing, Jiangsu Province. Joining the New Fourth Army in 1944, Yang used to serve as commander of the squad, platoon and company and had the reputation of “Master of explosives”.
In October 1950, Yang Gensi went to fight in Korea as a company commander of the CPV. In November that year, the CPV launched the second campaign of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea in which Chinese troops split and besieged the US troops in segments at South Hamgyong, Yang Gensi. Yang was ordered to take a platoon to guard a hill in the southeast of the No.1071 highland outside Hagaru-ri and cut off US troops’ retreat route to the south.
On November 29, the No.1 Division of US Army launched attack at the hill. Most fortifications on the hill were destroyed by the US shells. Yang and his platoon rush-repaired the fortifications against time and fended off the first round of attack. Then the US side put together two companies for a new round of attack under the cover of eight tanks, and encountered deadly resistance from Yang and his men. In the middle of the battle, a new group of American troops rushed to the hill top. Yang led the 7th and 9th squads to resist them head-on and asked the 8th squad to hit the enemies from the back, thus defeating the attack again. Under such circumstances, American troops carried out fierce bombing of the hill with air and ground firing before launching a huge-crowd charge.
Yang Gensi and his platoon, in the heroic spirit of guarding the position regardless of life or death, repelled eight waves of US offensives. Seeing that more than 40 American soldiers had climbed up to the hill top when only he and two injured soldiers were still holding the position, Yang grabbed the last blasting charge, pulled the fuse and plunged into the enemies, dying a heroic death along with them.
In 1952, the leading authority of the Chinese People’s Volunteers granted Yang Gensi the Special-Class Merit Citation posthumously and honored him as Special-Class Combat Hero and his company was named as the “Yang Gensi Company”. On June 25, 1953, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea conferred to Yang the title of “Hero of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea” as well as the Gold-Star medal and the First-Class Medal of National Flag.
China, Tanzania honor Chinese martyrs in construction of TAZARA railway
China and Tanzania held a wreath-laying ceremony on Wednesday at the Gongo la Mboto cemetery on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam, honoring 70 Chinese experts who sacrificed their lives while constructing the Tanzania-Zambia Railway in the 1970s.
The commemoration coincided with the Qingming Festival, a traditional Chinese occasion for paying tribute to the deceased and remembering ancestors. Representatives from the Chinese Embassy in Tanzania, the Tanzanian government, various sectors of society, and the Chinese community attended the event.
Under a drizzling sky, the participants in dark suits solemnly reflected on the sacrifices by the Chinese experts and their lasting contributions to the economic and social development of Tanzania and Zambia.
“The governments of Tanzania and Zambia will forever remember the utmost sacrifice that the Chinese people gave during the construction of this railway line,” said Tanzanian Deputy Minister for Transport David Kihenzile, noting that the project was fraught with challenges and dangers, requiring heroism and ingenuity from both Chinese and local Tanzanian and Zambian workers.
Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) Managing Director Bruno Ching’andu lauded the dedication of the Chinese experts, saying that their commitment made the railway’s construction possible. “Their spirit endures in every train that runs. Their spirit endures in every ton of cargo moved,” said Ching’andu.
Charge d’Affaires a.i. of the Chinese embassy in Tanzania Wang Yong described the fallen experts as heroes whose legacy continues to symbolize China-Tanzania and China-Africa friendship. They will live forever in the hearts of the Chinese and Tanzanian people, just as the TAZARA railway stands as a testament to their efforts, he said.
Wang emphasized that the TAZARA spirit embodies the essence of China-Africa relation and the common aspiration of the Chinese and African people, serving as a driving force for deepening China-Africa cooperation.
The TAZARA railway, known as the “Uhuru Railway” or “Independent Railway,” was constructed as a turnkey project between 1970 and 1975 through an interest-free loan from China. Commercial operations started in July 1976, covering 1,860 km from Dar es Salaam in Tanzania to New Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia.
