Blue Helmet Tribute to Loyal Souls, Passionate Protection of Peace: The 24th Batch of Peacekeeping Forces to Lebanon Commemorates Martyr Du Zhaoyu

On July 25 local time, the soldiers of the 24th batch of Chinese peacekeeping forces to Lebanon, dressed in protective gear, solemnly lined up to open the memorial ceremony for martyr Du Zhaoyu. This coincides with the 20th anniversary of the Chinese military's peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, where peacekeeping soldiers gathered at the International Flag Square to stand in silence to remember the heroes, refine their original mission, and continue to guard the flame of peace in deep remembrance.

Representatives from the villages of Sinniyah and Kureira were invited to the scene to join Chinese peacekeeping soldiers in remembering the heroes and expressing their condolences. Accompanied by the distant and solemn "Martyrs' Memorial Day Horn," the memorial ceremony officially began.

The United Nations anthem, the national anthem of the Republic of Lebanon, and the national anthem of the People's Republic of China were played in sequence. All personnel removed their hats and stood in silence for one minute in memory of the martyrs, including Du Zhaoyu, who dedicated themselves to the peacekeeping cause, as well as the Lebanese civilians who lost their lives in the conflict. Honor guards slowly advanced to present wreaths, and military leaders along with local representatives carefully arranged the wreaths and ribbons, paying tribute to the loyal souls of the heroes and appreciating the difficulty of peace. Subsequently, all personnel slowly paid their respects to the portraits of the martyrs, saluting solemnly and offering white flowers, commemorating the achievements of the heroes with the most sincere ceremony.

On July 25, 2006, Chinese military observer Du Zhaoyu was ambushed while carrying out a peacekeeping observation mission and was heroically sacrificed, forever etching his youth and life into the war-torn land of Lebanon. Currently, as the situation between Lebanon and Israel fluctuates and the smoke of conflict has not yet cleared, the soldiers stationed on the front lines of peacekeeping understand more profoundly the sincerity of the martyrs' dedication to peace, and their belief in guarding their posts and maintaining tranquility has become even more resolute.

The principal of Kureira Middle School in Tyre, Lebanon, Shebli, stated: "It is a great honor to participate in this solemn memorial ceremony. Martyr Du Zhaoyu interpreted loyalty and dedication with his life and is a role model for everyone to learn from. The Chinese peacekeeping forces are rooted in southern Lebanon, continuously protecting the local people and bringing us stability, safety, and hope."

Soldier Zhang Lei from the 24th batch of peacekeeping forces to Lebanon expressed: "The urgent assembly whistle constantly reminds us that danger is nearby and the mission is on our shoulders. The martyrs dedicated themselves to peace, and we must inherit their will, stay on the front lines of our tasks, fearlessly face difficulties and dangers, faithfully fulfill our peacekeeping duties, and shine a light on the Chinese blue helmet brand with our actions."

The heroic souls endure, and the mission continues. All peacekeeping soldiers will take the martyrs as a benchmark, carry their sincere original intentions, bravely undertake the peace mission, steadfastly hold their posts and fulfill their responsibilities in the complex and turbulent task environment, fully guard the peace and stability of southern Lebanon, and continuously build a friendly bridge between China and Lebanon, writing a peacekeeping answer sheet for Chinese soldiers with their blood and dedication.

(Reporter Yang Yuan from the Central Broadcasting Station)