China's first Fallen Firefighters Memorial was inaugurated in Fuzhou on July 30.

First fallen firefighters memorial is completed in Fuzhou. [Zhu Xingxin]

The main monument, consisting of fire-fighting statues and a memorial square, cover an area of more than 1,000 square km. Made totally of granite, the memorial, 11.9 meters high, 6.4 meters long and 3 meters wide, symbolizes the strong will and character of the nation's firefighters.

"The memorial pays homage to all the fallen firefighters, and also [offers] the best comfort to their kin," Chen Guichuan, father of a sacrificed firefighter, told China Daily.

Chen's son became trapped under a collapsed flagstone roof and sandy soil while fighting a fire. He managed to rescue his three comrades but couldn't save himself. He was 26. There are 18 other firefighters like Chen who have lost their young lives in Fujian since 1949.

Although he is sad and mourns his son, Chen is very proud of him. Another parent of a dedicated firefighter, Lin Jianwei, was unable to speak through her sobs

"The Fujian provincial Fallen Firefighters Memorial serves not only as praise and commemoration to the deceased, but also as encouragement and inspiration to the living. It will help strengthen all the firefighters' professional pride and sense of honor, stimulating them to work more responsibly," said Chen Jide, leader of the Fujian Fire Brigade.

Construction of the memorial was sponsored by the Fujian Fire Brigade and Southeast Express, and donated by the Fuzhou Shengquan Ecological Mausoleum. "We hope it will become a new patriotic educational base in Fuzhou," said Lin, deputy General Manager of the Fuzhou Shengquan Ecological Mausoleum.