暮色蒼茫吊英魂

鮑志成

早秋時節的9月22日，我們沿著絲綢之路來到被稱為“塞外江南、北涼古都”的甘肅高臺。車行處，看見中國工農紅軍西路軍紀念館的指路牌。雖然此行重在考察絲路古跡，但我還是對當地接待人員提出了參觀的要求。

紀念館門口有一方橫碑，毛體的館名在夕暉映照下熠熠生輝；底座由花崗巖澆砌，似乎滲透了西路軍將士殷紅的鮮血。仰面是高高聳立的紀念碑，形制和氣勢與天安門廣場的人民英雄紀念碑相仿。紀念館的工作人員引領大家列隊緩步來到碑前，敬獻花圈，鞠躬致敬。高天中蒼茫的暮色漸濃，沒有哀樂，也沒有軍歌，有的是西北大地夾雜著絲絲寒意的晚風，還有沉默中凝重的呼吸聲。

紀念館前身為高臺烈士陵園，是為紀念當年征戰河西、為國捐軀的紅軍西路軍將士于1957年修建的，2009年建軍節前夕，改擴建竣工后更名為“中國工農紅軍西路軍紀念館”。紀念館合烈士公墓、展陳館、紀念陵園于一體，陸續收埋了3000多西路軍將士的遺骸忠骨。

憶往昔，崢嶸歲月稠。1936年10月，中國工農紅軍一、二、四方面軍在甘肅會寧勝利會師后，紅四方面軍總部奉中共中央和中革軍委之命，率兩萬余人西渡黃河準備執行寧夏戰役計劃。但由于時局變化，渡河部隊又奉命組成西路軍，準備建立根據地，打通國際通道。西路軍將士浴血奮戰半年之久，殲敵數萬，最終兵殤河西走廊。西路軍的歷程在中國革命史上留下了可歌可泣的篇章，而高臺攻防戰是其中最驚天動地、悲壯慘烈的一頁。

1937年1月1日，紅五軍攻克高臺。此時，西路軍總部及紅九軍到達臨澤、沙河一線，紅三十軍到達倪家營子。西北軍閥的馬家軍集中九萬部隊，除一部分在倪家營子和沙河、臨澤作鉗制外，優勢兵力圍攻高臺。紅五軍從1月12日一直打到1月20日，終因寡不敵眾，彈盡糧絕，失守高臺，軍長董振堂、政治部主任楊克明及三千多名戰士犧牲。奉命增援的騎兵師途中遇敵，師長董彥俊、政治委員秦賢道及以下大部捐軀。之后，敵軍又攻臨澤，紅九軍撤離沙河堡，與紅三十軍集結在倪家營子一帶。1月21日，西路軍突圍，紅三十軍回戈擊潰圍追的敵騎兵旅。2月26日，西路軍返回倪家營子，重新陷入敵軍的重兵圍攻中。3月11日，西路軍突圍進入梨園口，紅九軍最后的千余人基本拼光，西路軍總指揮部能夠直接掌握的僅有紅三十軍的一兩千戰斗人員。3月15日，西路軍軍政委員會主席陳昌浩宣布決定，殘部分成三個支隊就地游擊。后來，王樹聲支隊、張榮支隊潰散，李先念支隊沿祁連山西進，40多天后抵達新疆迪化（今烏魯木齊），僅存400多人，受到中央代表陳云、滕代遠的迎接和慰問；在接受了蘇聯的部分軍援物資后，回到延安。

如果西路軍的西征是成功的、勝利的，后人會把它看作中國革命戰略大轉移、北上抗日的長征的繼續嗎？西路軍西征計劃曾經共產國際的同意，肩負策應河東紅軍的意圖和鑿空蘇聯援助道路的構想，也許此后會匯入中國抗戰和全世界反法西斯戰爭的歷史洪流，但是失敗了。不過，西路軍所表現出的堅持革命、不畏艱險的英雄主義氣概，為黨為人民英勇獻身的精神，是永遠值得人們尊敬和紀念的。由高臺烈士陵園到中國工農紅軍西路軍紀念館的變遷，說明了這一切。

陵園的大型花崗巖英雄群雕“血戰高臺”，藝術地再現了80年前西路軍將士們“理想高于天、熱血鑄祁連”的豪邁氣概和英勇壯舉。這座雕塑是雕塑家何鄂女士于1995年設計并制作的，高5.8米，采取立體旋轉形式，有七名西路軍指戰員的形象，面向四周，每一個側面都是一個戰斗的場景。其中，有紅五軍軍長董振堂，有揮舞大刀與敵人拼死搏殺的指戰員，有拉響手榴彈與敵人同歸于盡的傷病員，有冒著生命危險營救西路軍將士的群眾，有救死扶傷的女衛生員，有吹響沖鋒號的紅軍小號兵等。整個群雕頌揚了當年西路軍視死如歸的大無畏革命精神，謳歌了先烈們的精神與日月星辰、天地山河永生不滅！

