In the Gulou District of Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, stands a weathered, reddish-brown marble monument. The seven gilded Chinese characters gleaming under the sun, reads "Memorial to Sacrificed Workers."
Erected in 1947, this monument not only bears the names of 45 power plant workers but also serves as a testament to the heroic saga of the Datang Nanjing Power Plant (formerly known as Xiaguan Power Station) during the turbulent times of the War of Chinese People’s Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.
This monument, standing for 88 years, serves not only as irrefutable evidence of the Nanjing Massacre but also as a witness to the rebirth of the country’s industry. From the wartime "blood-stained power station" to today's “intelligent energy supply," the workers of the Nanjing Power Plant have passed down the torch of industrial salvation through three generations, propelling the enterprise forward amidst the tides of time.
It can be traced back to July 7, 1937, when the Marco Polo Bridge Incident took place, marking the beginning of Japan's full-scale invasion of China and the start of the Chinese people’s comprehensive resistance against Japanese aggression.
On August 15, 1937, air raid sirens wailed over Nanjing for the first time, foreshadowing the city's descent into chaos. The Xiaguan Power Station became a prime target raided by the Japanese Air Force, with its boiler rooms, coal depots, and electrical control rooms suffering extensive damage from relentless bombings.
On December 13, 1937, when Nanjing collapsed, the power station was overrun by refugees, and operations came to a halt. At that time, Deputy Chief Engineer of the power station Xu Shiying, witnessing the devastation, ordered a shutdown to protect the workers, leading them to safety along the bank of the Yangtze River.
Tragically, on the night of December 15, 1937, Japanese forces forced thousands of defenseless refugees to the riverbank and mowed them down with machine guns. Among the victims were 45 workers from the power station, who, with their last breath, cried out defiantly: "Down with Japanese imperialism!"
The harrowing account of survivor Cui Shengfu remains etched in memory: "A bullet pierced through my armpit and out my back. As I fell, I saw countless comrades struggling in a pool of blood."
On April 17, 1947, the Yangtze Electric Company erected the first monument at the plant's entrance. The inscription, penned by Capital Power Plant Director Lu Fazeng, immortalized the names of the 45 victims and honored them with the title "Memorial to Fallen Workers," enshrining the spirit of national industry forever.
In 1951, during a plant renovation, the monument was relocated to the entrance of the residential area. The then-mayor of Nanjing, Ke Qingshi, inscribed the words “Memorial to Sacrificed Workers,” elevating the recognition from "fallen" to "sacrificed," highlighting the people's government’s respect for historical truth. The addition of victims from a February 28, 1950 air raid expanded the monument’s significance, bridging the war of resistance against Japanese aggression and the Liberation War.
In 2000, the monument was moved for a third time during another plant expansion. The designer preserved the original image of the monument, using reddish-brown marble to symbolize the blood-stained riverbank and a black base to signify its storied significance.
In the new era, the Nanjing Power Plant remains committed to its mission of "providing green energy and lighting up a beautiful life." The plant has implemented environmental initiatives such as desulfurization, denitrification, ultra-low emissions, sludge co-firing, and zero wastewater discharge.
Emphasizing technological innovation, it became the first power plant of China Datang Corporation Ltd., a centrally administered, State-owned energy enterprise, to achieve 100 percent autonomous control over its entire DCS, DEH, MEH, and ETS systems.
Leveraging big data analysis and AI algorithms, the plant developed smart functions like intelligent warning systems and combustion optimization, forging ahead with innovative projects such as Smart Plant 3.0, full-process one-click blending, unmanned operations, and 5G factories.
(Executive editor: Yuan Ting)
