The second battle of Changsha began in September 1941. The Chinese National Revolutionary Army fought against Japanese Imperial troops for three days and nights, losing nearly 10,000 soldiers. Most of the dead were buried on the battle field of Chunhua Mountain in Changsha. One hundred and eighteen soldiers who died were from Zhejiang province.
In a symbolic gesture to remember these fallen heroes, skeleton remains are now being taken back to Hangzhou to be reburied in a Memorial Park.
The skeletons of 118 unidentified fallen soldiers are being collected from Chunhua Mountain in Changsha. It is a symbolic gesture to remember those men from Zhejiang province who gave their lives for their country. Work is also underway to locate the descendants of the soldiers, but only nine relatives have been found so far.
Qiu Aiqing, 75, from Yongkang County is one of those who have been tracked down. Her father, Corporal Qiu Caigui, was killed in the Changsha battle in 1941, and she has been searching for him ever since. Now she says her deceased mother can rest in peace, as the fate of her father has finally been discovered.
Nearly 10,000 Chinese soldiers died in the Changsha battle. They were buried in more than 100 graves on Huachun Mountain. Villager Liu Jinguo found these tombs in the 1960s, and has been guarding the place ever since.
"They sacrificed their lives to protect the Chinese nation, so that we can have a happy life today. It’s our generation’s obligation to protect their honor. Their skeletons were scattered. Their tombs were not named. They have already given their blood and lives. I am protecting them with my conscience," Liu said.
It is difficult to distinguish the identity of the skeletal remains. But with the help of volunteers and the media, the names of 118 Zhejiang soldiers were finally confirmed in April. They will now be able to rest in peace, at the Hangzhou Anti-Japanese War Memorial Park.
