Yanzhou Cemetery for Martyrs mainly housed the bodies of martyrs who'd died in the Qi’an warzone during the Period of Destruction. After the New Era was established, many graves were shifted over from other areas of Yanzhou. According to official estimates, there were tens of thousands of graves here, and most of the corpses had been cremated and compressed, taking up very little space. There were some without even a corpse, just leaving behind personal belongings or a personal record with their names.
The people of the New Era had a custom where, every Memorial Day, they would head to the Cemetery for Martyrs to pay their respects. Some people felt that paying their respects to the large congregation of martyrs would bless and protect them and make their wishes come true. Others just felt obliged to follow tradition and just came for a walk about.
