Defending the Wall, honoring the heroes
Farmer's resolve and dedication reminds people of the great wartime spirit and resilience of the nation, report Wang Qian and Zhang Yu.
Outgunned and outnumbered, soldiers of the 29th Corps of the Chinese National Revolutionary Army stood firm. Led by Zhao Dengyu, nearly 500 soldiers launched a midnight raid with broadswords against mechanized invaders. They overcame more than 700 enemy troops but suffered a catastrophic loss of 477 dead. The Japanese newspaper The Asahi Shimbun commented that this was the most humiliating defeat in the 60 years since the army was established.
This victory, a major win against the Japanese army since 1931 when Japan invaded Northeast China, motivated Mai Xin (1914-47) to write an anthem. Inspired by news coverage, Dadao Jinxingqu (March of the Broadswords) was composed in 1937 with the opening line: "Broadswords! Charge at the devils' heads!"
