"I was impressed by the name of the place, Yuhuatai, which is very poetic and beautiful," Wang says. Yuhuatai means rain-flower stone. "There are 1,519 martyrs who have left their names in Yuhuatai. And their stories are real, which inspired us."

Wang says Yuhuatai has inspired many Chinese artists who told stories of the martyrs through television dramas, movies and dance. For the orchestral suite, Wang and composer Yin Qing will use 16 songs portraying 16 heroes, telling their stories through music and poems.

"I was born in Nanjing and worked there for over two decades. I've visited Yuhuatai many times and I still feel touched when I went there for the orchestral suite," says Yin, adding that he took his daughter with him on the trip. He hopes to share the stories of the heroes with the younger generations.