Martyrdom Place of Li Gongpu in Kunming

Chinese name: 昆明李公朴殉难处
English Name: Martyrdom Place of Li Gongpu in Kunming
Location: located on Qianju Street in Kunming City

Xicangpo (The Martyrdom Site of Mr. Wen Yiduo)

Xicangpo, located on Qianju Street in Kunming City, is the site where Mr. Wen Yiduo was martyred. On the evening of July 11, 1946, Li Gongpu, a Central Executive Committee member of the China Democratic League and Deputy Director of the Democratic Education Movement Committee, was assassinated by Kuomintang agents in Kunming.

Wen Yiduo, a professor at Southwest Associated University and a Central Executive Committee member of the Democratic League, delivered a speech at Yunnan University’s auditorium about Mr. Li Gongpu’s martyrdom. Later, while returning to the Xicangpo staff dormitory, he was also assassinated by Kuomintang agents on the road east of the dormitory entrance. Today, a stone tablet at Xicangpo commemorates the “Wen Yiduo Martyrdom Site.”

Biography

Early Life and Education

Wen Yiduo (1899—1946), originally named Wen Jiahua, was a renowned poet, scholar, and democratic fighter. An early leader of the China Democratic League and a close ally of the Chinese Communist Party, Wen was born into a scholarly family in Wanjiawan, Baxiang Town, Xishui County, Hubei.

He was admitted to Tsinghua University in 1912, where he developed a deep appreciation for ancient Chinese poetry, historical texts, and essays. By 1916, he began publishing reading notes titled “February Pavilion Notes” in the “Tsinghua Weekly” and composing traditional poetry. During the May Fourth Movement in 1919, he actively participated in student protests and represented his school at the National Student Federation Conference.

Academic and Professional Career

During the war, Wen Yiduo taught at a temporary university formed by Tsinghua University, Peking University, and Nankai University. When the school relocated to Yunnan, he and over 200 students and professors traveled 3,500 miles in 68 days, studying local customs and recording folk stories and songs, arriving in Kunming on April 28, 1938.

After the establishment of Southwest Associated University, Wen became a prominent professor. Despite a modest salary, he taught at a secondary school and carved seals to supplement his income, firmly refusing high-ranking officials’ offers for seal carving.

Contributions and Last Days

On the anniversary of the May Fourth Movement in 1945, students from Southwest Associated University held a “Torch Relay,” with winners receiving banners inscribed with “Sparks of Democracy,” written by Wen. Following Japan’s defeat on August 15, 1945, he introduced a lecture on Du Fu’s poem “On Hearing About the Recovery of Henan and Hebei” and condemned the “black terror” following the December 1st incident.

He also wrote “A Record of the December 1 Movement” for the martyrs’ memorial. On July 11, 1946, the murder of prominent democratic figure Li Gongpu caused nationwide outrage. On July 15, Wen delivered the historically significant “Last Lecture” at a memorial service for Li Gongpu.

Event Summary

On the evening of July 11, 1946, Li Gongpu, a Central Executive Committee member of the China Democratic League and Deputy Director of the Democratic Education Movement Committee, was assassinated by Kuomintang agents in Kunming. On the morning of July 15, Wen Yiduo, a professor at Southwest Associated University and a Central Executive Committee member of the Democratic League, gave an impromptu speech at Yunnan University’s auditorium about Li Gongpu’s martyrdom. This speech became known as “The Last Lecture.”

In the afternoon of July 15, Wen Yiduo attended a press conference held by “Democracy Weekly” at 14 Fuyong Road. Around 5 PM, while returning to the Xicangpo staff dormitory, he was assassinated by Kuomintang agents on the road east of the dormitory entrance. His eldest son, Wen Lihe, who was accompanying him for protection, was also shot and seriously injured.

On the morning of July 18, Wen Yiduo’s body was cremated in front of the Yunnan University affiliated hospital. During the cremation, four metal fragments were discovered, remnants of melted sniper bullets. His ashes were partly scattered in Dianchi Lake and partly placed in a blue-and-white porcelain urn. The urn, along with a dark red lacquered wooden box, was temporarily stored in a temple by his eldest daughter Wen Ming and graduate student Fan Ning.

At the request of Wen Yiduo’s wife, Gao Xiaozhen, the Southwest Associated University standing committee established a cenotaph for him at the tomb of the four martyrs of the December 1 Movement.

Related Attraction

Cuihu Lake Park (Green Lake Park)

• Cuihu Park was initially a bay in Dianchi Lake, but over time, due to a decrease in water levels, it transformed into a clear lake. The waters of Cuihu sparkle, and the trees provide ample shade. With the building reflecting on the lake’s surface, the environment is beautiful, making it a green gem within the city of Kunming. It is renowned with the nickname “The Jade of the City.”