In a carefully choreographed moment of national sentiment, two brothers with a combined age of 200 years reunited in Shijiazhuang this April. The meeting between 102-year-old Chen Xitian and 98-year-old Chen Peiqi was more than a family gathering; it served as a living bridge to the foundational conflicts of the People’s Republic. Their reunion coincided with the arrival of the 13th batch of remains of the Chinese People’s Volunteers (CPV) repatriated from South Korea.
Chen Xitian, a veteran of the Eighth Route Army who joined in 1944, and his younger brother Chen Peiqi, who fought in the Korean War, had not seen each other in nearly a decade. For the Chinese state, their longevity is framed as a triumph of the 'Prosperous Era' (Shengshi), a recurring ideological motif used to contrast current national strength with the deprivation of the mid-20th century. The brothers' shared history mirrors the Communist Party’s own narrative of struggle and ultimate ascent.
As the remains of unknown soldiers were being interred at the Shenyang CPV Martyrs' Cemetery, the brothers reportedly sang the 'Battle Hymn of the Chinese People’s Volunteers' from their living room. This specific cultural touchstone remains a potent symbol of Chinese resistance against 'imperialist' forces. By linking the personal emotions of the Chen family to the state-level ritual of repatriation, the narrative reinforces the bond between individual sacrifice and collective national security.
The ritualized return of Korean War remains has become an annual pillar of China’s domestic patriotism and its complex diplomatic dance with Seoul. For veterans like the Chen brothers, survival is articulated as a duty to witness the realization of the 'Chinese Dream.' Their interaction, punctuated by military salutes and reflections on a 'powerful motherland,' provides a human face to the abstract concept of historical continuity that the state seeks to preserve.