Some 10,000 people gathered in Chongqing Municipality in southwest China to mourn some 300 martyrs who were massacred by the Kuomintang some 50 years ago.

The martyrs include Communist Party members, students and young infants less than a year old.

Historians say that this is one of the most atrocious massacres of the 20th century. The life of these martyrs was made into a novel by Luo Guangbin (1924-1967) entitled "The Red Crag". In 1948 Luo was arrested by KMT forces and thrown into prison. In November 1949, Luo escaped from prison one month before the "Red Crag" Massacre.

Amidst a morning drizzle, the Chongqing Municipality government held a solemn ceremony to pay its respect to the martyrs. Those attending the ceremony included several hundred primary school students and relatives of the martyrs.

The government also unveiled a set of books and VCDs as well as an exhibition on the heroic deeds of the "Red Crag" Martyrs.