| Dong Cunrui | |
|---|---|
Artist's depiction of Dong Cunrui as used in a political poster |
|
| Born | 1929 Huailai County, Hebei province, China |
| Died | 25 May 1948 Longhua County, Hebei province, China |
| Allegiance | Communist Party of China |
| Service/branch | People's Liberation Army |
| Years of service | 1945–1948 |
| Battles/wars | Chinese Civil War |
| Awards | Order of Mao Zedong Bravery Medal |
Dong Cunrui (Chinese: 董存瑞; 1929 - May 25, 1948) was a Chinese Communist soldier in the People's Liberation Army during the Chinese Civil War who blew himself up in order to destroy a Kuomintang bunker guarding to approach to an important bridge in Longhua County.[1] Under heavy fire, he reached the bunker, but there was no place to effectively position the explosives. Reportedly shouting "For a new China!", he detonated the explosives he carried, killing himself and the defenders within the bunker. He was posthumously awarded three "Bravery Medals" and one "Mao Zedong Medal", and his squad was titled "Dong Cunrui Training Model Squad". His sacrifice was heavily publicized by the Communists who called him a "hero" and "model communist", and he remains well known in China. He was depicted in a 1955 film Dong Cunrui directed by Guo Wei, and a 2009 TV miniseries titled For a new China, forward. His story was also published in national elementary Chinese textbooks.