On the outskirts of Changping, Beijing, on a cemetery in the Phoenix Mountain Cemetery, stands a simple but striking tombstone.
This is not the resting place of a prominent figure, but the grave of Zhuang Zedong, a former table tennis world champion and ordinary table tennis coach.
But one night in 2016, the tranquility of this peaceful corner was suddenly shattered.
An unknown person, quietly approaching the tombstone, holding a spray paint can, sprayed black liquid on the tombstone, especially on the golden glittering inscription.
Zhuang Zedong: The end chapter of a legendary life
On February 1, 2013, 73-year-old Zhuang Zedong passed away at Beijing You'an Hospital after his heart stopped beating.
The man, who used to be on the table tennis table, lay quietly on a hospital bed, surrounded by a white curtain and silent air.
In the corridors of the hospital, nurses talk in low voices, sometimes looking at the wards with respect and regret.
Zhuang Zedong was a table tennis coach before his death, and although he did not become a public figure, his story was recited among medical staff.
In the corner of the hospital, Atsuko Sasaki sat quietly, her hands clasped, and her eyes revealed reluctance and strength.
As Zhuang Zedong's wife, her story with Zhuang was the focus of media attention.
She renounced her Japanese citizenship and crossed many obstacles to spend the rest of her life with Zhuang Zedong. Their marriage was approved by Deng Xiaoping and became a good story.
Outside the ward, Zhuang Zedong's relatives and friends came to the hospital one after another.
They either talked in a low voice or sat silently, their expressions showing nostalgia and respect for the old coach.
Although Zhuang Zedong is just an ordinary coach, his life is full of legends and has influenced the lives of many people.
The placement of Zhuang Zedong's ashes has become a major problem for the family.
Due to the limited economic conditions, coupled with Zhuang Zedong's long-term struggle with illness during his lifetime, the family has little savings left, and it is almost impossible to buy a cemetery in Beijing.
Interment of ashes: a difficult choice
Zhuang Zedong's ashes are quietly placed in a small room in the hospital, with little furnishings other than a small table and urn.
This room is usually used by hospitals as a temporary storage place for remains or ashes, and is usually only used in exceptional circumstances.
Hospital staff pass by this room every day, but very few enter.
Atsuko Sasaki occasionally comes to the hospital and stands at the door of the room, quietly looking at the urn.
Every time she came, she would bring some flowers and gently place them next to the urn.
Then she stood there, silent, until it was getting dark.
Zhuang Zedong was an ordinary table tennis coach before his death, teaching children to play at the Beijing Youth Palace.
His salary is not high, but his love for table tennis and patient teaching of children have won the respect and affection of many people.
However, Zhuang Zedong's illness in his later years, as well as the high medical expenses associated with it, almost exhausted all his savings.
Atsuko Sasaki is Zhuang Zedong's second wife.
She is Japanese and used to be a fan of Zhuang Zedong, but eventually gave up her Japanese citizenship and crossed the border to China to spend the rest of her life with Zhuang Zedong.
However, she does not have a pension because she does not work in China.
After Zhuang Zedong's death, she faced tremendous financial pressure.
While Zhuang Zedong's ashes were left in the hospital for a long time, Atsuko Sasaki and Zhuang's family and friends began to work hard to find a solution.
They tried to raise funds through various channels in order to buy a suitable cemetery for Zhuang Zedong.
They contacted several funeral services to inquire about cemetery prices and burial procedures, hoping to find a burial method that was both decent and affordable.
Their efforts were not easy.
Cemeteries in Beijing are expensive and in limited supply.
They tried to find cemeteries in the suburbs, but many of them were either still too expensive or located in remote locations that made it difficult for them to visit regularly to pay their respects.
In this process, Zhuang Zedong's former students also actively participated.
They launched a fundraiser online in the hope of rallying more strength to help their beloved coaches.
They shared Zhuang Zedong's story on social media, about his love for table tennis and the impact he had on his students.
These stories touched a lot of people, and some people began to respond to their call for donations.
Phoenix Mountain Cemetery: A resting place
With the joint efforts of Zhuang Zedong's friends and former students, the news finally reached the ears of the managers of the Phoenix Mountain Cemetery.
Moved by Zhuang Zedong's story, they decided to provide a cemetery for free to help the old coach find a resting place.
