Peking University, April 8, 2016: On April 4 Tomb-sweeping Day, a public memorial ceremony was held at Peking University at 8:00 am. The attendees were PKU President Lin Jianhua, PKU Council Vice Chairman Ye Jingyi, the playwright and the leading actors of the play the Raining Flower Terrace as well as representatives of the PKU faculty and students.

The Public Memorial Ceremony

In front of the Revolutionary Martyrs Monument, representatives of the PKU faculty and students paid homage to those PKUers who had laid down their life in the service of China’s national liberation and revolutionary cause. The Monument was built on May 4, 1993 in memorial of the 96 PKUers who died in the May 4th Movement, the New Democratic Revolution and the Korean War.

The front of the Monument was carved with the inscription of the revolutionist Chen Yun--"the Revolutionary Martyrs Monument of Peking University”. The back of the Monument shows the names of the 96 martyrs, the first of which is the revolution pioneer Li Dazhao.
 
After the silent tribute, student representatives recited the poem A Psalm of Pine and the excerpts of the Raining Flower Terrace which was played by the Repertory Theater of Nanjing City. Situated in Nanjing City, the Raining Flowers Terrace was the place where most communists and patriots died from 1927 to the day when Nanjing was liberated from Kuomingtang’s rule. In April, the play is going to be staged at PKU as well as other Beijing universities in commemoration of the revolutionary martyrs.
 
Then, student representatives recited Deng Zhongxia’s poems. Deng Zhongxia was one of the 96 PKUers who died for the cause of communism. His poems demonstrate the firm conviction and iron will of a communist. Afterwards, Lin Jianhua and Ye laid wreaths for the revolutionary martyrs of PKU. All bowed three times in front of the Monument, laid wreaths and walked around the Monument to look at it more closely.

The Monument

At the end of the ceremony, all attendees went to the statues of the revolution pioneer Li Dazhao and the former PKU President Cai Yuanpei where they laid wreaths one by one.

Faculty and students laying wreaths in front of the statue of Cai Yuanpei

Written By: Wang Zeyu
Edited By: Xiao Yunyun
Source: News Center