by Jonathan Tham, Wang Jiawei
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug. 23 (Xinhua) -- A memorial park commemorating the Nanyang Volunteers - overseas Chinese drivers and mechanics who returned from Southeast Asia during the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression - officially opened to the public here on Thursday.
The new memorial park, named the Nanyang Volunteer Drivers and Mechanics Memorial Park, features an earthen ring wall engraved with the names of over 3,000 members. Its tiered pathways and winding design were inspired by the "24-Zig" section of the Burma Road, symbolizing the courage and resilience of those who once traversed it.
The park, initiated and built by the Association of Kwong Tong Cemetery Management Kuala Lumpur, also features a memorial hall, which houses historical artifacts, photographs, and personal letters that vividly recount the volunteers' dedication and sacrifice.
"History must not be forgotten, and the truth should be remembered," said Yong Pock Yau, chairman of the Association of Kwong Tong Cemetery Management Kuala Lumpur. "We hope the park and the hall will inspire the youth to learn about this history and uphold the values of peace and justice."
Farah, a Malay employee involved in the park's construction, said that although she cannot read Chinese, she carefully studied the engraved names and stories. "These stories deserve to be remembered and passed down from one generation to the next," she said.
Inside the memorial hall, faded photographs and newspaper clippings tell the stories of the Nanyang Volunteers, enduring treacherous mountain roads, enemy air raids and diseases. More than 1,000 lost their lives, an average of one for every kilometer of the nearly 1,146-km Burma Road.
Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia Ouyang Yujing said in his remarks that the Nanyang Volunteers braved life and death, making an indelible contribution to the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.
"We shall forever remember their heroic deeds in our hearts and inscribe them in the annals of humanity's just cause," he said.
For descendants of the volunteers, the event was deeply personal. How Hwee Bee, granddaughter of patriot Hau Say-huan (Hou Xifan) - who helped organize the volunteers and perished in 1944 while en route to a school opening in Kunming - said she was moved to see the memorial completed.
"Whether in China, seeing my grandfather's grave and other memorials well preserved, or here in Kuala Lumpur witnessing the completion of the memorial park and hall, I am deeply moved by his patriotism and dedication," said How.
During the war years, Hau worked with patriotic overseas Chinese businessman and philanthropist Tan Kah Kee to organize the Nanyang Volunteers, coordinating and mobilizing members while helping solve their living and medical needs.
"I believe it was this profound love that made my grandfather resolutely return to China and devote everything to the cause," How said. "The more we live in times of peace, the more we must cherish this history and the patriotism behind it." ■