After learning the news, Zhuang Zedong's family and friends expressed their gratitude, believing that this was a warm response from the social family to the end of an ordinary person's life.
One morning, when the sun shone through the treetops on the path of the Phoenix Mountain Cemetery, Atsuko Sasaki and a few friends of Zhuang Zedong came to the cemetery.
The person in charge of the cemetery greeted them and led them to visit the future resting place of Zhuang Zedong.
The cemetery is located in a secluded corner of the cemetery, surrounded by lush trees, and there is a small stream nearby, which adds a bit of life to the place.
The person in charge of the cemetery gave a detailed account of the location and environment of the cemetery.
He pointed to the tomb and said, "Although it is simple, the environment is quiet, and I believe it is a good place to rest." Atsuko Sasaki nodded, looked at the cemetery in front of her, and didn't speak for a long time.
Later, the staff of the cemetery showed them the design of the cemetery.
The tombstone will be made of delicate stone and will be engraved with Zhuang Zedong's name and biography.
In addition, considering Zhuang Zedong's love for table tennis during his lifetime, they planned to place a small sculpture with the theme of table tennis next to the tombstone.
The designer brought a preliminary sketch of the sculpture, on which is the image of a table tennis racket and a ball, simple and symbolic. The designer explained: "Through this sculpture, we hope to pay tribute to Mr. Zhuang's table tennis career. Atsuko Sasaki took the sketch, looked at it carefully for a long time, and then whispered, "That's good, thank you very much for your efforts." ”
In the decoration of the cemetery, Atsuko Sasaki and Zhuang Zedong's friends provided some personalized suggestions, hoping to better reflect Zhuang Zedong's life characteristics. They proposed planting some flowers and plants that Zhuang Zedong loved during his lifetime next to the tombstone as a way to commemorate his love for beautiful things.
The cemetery agreed with these proposals and promised to do its best to implement them. They also said that the cemetery will be regularly maintained to ensure that the resting place remains clean and dignified at all times.
Over the next few weeks, Zhuang Zedong's graveyard took shape.
Tombstones and sculptures are in place, and the surrounding flowers and plants are carefully planted.
When everything was ready, the cemetery informed the families of Atsuko Sasaki and Zhuang Zedong that they could begin the burial ceremony.
On the day of the burial, the sky in Beijing was exceptionally clear. Atsuko Sasaki and Zhuang Zedong's relatives and friends gathered next to the cemetery to witness the final journey of this ordinary and extraordinary old coach. Zhuang Zedong's ashes were slowly placed in the cemetery, and the surrounding people prayed silently, expressing their nostalgia and respect for Zhuang Zedong.
Tombstone Sculpture: Symbolism and Remembrance
On Zhuang Zedong's cemetery, a lifelike sculpture stands out, located at the top of the tombstone, as if guarding the former table tennis coach.
This sculpture is carved according to the photos of him playing table tennis before his death, and every detail has been carefully polished, from the posture of the sculpture to the expression, it is as much as possible to restore the style of Zhuang Zedong when he played.
The production process of this sculpture attracted the participation of many students and friends of Zhuang Zedong during his lifetime. They provided photos of Zhuang Zedong playing ball, and discussed with the sculptor how to better show Zhuang Zedong's style.
The sculptor was deeply honored when he accepted the assignment, and he carefully studied Zhuang Zedong's photos and videos to capture the concentration and enthusiasm of Zhuang Zedong as he played.
The finished sculpture not only shows a moment in Zhuang Zedong's table tennis career, but also becomes a commemoration of his contribution to "table tennis diplomacy".
The sculpture seems to tell the story of an era, allowing people to remember the special moment that connected China and the United States through table tennis.
On the stone base of the tombstone, there is a golden inscription that reads, "Beloved wife Atsuko Sasaki respects".
This passage is not only a commemoration of their cross-border love story, but also reveals Atsuko Sasaki's deep affection and respect for Zhuang Zedong.
After Zhuang Zedong's death, she personally supervised the production and carving of the tombstone, ensuring that every detail reflected the respect and nostalgia for Zhuang Zedong.
