1st Ld-Writethru: China Focus: Beijing street preserves memory of heroic general

A bronze sculpture appeared on the northern end of Tonglinge street in the heart of Beijing this weekend, in memory of its namesake, the late general Tong Linge.

The street, which is about four kilometers west of Tian'anmen Square, is one of the few roads named after a person in the Chinese capital.

When the Japanese assaulted Lugou Bridge in the west of Beijing on July 7, 1937, the deputy commander led the Chinese army. He was the first high-ranking officer to die in World War II.

The 1.9 meter sculpture depicts a pocket watch, one of the two effects left by Tong Linge. It reads the time of his death and its chain has 77 rings, representing the day and month he fell in battle.

THE GENERAL

Tong Bing, 90, can be often seen on Tonglinge street. Asked if he knew the general, he replies: "Yes, I do. He is my father."

"To me, he was not only a hero, but also a good dad," he said.

Tong Bing was the youngest of Tong Linge's seven children.

"He was busy and only came home on Saturdays," he recalled. "When we heard the car we would rush out and welcome him. He would kiss us all, one by one."

When the Japanese arrived at Lugou Bridge on July 7, they tried to gain access to Wanping Town, claiming to search for a missing soldier. When their demand was rejected, they attacked.

The incident led to all-out war.

Chinese soldiers were outnumbered and ill-equipped. Some of Tong's army were just students, not even real soldiers.

The general fought for 20 days, retreating from Lugou Bridge to Guangcai Road about 22 kilometers south.

Liu Su, a research fellow with the Beijing Municipal Archives, said he had spoken with a villager who witnessed the general's last moments.

"Qiao Delin [the villager] was 13 in 1937," Liu said. "The Japanese fired machine guns from the roof of his house, while Chinese soldiers were in the corn field."

The general was shot in the leg, before he was killed by heavy shelling.

"His guard, Gao Hongxi, carried his body," Tong Bing said. "He brought my father's watch and his camera to my home."

A state funeral was held for the general in 1946, one year after the Japanese surrendered.

THE STREET

The government named the street in memory of Tong Linge in 1945. Many people have different impressions of the street.

To Yang, a 59-year-old a street cleaner, it is a busy stretch of road which is hard to keep tidy. "Too many restaurants," he said.

To Li Dong, a restaurant manager, it is a street with not many customers. "We are close to Xidan high street, but it is not convenient to get there," he said.

To resident Zhang Ailei, 38, it is a street which is frequently mispronounced. "The sculpture is recognition, albeit belated," he said. "People nowadays should not only know the general's name, but also learn his spirit to die for the nation."

To Tong Bing, however, it is a reminder. "The name of my father always brings me back to my happy childhood."

He turned down an invitation once to speak to students about his father. "My heart still aches whenever I talk about his death."

But Han Junying, principal of Shoushuihe primary school, which is near the street, believes students should understand their history.

"They should know how the street got its name," said Han. "They should know of this general, who died for this nation, they can now enjoy the life he fought for." Endi