Society

China to better protect martyr memorial facilities

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-03-31 21:02

NANJING- China has launched a survey on its martyr memorial facilities nationwide, aiming to offer information for enhanced protection on these precious "red resources," officials with the country's Ministry of Civil Affairs said Thursday.

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Vice Minister of Civil Affairs Sun Shaocheng said at a national meeting that the survey, expected to conclude in June this year, will focus on the scattered martyr memorial sites that have been inadequately attended to for years.

"The move aims to build the graveyards and memorial facilities into important venues for commemorating and paying tribute to martyears as well as bases of revolutionary and patriotic education," Sun said.

China has more than one million independent graves of martyears and 7,000 scattered memorial facilities, the ministry's figures show.

The government will allocate more manpower and funds for the protection and reconstruction of martyr memorial facilities, he said.

Vice Minister of Finance Wang Jun said at the same meeting that the central government will provide a lump-sum subsidy for the project to rescue and preserve scattered martyr memorial facilities.

Addressing Thursday's meeting, Civil Affairs Minister Li Liguo urged government workers to work out scientific manpower and funding plans to ensure the success of the protection or reconstruction work.

Relevant agencies should also set up an effective supervision system to ensure the project's quality can "stand the test of time," Li said.

The government has greatly increased subsidies for families of martyears in the past decades.

In 1979, the central government's subsidies for the families of martyears were 72 yuan a year for each household in rural areas and 120 yuan in urban areas. The subsidies have hiked to 5,240 yuan and 8,730 yuan, according to figures from the ministry. (One US dollar equals 6.6 yuan on Thursday.)