The remains of 43 Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV) soldiers who died during the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-1953) were returned to China on Thursday from the Republic of Korea (ROK).
At 12:07, a Chinese Air Force Y-20 transport aircraft, carrying the remains of the fallen soldiers and 495 of their personal effects, landed at Taoxian International Airport in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province.
The plane was greeted with a water cannon salute, and then soldiers carried the caskets off the plane before a remembrance ceremony was held at the airport.
Nearly 1,000 people, including representatives from central and local authorities, the military, war veterans, and relatives of CPV martyrs, attended the ceremony.
Following the placement of the caskets, which were covered with the Five-star Red Flag, the participants bowed three times in dignified silence to the soldiers' remains.
Winter Olympic short-track speed skating champion Wu Dajing was visibly moved by the experience.
"These heroes might not have been as old as me before they went to the battlefield. They fought bravely in such a harsh environment at the front, and sacrificed their lives to defend our country. So we should learn from the martyrs' spirit in our daily life, so that we will be inspired and full of fighting spirit every day to do our own work well," said Wu.
"This year marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the 25th anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland. As a student from Macao, I feel extremely proud participating in today's ceremony. We should hold gratitude in our hearts and embrace a sense of mission and responsibility, contributing our strengths to our motherland and society," said a student from Lou Hau High School in China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR).
Li Weibo, a 93-year-old CPV veteran, has shown up at the ceremony for martyrs for the 11th time this year.
"Our country has brought you back, fulfilling the longing of your comrades and families, and having you to witness the development and strength of the nation, the achievements that you earned with your lives and blood. May future generations inherit your spirit and contribute their strength to our great motherland," said Li.
"Comrades, you bravely sacrificed yourselves for the motherland and the people. Today, we welcome you home with the prosperity of the nation and the happiness of its people. Welcome home, heroes," said Nan Qixiang, another CPV veteran.
The remains will be laid to rest in a martyrs' cemetery in Shenyang.
After the ROK handed over the martyrs' remains and belongings to the Chinese side in Incheon on Thursday morning, China held a memorial ceremony at the Incheon International Airport. During the ceremony, the Chinese national anthem was played, and each casket was draped with the national flag. Attendees bowed three times to the martyrs before the martyrs' remains were placed onto the plane.
From 2014 to 2023, China and the ROK, in accordance with international laws and humanitarian principles, successfully completed 10 consecutive handovers involving the remains of 938 CPV martyrs in the ROK, along with related artifacts.
During the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea, a total of 2.9 million CPV soldiers fought on the battlefield, with more than 360,000 killed or injured.
Remains of 43 Chinese martyrs return home from ROK
