Northeastern China's Shenyang City held a burial ceremony Monday morning for the remains of 117 Chinese war heroes who gave their lives in battles during the Korean War some 70 years ago, also known in China as the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea.

The remains and belongings of the fallen soldiers arrived at Taoxian airport in Shenyang on Sunday from Incheon, South Korea. Since the transfers from South Korea began in 2014, it's the seventh time fallen soldiers have been repatriated to China. 

Government and military officials, Korean War veterans, and members of the public attended the ceremony and paid respects to the fallen heroes. 

"China and the DPRK have been good neighbors since the founding of their diplomatic nations, especially after the Korean War. Sealed by blood, their ties grew undeniably stronger," said Professor Lyu Chao, chief expert on Korean Peninsula issues at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences.

China's Ministry of Civil Affairs says nearly 200,000 Chinese soldiers died on the Korean Peninsula during the three-year conflict. Most of them were buried on foreign soil. But now, some are finally returning home. 

"This reflects the two countries' friendly and peaceful settlement on this matter, a token of goodwill by South Korea that China appreciates," said Lyu, adding, "After the Korean War, the two sides have boosted trade and both have realized that peace is crucial to well-being. So the two have valued and cherished it since then."

Honoring the martyrs with a music of lament and a 27 gun salute, this year's burial is the second largest in the country's history, after nearly 440 Chinese soldiers were laid to rest in the first such repatriation in 2014. To store the remains safely, cemetery personnel need to make sure the environment is suitable.

"We keep tabs on temperature and humidity in the crypt and inspect the site regularly to ensure a safe environment to store the remains," said Wang Chunjie, a manager of Shenyang's Cemetery for Korean War Martyrs.

Between 2014 and last year, the remains of nearly 600 Chinese soldiers were buried in the cemetery. 

Seoul has agreed to continue cooperation with Beijing to recover the remains of Chinese soldiers and return them to their home country – a gesture viewed by experts as an important joint process while the two sides carry on the work to develop a healthy and stable relationship years after the war, even though they were enemies 70 years ago.  

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Burial ceremony takes place for remains of 117 Chinese volunteer soldiers