Armed police officers participate in a funeral ceremony to bury the bones of Red Army martyrs found in Guanyang, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, on Sunday. Zhou Linlu/China News Service Wounded men thrown into a well by Kuomintang troops in 1934 The skeletal remains of 20 males recently found in a well in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, were identified as Red Army soldiers who were killed by Kuomintang troops during the Long March period (1934-36). The Guanyang county government, in Guilin city, held a grand funeral ceremony on Sunday as the bones were buried in a local memorial park dedicated to Red Army martyrs. The well, known as the jiuhai well by residents in the county's Xinxu township, marks the area where the Red Army launched a blocking action in 1934 to safeguard the crossing of its main force over the Xiangjiang River, thus evading encirclement by Kuomintang troops. Historical evidence shows that the Red Army managed to fulfill its mission in the Xinxu battle, but it paid a heavy price: 2,000 lives. When the battle ended, the army evacuated in a hurry, leaving more than 100 wounded soldiers at a medical station for treatment. The living men, some of them weighted with stones, were later cast into the well by the enemy. Liu Laibao, a Red Army veteran who witnessed the incident at Xinxu, said it remains the most painful memory of his life. A few bones were found in the 1970s by residents who were extracting water from the well, but the local government didn't attempt to excavate it until August this year because it lacked the necessary equipment and skills. A dig was finally undertaken on Aug 13 by experts specializing in relics preservation and archaeology. Twenty individual skeletons have been found so far. A report on Sept 22 confirmed that the bones belonged to the soldiers the Red Army left behind in 1934. Now we can say that all the individuals are males ranging in age from 15 to 25, said Li Fangjun, a professor at Guangzhou-based Sun Yatsen University, who was engaged in the identification work. In 2003, a memorial park was established to remember the history and honor the soldiers. It includes a monument to the Red Army martyrs. Speaking of the recently recovered remains, Lu Song, head of Guanyang county, said: Given the many bones of martyrs that are scattered over the county, what we have done this time is just the beginning. In the next two years we will carry on with the task and try our best to have all the remains buried in the memorial park, because the heroes should rest in peace and the spirit of the Long March should always be kept alive in our minds. personalized silicone wristbands24 hour wristbands.comfabric wristbandsmotivational bracelets for athletesbatman wristbandprintable wristbands24 hour wristbandsblack rubber wristbandscustom rubber bandswrist band com coupon code
A flag-raising ceremony is held to celebrate the 21st anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland in Hongkong on Sunday morning. [Photo/Xinhua] Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, said on Sunday she has even greater confidence in Hong Kong a year after taking office, thanks to strong support from the central government and joint efforts from different sectors. She made the remark to about 2,000 guests, including representatives of the central government and the SAR government, foreign diplomats in Hong Kong and local dignitaries, at a reception celebrating the 21st anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland on Sunday morning after a flag-raising ceremony. Lam attributed her confidence to the central government's strong support and President Xi Jinping's care for Hong Kong. During his three-day inspection tour from June 29 to July 2 last year, marking the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the mainland, Xi expressed his cordial care for Hong Kong and gave four imperatives. Xi's visit created the exceptionally favorable ground for the current-term Hong Kong government to run the city in accordance with the law, assume a proactive role, develop the economy and improve people's livelihoods, Lam said. Over the past year, Hong Kong maintained robust economic growth, recording a 3.8 percent increase in real gross domestic product in 2017, followed by 4.7 percent in the first quarter of 2018. The unemployment rate dropped to a 20-year low of 2.8 percent. Lam and the SAR government's work and achievement during the past year was recognized by Wang Zhimin, director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the SAR, who said at a separate event on Sunday that her first year was a good start. Wang said Lam and the SAR government managed the city in accordance with the law and implemented the one country, two systems principle by making full use of Hong Kong's unique competitiveness and actively joining the national development. Wong Kwok-kin, a Legislative Council member from the city's biggest labor union, said Lam is bold and resolute in building public trust in the government, improving the administrative-legislative relationship and fostering social cohesion. Starry Lee Wai-king, chairwoman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, the city's largest political party, agreed with Wong. Lee noted that in the past year there was an increase in the number of bills and the amount of works funding passed by the Legislative Council. After assuming office, the chief executive has attended legislative meetings often to answer questions from lawmakers. Enhanced communication between the government and the legislature means greater efficiency, Lee said. Speaking of the government's work in the future, Lam emphasized the importance of engaging young people. The government has been providing young people with more opportunities to take up internships on the Chinese mainland for deeper understanding of national developments and to participate in the Hong Kong SAR's affairs. And Hong Kong youth today enjoy bright prospects and abundant opportunities presented by the Belt and Road Initiative and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area development. Young people should aspire to develop into a new generation with a sense of national identity, an affection for Hong Kong and an international perspective, who are also passionate about and committed to the well-being of the Hong Kong community, Lam said.
