WELCOME HOME

The flight from Incheon to Shenyang lasted about an hour and 20 minutes, but for many of the martyrs, this journey home spanned almost seven decades.

In the past a few days the city of Shenyang has been decorated with slogans that read "welcome back, our heroes".

As the Y-20 military transport aircraft prepared to land at Shenyang airport, the air traffic control tower transmitted a heartfelt message: "The mountains and rivers remain intact, our country is prosperous, and our military is strong. With the utmost respect, we welcome the loyal martyrs back home."

In response, captain of the Y-20, Zhou Han, acknowledged the gravity of the moment: "The people's heroes will live on forever, their names eternally etched in history."

It was freezing in Shenyang on Thursday, with temperatures dipping well below zero. Standing among the waiting crowd, retired teacher Lang Qingxia struggled to hold back her tears. In August 1952, her older brother Lang Defu died in the line of duty during the Korean War; she hopes that one day he will be brought back home and laid to rest.

"I have been coming for several years," she said. "Those heroes are my brother's comrade-in-arms, whom I regard as my relatives. On the other hand, I look forward to seeing my brother among these returning home."

Dong Shulan's uncle went to fight in the Korean War in July 1952, and that was the last time anyone saw or heard from him. "Even though my uncle may not be coming home this time, the return of his comrades feels like he's back too," she said.

"I am deeply honored to be here," said Wang Lei, who plays Qin Jiwei, a CPV army commander, in the hit TV drama Battle of Shangganling. "As an actor, I'm here to welcome the heroes home, and it feels as though the characters I've portrayed in the past are welcoming them back as well."

Winter Olympic short-track speed skating champion, Wu Dajing was visibly moved by the experience. "Many of the martyrs were younger than us when they went to war. They sacrificed their lives to protect our country. It was an environment that today's youth should never experience. I hope that their spirit can be an inspiration to today's young people."

The ceremony was also livestreamed online. Among the viewers were faculty and students of a primary school in Shenyang, which was named after CPV martyr Mao Anying, the son of late Chinese Chairman Mao Zedong. In memory of the martyrs, the students had selected personal gifts to take to the martyr's cemetery at a later date.

"My gift is a scarf," said a girl. "The soldiers braved severe cold and fought in extremely difficult situations. So I hope that it could protect our CPV soldiers from the cold wind."

Another girl cooked noodles with her mom before school that morning. In north China, it is customary to welcome guests with noodles. "These noodles taste of home," she said. "The martyrs have returned home."

A third child brought a model plane. "My dad is a soldier and I grew up listening to his stories about the Korean War. I brought this model so our CPV soldiers can see how strong our motherland is now."