Representatives from the Chinese Embassy in Uganda and Chinese enterprises and institutions attend a memorial ceremony to honor four Chinese experts who lost their lives 29 years ago while working on a Chinese aid project in the East African country, in front of a memorial stone at the northeastern corner of Mandela National Stadium in Kampala, the Ugandan capital, April 4, 2025. (Photo by Ronald Ssekandi/Xinhua)
The Chinese community in Uganda held a memorial ceremony to honor four Chinese experts who lost their lives 29 years ago while working on a Chinese aid project in the East African country.
KAMPALA, April 6 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese community in Uganda on Friday held a memorial ceremony to honor four Chinese experts who lost their lives 29 years ago while working on a Chinese aid project in the East African country.
Representatives from the Chinese Embassy in Uganda and Chinese enterprises and institutions gathered at a memorial stone engraved with the names of the four experts. The stone stands at the northeastern corner of Mandela National Stadium in Kampala, the Ugandan capital.
In 1996, the four Chinese experts -- Hu Yexing, Kong Huiping, Bao Jinping, and Wang Guorui -- died in a tragic traffic accident while working on the China-aided national stadium project.
Charge d'Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Uganda Fan Xuecheng led the tribute, which included cleaning the tomb and laying flowers in memory of the fallen experts. He underscored the enduring significance of their contributions to China-Uganda relations.
"With their expertise and tireless efforts, they laid the foundation for the early days of pragmatic and friendly cooperation between China and Uganda. Their heroic deeds are forever engraved in the history of China-Africa friendship, and their internationalist spirit continues to inspire future generations, urging us to forge ahead with perseverance," he said.
Uganda was among the first African countries to establish diplomatic relations with China. Since the 1960s, successive Chinese expert teams, medical missions, and engineering groups have worked across Uganda, contributing to the country's economic and social development.
A car passes by a speed sensor on a section of a Chinese-built road inside Murchison Falls National Park in northwest Uganda, on May 11, 2024. (Photo by Hajarah Nalwadda/Xinhua)
Li Jincheng, president of the China Chamber of Commerce in Uganda, paid tribute to the dedication of the four fallen experts and the legacy of their work, stating that the construction of the stadium stands as a symbol of enduring friendship between our two nations.
"As we mourn and express our deepest condolences, we must also carry forward the legacy of our predecessors. We must learn from their boundless love, selfless dedication, hard work, and perseverance," Li said.
The event coincided with China's Qingming Festival, a traditional occasion for paying tribute to the deceased and remembering ancestors.
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