Introduction to Bishagang

In the spring of 1928, in order to commemorate the fallen soldiers of the Second Group Army of the Northern Expedition National Revolutionary Army, Feng Yuxiang allocated 200,000 yuan and ordered the transportation commander Xu Xiangyun to build a cemetery for the fallen soldiers of the Northern Expedition. At that time, there was a loess hill 4 kilometers west of Zhengzhou, which was the end of Meishan Mountain extending from southwest to northeast. The locals called it Baishagang. It is filled with wind and sand all year round, forming undulating sand dunes. Because no crops could be grown, nearby villagers just planted some trees on the hillocks to prevent wind and sand. Building a cemetery here does not occupy the people's cultivated land, which is in line with General Feng's wishes. So Xu Xiangyun purchased 400 acres of land at once to build a cemetery. Construction of the cemetery started in March 1928 and was completed in August of that year. Feng Yuxiang named the cemetery "Bisha Gang" based on the meaning of "blue blood and red heart, bloody Yin yellow sand". Feng Yuxiang inscribed "Bisha Gang" in his own handwriting and carved it with stone and embedded it on the north gate. There is also a memorial pavilion built in the cemetery. In the center of the pavilion is a white marble tablet with the four characters "Blue Blood Red Heart" engraved on the front, which was written by General Feng Yuxiang himself. Engraved on the back of the stele is the "Inscription on the Monument to the Fallen Martyrs" written by General Feng Yuxiang. "Inscription on the Monument to the Fallen Soldiers": "It is a great shame for us, the Chinese nation, to be smeared with white blades and smear the liver and brains. If this shame does not fall for a day, I fear that the spirits of the martyrs will be uneasy for a day..." The inscription is simple and unpretentious, and its power can be seen on the back of the paper. , reading it today, is still powerful and makes people excited.

There is an ancestral hall in the middle of the cemetery, named "Zhaozhong Temple". The temple is an ancient building covering an area of ??about 4070 square meters. Entering the courtyard from the front and back, there are two halls at the front, the front and the back, where spiritual tablets are placed, and a gallery on each side. The gate has been rebuilt, with an ear chamber on the left and right, a pair of stone lions outside the gate, a white marble stele pedestal in the center of the front yard, and the stele's body is still in the courtyard. The inner wall of the back hall is inlaid with nearly a hundred square inscriptions, which are eulogies written by generals above Feng Yuxiang's division for the fallen soldiers. There are five hexagonal pavilions in front of the ancestral hall.

The north gate of Bishagang Park we see today was rebuilt in 1979. When the cemetery was first built, the north gatehouse was a castle-style building, majestic and majestic, with three door openings lined up. The main entrance in the middle is broad. There are three gold characters "Bisha Gang" carved in stone on the front of the door. In the lower left corner are the words "Inscribed by Commander-in-Chief Feng Yuxiang". The gate is adjacent to Zhengluo Road to the north. There are three screen walls on the north side of the road, with slogans such as "land first, nation first", "concentrated strength, concentrated will" and other slogans. Later, these slogans changed as the political situation continued to change. During the "Cultural Revolution", the "Four Olds" were "destroyed". The three words "Bisha Gang" written by Feng Yuxiang were the "Four Olds" and should of course be destroyed. But because it was too high, it was saved from bad luck.

Feng Yuxiang is a believer in the Three People's Principles. When he was in power in Henan, he changed Miaoli Village in Zhengzhou into Zhongshan Village, Damengzhai Village into Sanmin Village, and Wulongkou Village into Wuquan Village. . None of these names survived for long. But the name "Bisha Gang" he gave to the cemetery has been retained for a long time.

When the Bishagang Northern Expedition Fallen Soldiers Cemetery was built, it consisted of four parts. In the middle of the cemetery is the Martyrs' Shrine, which is divided into two halls, the north and the south, with red walls and green tiles, and a solemn atmosphere. Various commemorative plaques are hung in the Martyrs' Shrine, and bronze plaques engraved with the names of the martyrs, as well as gold books and tablets recording the martyrs' achievements are stored. Before the ancestral hall was Zhongshan Park, which consists of three pavilions for nationalities, civil rights, and people's livelihood, as well as a pool and a stone bridge. Behind the ancestral hall is the open martyrs cemetery, with each tomb separated by two meters and arranged in vertical and horizontal rows. To the southeast of the Martyrs Cemetery is the Minsheng Cemetery, where the families of officers and soldiers are buried. A boundary stone is set up between the Martyrs Cemetery and the People's Livelihood Cemetery.

General Feng Yuxiang once planned to further expand Bishagang Park. He revealed in the article "Bishagang Nostalgia" that he hoped to build a nursing home for disabled soldiers on the left side of the Martyrs' Shrine. "The construction style is in line with the government Each department is equally gorgeous and beautiful." On the right side, there is a school for martyr orphans for men and women.

Feng Yuxiang's wish was not realized in the end, which should be related to the current situation. At the end of 1928, the conflict between Feng and Chiang Kai-shek intensified, and a war between Chiang, Feng, and Yan began to brew. Due to the sudden change in the situation, the rebuilding project of Bishagang was no longer considered.

After the completion of Bishagang Cemetery, Feng Yuxiang would go to the Martyrs' Shrine every Sunday to "perform sacrifices and add graves to the cemetery" during his stay in Zhengzhou.

