On Saturday, a burial ceremony for Su Yilin, a fallen hero who sacrificed his life on the covert front in Taiwan in 1951, was held at the Panshan martyrs' cemetery in Tianjin.

Su, born in 1914 in Hebei province, joined the Communist Party of China in 1933 and worked for many years on the Party's covert front. In 1949, he went undercover in Taiwan with the retreating Chinese Kuomintang forces.

During his time there, Su obtained a large volume of top-secret military intelligence from the KMT authorities, making significant contributions to advancing the cause of national reunification.

Before his sacrifice, he once told his comrades that if his operation failed, only he would be exposed, but if it succeeded, it would spare the sacrifice of tens of millions.

The ceremony was attended by Su's relatives and descendants, as well as representatives from relevant departments.

Ahead of the Qingming Festival, or Tomb Sweeping Day, which fell on Sunday, the remains of several fallen heroes who had operated on the covert front in Taiwan after the Chinese civil war were returned to and laid to rest on the Chinese mainland, thanks to joint efforts from both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

On March 27, the remains of Chen Lin, another "secret agent", were transported from Taiwan to Hefei, capital of Anhui province.

Chen, born in 1920 in Lu'an, Anhui, joined the military in 1938. He was later assigned by Zhu Yunshan, a senior figure of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang, to undertake a special mission in Taiwan.

Using his position as a staff member in the transportation department of the joint logistics command headquarters as cover, Chen obtained multiple pieces of military intelligence. However, he was exposed and arrested while transmitting the information. During his imprisonment, he remained steadfast and unyielding.

Chen was executed in Taipei on Sept 1, 1950, at the age of 30, leaving no information about relatives or descendants.

In December, a Taiwan-based netizen surnamed Yuanshan posted a video seeking Chen's family members. The Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang in Hefei responded and coordinated efforts to locate his relatives. On Dec 12, Chen's only surviving sibling, his younger sister Chen Peifang, was found.

Through joint efforts of relevant departments on the mainland and in Taiwan, the necessary procedures and documentation were completed, enabling the martyr's remains to be returned to Anhui.

On March 31, a burial ceremony for Chen's ashes was held at the Qingshan martyrs' cemetery in Yu'an district, Lu'an. His 83-year-old sister attended the ceremony.

Zhang Han, spokeswoman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said at a news conference on April 1 that the heroic deeds of patriots will never be forgotten, by either the people or history.

"Their ideals and integrity will continue to inspire compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait to strive tirelessly for the early realization of national reunification and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation," she said.