Students pay tribute to revolutionary martyrs at Gubaishan martyrs cemetery in Hezhou, South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, on April 2, 2026. Photo: VCG

Placing a chrysanthemum before the monument, wiping clean the names of the fallen heroes engraved on the wall, using AI technology to bring a revolutionary couple into a tender embrace... As the Qingming Festival approaches, various commemorative events have been held across China to pay tribute to martyrs and unsung heroes who have demonstrated extraordinary courage and righteousness.

In Pingnan, East China's Fujian Province, a memorial event was held in honor of Chen Xiangrong, a martyr who sacrificed his life in the border standoff with India in 2020, whose touching words "pure love, only for the country" are still remembered by many people, Chinanews.com reported on Thursday.

Over 140 participants stood in solemn silence and bowed in tribute before the monument, straightened the ribbons on it, and laid flowers in their honor, according to the report. They also wiped clean the wall of heroic names and posted message cards to convey their condolences.

"Hearing the heroic deeds of the martyrs, I could not hold back my tears," said Lin Ruoxuan, an eighth-grader from the Xiangrong Middle School.

Ye Xiumei, who runs a flower shop in Pingnan, said that since February 2021, an increasing number of people have been sending flowers to the martyrs' cemetery, with more than 1,000 orders placed during the Qingming Festival that same year, according to the report.

 "During the Qingming period, on the busiest day, we had to deliver several hundred bouquets," Ye said.

In addition to holding commemorative activities, the local authorities have also restored Chen's ancestral house as a way to express their remembrance, Chinanews.com reported.

At a commemorative event held at Hunan Martyrs' Park in Central China's Hunan Province on Wednesday, AI-powered image restoration technology was employed to bring about a "reunion" across time and space between a revolutionary couple in their restored portraits, local media outlet Hunan Today reported.

The restored images are those of revolutionary martyr He Jinzhai and his wife, Dai Guixiang. He left for the revolutionary battlefield just one month after their wedding, while his wife spent 67 years mourning him after he fell in battle, the report said.

Southwest China's Yunnan Province also held a memorial ceremony for the fallen airmen of the Chinese Air Force in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, China National Radio (CNR) reported on Thursday.

Participants attending the event included members of the Yunnan Flying Tigers Research Association, grassroots organizations of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang in Guandu district, groups related to Nanyang Volunteers - overseas Chinese drivers and mechanics who returned from Southeast Asia during the War of Resistance - and representatives of the families of veterans of the War of Resistance, the report said.

They read a eulogy and presented flower baskets to the fallen aviators, expressing their remembrance and respect for the heroic martyrs who fought against the Japanese invaders, CNR reported.

In Wuhan, Central China's Hubei Province, a commemorative ceremony was held at the local monument to heroes of righteous courage, attended by over 200 people, Jimu News, a media outlet affiliated with Hubei Daily, reported on Thursday.

The report said that since the monument square was rebuilt in December 2021, the names of 43 martyrs of righteous courage have been inscribed on the wall for remembrance. They were ordinary citizens, including these who sacrificed their lives defending state property, rescuing others from fires, and saving drowning children in the sea.

Attending the memorial ceremony for the first time, Yang Zixuan, a Wuhan resident, told the Global Times on Thursday that she was deeply moved to see so many citizens spontaneously gathering at the scene. "I also saw several delivery riders take off their helmets and solemnly present chrysanthemums before the monument," she added.

The Qingming Festival is not only a time to honor deceased family members, but also to remember the martyrs and unsung heroes who sacrificed their lives for the nation and society, said Yang, adding that "I hope the heroes know that we remember them, and that we are living out the courage and selflessness they embodied."