When General Feng gave speeches and lectures, he often used Wen Tianxiang's famous saying "No one has died in life since ancient times, but his loyalty will be remembered by history" to praise the dedication of the soldiers who died in the Northern Expedition. He said: "Although this generation of heroic warriors is temporarily buried in Huangshabi Grass, and then it will be famous for thousands of miles in the future, and it will last forever." Feng Yuxiang also asked his troops to pay homage to the martyrs at Bishagang whenever they go to Zhengzhou to "stimulate revolutionary sentiments."

Feng Yuxiang loved planting trees most in his life and was known as the "Tree Planting General". Feng Yuxiang asked the management staff of Bishagang to plant more persimmon trees, plum trees, and peach trees in the open areas, and less cypress and willow trees. Grain and radishes can also be planted between the trees. Many times, he said emotionally: "After retirement, I will read, write, and visit graves here. I will be buried here after my death, and get along with my good brothers day and night."

Now on the west side of Bishagang Park The acacia tree in front of the "West Garden Hotel" was planted by General Feng himself. It is also the earliest tree in Bishagang Park. This tree no longer belongs to Bishagang.

After the cemetery was built, Feng Yuxiang sent his confidants to take care of it all year round. The person guarding the tomb is Ge Xintian, who was a soldier in the same class as Feng. Because Ge was several years older, Feng Yuxiang often addressed him as "boss". Before 1949, the Ge family lived in Bishagang Cemetery. The Ge family built more than 10 rooms and a small courtyard in the southwest corner of the cemetery, reclaimed wasteland, and grew some grain and vegetables to become self-sufficient. In 1956, the year when Bishagang was turned into a park, Ge Xintian passed away.

After the end of the Anti-Japanese War in the 1940s, Feng Yuxiang's old general Liu Ruming was appointed by the Nanjing government as deputy director of the Zhengzhou Appeasement Office, leading his troops to be stationed in Kaifeng. In order to commemorate the senior generals Tong Lingge, Zhao Dengyu, and Zhang Zizhong of the 29th Army who died during the Anti-Japanese War, as well as the former 29th Army Commander Song Zheyuan who died of overwork, Liu Ruming built two more pavilions behind the original three pavilions for nationalities, civil rights, and people's livelihood. Another memorial tower was built in front of the five pavilions, with the words "Anti-Japanese Martyrs Immortal" engraved on the front. But the pavilion on the east side was destroyed by war soon after it was built. The "Monument to the Anti-Japanese Martyrs" was destroyed during the "Cultural Revolution", leaving only a tower-shaped base. In 1994, the "Northern Expedition War Monument" was built on the original site of the "Anti-Japanese Martyrs Monument". This monument is nearly 18 meters tall. On the front are 10 large golden characters inscribed by Marshal Nie Rongzhen, "The fallen soldiers of the Northern Expedition will live forever." The reliefs across the monument are composed of portraits of Northern Expeditionary Army officers and soldiers. Today, when entering Bishagang Park from the north gate, this monument is the most eye-catching building.

In 1956, the Zhengzhou Municipal People's Government transformed the cemetery into Bishagang Park. On May 1, 1957, Bishagang Park was officially opened to tourists.

During the "Cultural Revolution", according to the requirements of relevant departments, Jinshui District, Erqi District, and Zhongyuan District of Zhengzhou City should each have a park. At that time, there was Zhongyuan District to the west of Songshan Road. There was no park, so Bishagang was designated as the area and renamed "Labor Park" (October 1966-November 1980). It is worth mentioning that the four words "Labor Park" were inscribed by Mr. Guo Moruo himself. After the "Cultural Revolution", the gate of Bishagang Park was rebuilt and its original name was restored. It is said that the plaque of "Labor Park" inscribed by Guo Moruo is still in Zhengzhou, and has been collected by a man who "comes first to the moon". In 1986, Bishagang Cemetery was designated as a provincial cultural relic protection unit by Henan Province because it is the largest and relatively well-preserved martyr cemetery for the fallen soldiers of the Northern Expedition in the country. As a historical relic of China's modern revolution, Bishagang Park has well-preserved cultural relics. Zhongshan Park, Martyrs' Shrine, and Monument Pavilion serve as witnesses of history. Every year, students from dozens of colleges and universities come to the park to pay their respects and commemorate the revolution. martyr. On June 28, 1991, Marshal Nie Rongzhen inscribed "The fallen soldiers of the Northern Expedition will be immortal" for the newly built monument. In July 2008, Bishagang Park was named "Patriotism Education Base".

After decades of construction, the park integrates culture, entertainment, leisure and garden viewing, and receives about 2 million tourists every year. The green coverage rate of the park has reached 94.3, and there are 5 characteristic parks such as Peony Garden, Magnolia Garden, and Agarwood Garden, with more than 200 tree species.

In addition, the park has also built a tropical fish exhibition hall, bonsai garden, movie room, ice skating rink, spaceship, and children's paradise. Bishagang Park has complete functions and outstanding features. It has flowers all year round and pleasant scenery. During holidays, it is crowded with tourists and very lively. It has become a good place for Zhengzhou citizens to rest and play, as well as a good place for sightseeing and entertainment.