During the fourth National Conference on Reading in Taiyuan, Shanxi province, descendants of the heroes who sacrificed their lives in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) emphasized the importance of reading history books and passing on the great revolutionary spirit to young people.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of victory in the war.

Ma Jimin, grandson of General Yang Jingyu, choked up as he recounted that his grandfather's stomach was filled only with tree bark when he gave his life for his country.

Yang, originally named Ma Shangde, led the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army during the war. He was surrounded by a group of Japanese invaders and a puppet army in what was then known as Mengjiang county in Jilin province on Feb 23, 1940.

Yang opened fire on the invaders, battling alone until he was killed at the age of 35.

"The enemy cut open his stomach and found it contained only undigested grass roots, bark and cotton wool (from his cotton-padded overcoat). Young people today may hardly imagine such hardships," Ma said.

"According to the book General Yang Jingyu's Biography, during the 100 days before his sacrifice, my grandfather fought 47 times, and in the most difficult times, the troops had to relocate to multiple locations every day. But my grandfather always maintained an intense fighting spirit.

"My grandfather's spirit tells us that firm faith and strong will are more important than material possessions," he added.

To memorialize the great hero, Mengjiang was renamed Jingyu in 1946.

Another well-known heroine, Zhao Yiman, was captured by Japanese occupation forces in 1935.

The Japanese invaders subjected Zhao Yiman to cruel torture, using steel needles to pierce her wounds and branding her flesh with hot irons during interrogation.

She remained unyielding and was executed on Aug 2, 1936, at the age of 31.

Before her execution, she wrote a letter to her young son, in which she said: "I don't have too many words to educate you, but just let my actions be your teacher. When you grow up, I hope you will not forget that your mother sacrificed for the country."

Zhao's granddaughter, Chen Hong, expressed that she now has a deeper understanding of the profound meaning of the letter.

"My grandmother led the troops in battle with great courage," said Chen. "In the guerrilla area at that time, she was highly respected as everyone trusted and followed her."

Shanxi was one of the main battlefields of the war. It was home to the headquarters of the Eighth Route Army and the anti-Japanese bases of Jinsui, Jinchaji and Jinjiluyu. It is also famous for the Pingxingguan Victory in 1937 and the Hundred Regiments Offensive in 1940.

Zuo Quan, deputy chief-of-staff of the Eighth Route Army, was killed at the age of 37 while defending the headquarters during an evacuation in May 1942. Four months after his death, Liaoxian county in Shanxi was renamed Zuoquan in his honor.

Sha Feng, Zuo's grandson, stated that his grandfather devoted great efforts to regularizing the Eighth Route Army and constructing military factories.

"The military works he wrote, such as Ambush Tactics and Attack Tactics, played an important role in guiding the troop's operations," he said. "He fought for national independence until his last moment.

"The responsibility of building a new China, as mentioned by my grandfather, has become an invisible relay baton, allowing us to perpetuate this patriotic spirit forever," he added.

Since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, many stories of anti-Japanese war heroes have been adapted into films, TV dramas, plays and other literary works.

"I also participate in important commemorative events with my daughter," said Sha. "I read family letters to her, hoping to pass on the revolutionary spirit from generation to generation."

Contact the writers at zhuxingxin@chinadaily.com.cn