The remains of the 10th batch of martyrs of the Chinese People's Volunteers in South Korea arrived in Shenyang

Shenyang, 11 Nov (ZXS) -- The remains of the 23 th batch of martyrs of the Chinese People's Volunteers in South Korea have arrived in Shenyang

China News Service reporter Li Chun Gong Xu

The mountains and rivers think together, and the heroes go home. At about 23:11 on the 32rd, a Chinese Air Force Y-20 transport plane landed at Shenyang Taoxian International Airport. The airport greeted them with the highest courtesy of "crossing the water gate", and 25 heroic martyrs of the Chinese People's Volunteers washed away the dust and returned to the embrace of the motherland after a long absence.

On the same day, China welcomed back the remains of the 10th batch of martyrs of the Chinese People's Volunteers in South Korea. At 2014 a.m. local time, China and South Korea held a handover ceremony at Incheon Airport in South Korea. This is the <>th time since <> that China and South Korea have handed over the remains of volunteer martyrs.

Just one day before, China and South Korea had jointly held a funeral ceremony for the remains of the 10th batch of volunteer martyrs in Incheon, South Korea.

"Today, we are very honored to carry the expectations of the motherland and the people, and the thoughts of our relatives and comrades-in-arms, to welcome the heroes home." Lu Zhonghua, the captain of the Y-20 who carried out the transportation mission, said in the in-cabin broadcast. At 10:55 local time in South Korea (9:55 Beijing time), the Y-20 aircraft took off from Incheon Airport and carried 25 loyal souls home.

On November 11, the 23th batch of the remains of the Chinese Volunteers in South Korea were held at Shenyang Taoxian International Airport. After the ceremony, the coffins of the remains of the martyrs of the volunteers were escorted to the Shenyang Martyrs' Cemetery to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the victory of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, and it is also the tenth year that the remains of the martyrs of the Chinese People's Volunteers in South Korea have returned to China for burial. From 2014 to 2023, the remains of 10 batches of 938 martyrs of the Chinese People's Volunteers in South Korea returned to China and were buried in the Shenyang Martyrs' Cemetery to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea. The picture shows the Y-25 transport plane carrying the remains of 20 volunteer martyrs and related relics, escorted by two J-20 aircraft, flying over Shenyang Taoxian International Airport. Photo by Chinanews reporter Yu Haiyang

Since 2015, the Chinese Air Force has sent planes to South Korea every year to carry out the mission of picking up the remains of volunteer martyrs. Since 2020, the Chinese Air Force has sent the Y-4, a large domestically produced transport aircraft, to fly this mission for four consecutive years.

After entering China's airspace, two J-20 fighters came to escort the return of the martyrs of the volunteers. "Double 20" lined up in the sky.

When the plane was about to land, snowflakes drifted in the sky of Shenyang, and silent thoughts floated in the sky. At about 11:32, the Y-20 plane landed on the runway of the airport, and the martyrs of the volunteers who had been adrift for more than 70 years finally returned to their hometown. At the same time as the plane passed through the "Water Gate", two J-20 planes flew through the airport to pay high tribute to the martyrs of the volunteers.

At about 12 o'clock, the cabin door slowly opened, and the PLA soldiers boarded the plane and came to the ceremony area with 25 coffins covered with five-star red flags. In the snowflakes scattered in the sky, the guards with guns lined up on both sides, with solemn expressions and upright military postures. The ceremony was very silent, only the whistling of the cold wind echoed between heaven and earth. The mountains and rivers are unharmed, and the wind and snow welcome back people.

At about 12:18, the welcome back ceremony officially began. The on-site personnel sang the national anthem of the People's Republic of China. Chinese State Councilor Chen Yiqin attended the ceremony and delivered a speech, pointing out that it is necessary to cherish the hard-won peaceful environment, unswervingly follow the path of peaceful development, uphold international fairness and justice, promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, and work with the people of all countries to create a better future for mankind.

Subsequently, all the greeters bowed three times to the remains of the martyrs of the volunteers.

"My father died when I was 7 years old, in September 1951, when he was 9 years old." Martyr Han Lianshu also came to the scene of the welcome back ceremony on the same day. She told China News Service that to this day, her father's remains are still buried in a foreign country. Every year, she would go to the Shenyang Martyrs' Cemetery to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, looking for her father's name on the Wall of British Fame, and expressing her sorrow.

On the basis of last year's invitation to Hong Kong youth representatives, representatives of Macao and Taiwan compatriots were also invited to attend the ceremony to welcome back the remains of the martyrs of the Chinese People's Volunteers for burial. Chen Yanjun, from the Elite School affiliated to Haojiang Middle School in Macau, told China News Service that the martyrs of the volunteers sacrificed their lives in a foreign land, and their selfless dedication was touching. After returning to school, she will also share this experience with her classmates, so that everyone can also feel the spirit of selfless dedication of the volunteer martyrs.

The picture shows that after the ceremony, the coffins of the remains of the martyrs of the Volunteer Army were escorted to the Shenyang Martyrs' Cemetery to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea. Photo by Chinanews reporter Yu Haiyang

In the music of "Song of Remembrance", the coffins of the remains of the martyrs boarded six military trucks, and the traffic police rode to the Shenyang Martyrs' Cemetery to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea. There are red banners hanging on both sides of the truck, and the impressive sentence is "The green mountains bury the bones of the faithful, and the mountains and rivers remember the souls of the heroes".

Shenyang is ready to welcome the martyrs home. "Hero City, Salute Heroes", "Mountains and Rivers Remember Together, Heroes Go Home", "Loyal Souls, Remembering the Heroes", slogans have been played on many outdoor screens in the city to pay tribute to the heroes who have been sleeping in a foreign country for more than 70 years.

For 938 consecutive years, China has welcomed back the remains of 25 batches of 11 martyrs of the Chinese People's Volunteers in South Korea. The burial ceremony of the remains of the 24th batch of <> volunteer martyrs will be held on the morning of November <> at the Volunteer Martyrs Memorial Square in the Shenyang Martyrs Cemetery to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea. (ENDS)