On the back of the tombstone, there is a thought-provoking phrase: "Here sleep the man who pushes the earth with a small ball". The "small ball" in this sentence refers to the table tennis ball, and the "big ball" represents the eastern and western hemispheres. This sentence is not only a description of Zhuang Zedong's participation in the historical event of "table tennis diplomacy" during his lifetime, but also a tribute to his contribution to Sino-US friendly relations.
The design of this inscription was unanimously approved by Zhuang Zedong's family and friends. They believe that this sentence not only accurately summarizes Zhuang Zedong's life contributions, but also is a perfect tribute to his life. During the design of the tombstone's inscriptions, they had many discussions with the engraver to ensure that every word appropriately expressed their intentions.
On the day the tombstone was installed, Zhuang Zedong's relatives and friends and some former students gathered in front of the cemetery.
They surrounded the tombstone, took turns looking at the sculptures and inscriptions, and recalled the bits and pieces of Zhuang Zedong's life.
Everyone is remembering the old coach in their own way.
The staff of the cemetery stood quietly next to them, witnessing the ceremony.
They saw many people's respect and nostalgia for Zhuang Zedong, and also felt the deep emotions conveyed by this tombstone.
With the passage of time, Zhuang Zedong's cemetery gradually became a special place. It is not only a place for Zhuang Zedong's family and friends to mourn, but also a window for many people to understand the history of "table tennis diplomacy" and Sino-US friendly relations.
Cemetery desecration: the problem exposed
Early one morning in 2016, the sun had just risen, and the tranquility of the Phoenix Mountain Cemetery was shattered by an unfortunate event. Zhuang Zedong's tombstone was maliciously sprayed with black paint, and the target was directly at the golden inscription - "Beloved wife Atsuko Sasaki respectfully".
This sudden act of blasphemy not only destroys the solemnity of the tombstone, but also exposes the complex emotions buried deep under history.
The cemetery's early morning staff were the first to notice the sight.
They stood in amazement at the tombstone, watching the blackened tombstone.
They quickly reported the cemetery management, and then the cemetery's security and management rushed to the scene.
They carefully inspected the scene, hoping to find some clues left by the vandals.
The manager of the cemetery immediately contacted Atsuko Sasaki to inform her of the sad news.
Atsuko Sasaki was at home in Japan when she received the call.
Although her emotions could not be conveyed between words, she expressed regret for the act and asked about the next steps of the cemetery.
The cemetery administrators assured that the incident would be dealt with as soon as possible and that the tombstones would be restored.
At the same time, they also contacted the police, hoping to find the perpetrator as soon as possible and take measures to prevent similar incidents from happening again.
The police quickly stepped in to investigate, collecting evidence from the scene and reviewing surveillance footage from the cemetery.
The incident has caused widespread concern in the local community, with many expressing anger and bewilderment at this unprovoked vandalism.
At the same time, this incident has also sparked discussions about the historical entanglements and cultural differences between China and Japan.
The transnational marriage between Zhuang Zedong and Atsuko Sasaki, as well as Atsuko Sasaki's insistence on returning to China every year after Zhuang Zedong's death to visit the grave, have been revisited and more people are known.
Over the next few days, the cemetery's staff meticulously cleaned and restored the damaged tombstones. They carefully removed the black paint and restored the tombstone to its original appearance.
During the restoration, they took extra care to protect the inscriptions and sculptures on the tombstones to ensure that no further harm was caused to these two important elements.
After the restoration work was completed, the tombstone was restored to its original solemnity and beauty.
The golden inscription shines in the sunlight again, and the lifelike sculpture seems to guard this love story that has survived the vicissitudes of life but is still tenacious.
After learning that the tombstone had been restored, Atsuko Sasaki specially returned to China from Japan and came to Zhuang Zedong's cemetery.
She stood in front of the tombstones, quietly looking at the tombstones and inscriptions that had been restored to their original appearance, and then carefully tidied up the cemetery, shoveled weeds, and rearranged flowers.
Although the incident of the destruction of the tombstone brought shock and sadness at the beginning, it eventually made more people know the story of Zhuang Zedong and Atsuko Sasaki.
It reflects the emotional depth and cultural differences behind transnational marriages, while also showcasing Atsuko Sasaki's unwavering love for Zhuang Zedong.
- Yang Wenbo.Zhuang Zedong's contribution to China's table tennis[J].Lantai World:Early,2014,0(8):72-73