Keeping the past alive

A monument was erected on the mountain to commemorate the battle. However, during the "cultural revolution" (1966-76), it was dismantled, and the stone slabs used to pave the floor of a local school.

Then, in 2004, some of the stones were recycled a second time and used to rebuild the monument. About 80 soldiers who fought in the battle are still alive, and they are now among those depicted in sculptures at the park.

The county government of Longling has upgraded the Songshan area, adding wooden walkways around the mountaintop so that visitors can view the area. Remarkably, many of the original trenches are still visible, and new walkways protect them from further deterioration.

Songshan Mountain means "pine tree mountain" in Chinese, and the place lives up to its name today, with many trees in evidence to provide a sense of calm to visitors walking along the wooden pathways. Below the mountain is the Nujiang River and the Huitong Bridge, which was once of strategic importance.

The sculpture park was inspired by the Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi province, said Li Chunhua, the sculptor responsible for the park's creations.

"The Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an are submerged, but the sculptures here are 1.5 meters higher than the walkway. By this, we show our respect and reverence toward the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the country," Li said.

The replica army has 12 different divisions, including child soldiers, infantry and artillery troops. There are also two US jeeps, which were used in the battle for Songshan.

Shao Yingren, 91, almost burst into tears when he first saw the sculpture of himself. The veteran, who moved to Taiwan in 1950 and now spends five months of each year in his hometown of Tengchong, said he couldn't believe that someday he would have a statue of his own on the mainland.

Wei Xiuning, granddaughter of Wei Lihuang, then the CEF commander, said the victory at Songshan was of great strategic importance at the time, as well as being a boost to morale.

"The victory in western Yunnan and the reopening of the Yunnan-Burma Road helped safeguard the capital, Chongqing. Otherwise, it is possible that the Japanese would have sent their army into the heartland."