Since its founding in 1986, the memorial hall has welcomed over 41 million visitors from home and abroad, Qiu says.

The popularity of the New Fourth Army can be partly explained by the lyrics of the song Cabbage Heart etched on a wall of the memorial hall.

"When eating vegetables, eat the cabbage heart; when joining the army, join the New Fourth Army …You die for the people, and the people live because of you. Everyone, come join the army," goes the song that quickly spread across the country when published in July 1943.

Zhang Li, associate professor with the Yancheng New Fourth Army Cadre Academy, says that all units of the New Fourth Army responded to the Party's call by carrying out streamlined, efficient military governance, developing local economies, organizing production competitions, promoting the salt industry, improving water conservancy, and revitalizing education and cultural endeavors. These efforts deepened its ties with the people, he adds.

According to the memorial hall's deputy director Zhu Zhuo, 128 towns and villages in Yancheng are named after martyrs, and there are a total of 248 revolutionary sites. Over 18,000 martyrs are buried in this region.

To reach wider audiences, the memorial hall has organized major exhibitions across China.

Last year, a traveling exhibition celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China toured Beijing, Hefei in Anhui province, and Nanchang, attracting nearly 100,000 visitors, Qiu says.

The museum also collaborates with institutions at home and abroad to share the New Fourth Army's story on the global stage.

The goal is to ensure sacrifices of the New Fourth Army and the broader wartime legacy remain an enduring part of China's national consciousness, Qiu says.