展陳館的樣式創意采自古烽火臺造型，體現了西路軍的精神火焰永不熄滅。展陳館的陳列根據西路軍作戰計劃和戰斗歷程，分“序廳”“西渡黃河，執行寧夏戰役計劃”“策應河東，建立永昌山丹根據地”“血戰臨高，呼應西安事變后的局勢”“石窩分兵，西行支隊進入新疆”“全力營救，保存革命火種”“忠心耿耿，西路軍將士鐵骨錚錚”“光照千秋，西路軍精神永載史冊”八個展廳。

展陳館有英烈廳，以作吊唁之用。另有影視廳，用來真實、準確、完整地再現西路軍西征史和戰斗場景，傳達革命精神和英雄氣概。

整個展陳以詳實的史料、圖片、實物、藝術品、沙盤、雕塑為主體，以電動圖表、觸摸屏和聲光電多媒體技術為手段。展陳注重將西路軍的歷史性與現實性、思想性與藝術性、時代性與互動性融為一體，成為河西走廊絲路古道上一處難得的愛國主義革命傳統教育基地和紅色旅游目的地。

一張張發黃模糊的歷史照片，一把把銹跡斑駁的大刀長槍，一件件簡陋粗劣的生活用品，敘說著西路軍戰士壯懷激烈的英勇故事……一座座英氣逼人的浮雕群像，一幕幕刀光劍影的戰斗場景，一句句感人肺腑的豪言壯語，謳歌著西路軍將士抗爭到底的不屈精神……

走出紀念館，天色已暗，巨大的紀念碑鑲嵌在夜幕中。我想，那是宛如大柱的西路軍將士的雄偉身姿，挺立時空！

（本文圖片由作者拍攝、提供）

During our “Silk Road” program in Gaotai， Gansu Province in the northewest of China earlier this year， I got a chance to visit the Chinese Workers and Peasants Red Army Memorial， built in 1957 in commemoration of the heroic deeds of the West-Road Army. Standing in the desolation of Chinas northwest wildness， I heard the breaths of the martyrs.

In October of 1936， the military retreat undertaken by the Red Army of the Communist Party of China to evade the pursuit of the Kuomintang reached its first finishing line， with the 1st， 2nd and 4th front armies of the Workers and Peasants Red Army joining forces in Gansu Provinces Huining and victoriously completing the unprecedented 25，000- Long March. About 20，000 members of the fourth Red Army， however， advanced north to complete the Ningxia military mission. The situation worsened， forcing the army to reorganize into what is later referred to as the West-Road Army to break new grounds. Running out of ammunition and food supplies， the army lost the battle after half a years bitter struggle， leaving a tragic episode in the revolutionary history of China.

The battle to defend Gaotai was the bloodiest page in the 1937 episode. On January 1， 1937 witnessed the successful occupation of Gaotai by the Fifth Red Army. Seriously outnumbered， the soldiers lost a brutal battle that lasted eight days to the warlord army. More than 3，000 lives of the Fifth Red Army were lost. The fall of Gaotai was soon followed by a series of losses in Linze and Nijiayingzi. The demise came on March 11 in the battle at Liyuankou， where another one-thousand lives were lost. On March 15， chairman of the army committee had to switch to a new guerrilla strategy by joining the forces of less than 2，000 soldiers. The survivors advanced further north， and arrived in Dihua （todays Urumqi in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region） about 40 days later.

One question todays people may feel tempted to ask is： if the “Western March” of the West-Road Army were a success， will the expedition be considered a military strategic shift in the revolutionary course of China and the continuation of the Long March？ The “Western March” was a strategy approved by the Comintern to hopefully echo Chinas anti-Japanese endeavors and the worlds anti-Fascism War. The “March” failed for many reasons， but the resolution and dedication of the army will be forever in the memory of future generations of the Chinese people.

The granite sculptures in the cemetery presents the lofty feats of the West-road Army in a truly artistic way. Crafted by famous sculptor Ms He E in 1995， the 3-D rotational structure that stands 5.8 meters tall presents the image of seven West-road commanders all facing death unflinchingly. The heroism of the soldiers is powerfully encapsulated in every detail that shows the sculptors high artistry.

The design of the museum， that draws inspiration from beacon towers in the far-west frontier areas of ancient China， aims to symbolize the dauntless revolutionary spirit that will never be quenched. The presentation of the exhibits follows the military planning system of the army， vividly reproducing the historical scenes and milestones of the “Western March” 80 years ago.

The museums Heroes Hall is designed for condolence purposes. Visitors can also relive the armys soul-stirring past in the museums Movie Room.

The exhibition arrangement is an exciting multi-media montage of all historic materials including sand tables and sculptures， combining patriotism with a high level of artistic presentation and making the museum a rare “red tourism” destination on the Hexi Corridor.

The faint colored pictures， rusty spears and guns， and worn-out articles of daily use are the reminder of the unyielding “West-Road Army” spirit that still lingers in the air.