It is the first time in 70 years that Zhao Xinli, a 89-year-old
veteran of the war against Japanese aggression, has returned to
Lugou Bridge, also known as Marco Polo Bridge, in southwest
Beijing.
"This is probably my last chance to see the place where we
battled for our country," he said in a trembling voice.
Zhao came back to the site with eight of his fellow soldiers
from the No. 29 corps of the Nationalist Army, who resisted the
siege by Japanese invaders at Nanyuan, a town near Lugou Bridge in
1937.
On July 7, 1937, Japanese soldiers attacked Chinese forces at
the bridge, marking an official start of an eight-year war between
the two sides. A mass invasion was launched 20 days later.
The No. 29 Nationalists Corps fought hard to resist the attack,
but in vain. More than 5,000 lives were lost on the day, including
Tong Linge, a deputy commander of the corps and Zhao Dengyu, a
division commander. The defeat led to the fall of Beijing and
Tianjin to Japanese.
The nine veterans, with the youngest aged 87 and the oldest 94,
are the only surviving members of the No. 29 Corps known in the
Chinese mainland, according to Fang Jun, organizer of their reunion
on Saturday.
Fang, a researcher on the history of the war against Japanese aggression, has focused
his efforts searching for living witnesses of the war.
A dozen years on, Fang has interviewed more than 100 veterans
and has written two books about their lives. "Recounting the
history through those who made the history is more impressive than
any written or material evidences, and there isn't much time for us
to retain those history-makers," Fang said.
"To have all the living soldiers back at the bridge today is a
historic moment, the place where the nightmare of the whole nation
started," he added.
Zhang Kezong, a 88-year-old veteran now living in southwest
China's Chongqing, said memories were still fresh after 70
years.
"There hasn't been a day gone by when I haven't thought about
the war. I told my children and grandchildren that the No. 29 Corps
fought to the end to protect every life and every inch of the
nation's territory," Zhang said.
But Zhang said he still had one regret that had been haunting
his thoughts for years.
"I was responsible for protecting commander Zhao. I sweated
blood and tears but I did not fulfil my task. It's a shame. The
last wish in my life is to come back and see the place where the
commander died," Zhang said.
Zhang and some other veterans went to the graveyard where
Commander Zhao is buried and paid homage on Friday.
Descendants of the commanders were also among those present at
Saturday's gathering.
"It is nice to have all the living members of the Corps back at
this historic place. I am moved by what I see here today. I feel
glad for my father, because without his sacrifice, victory wouldn't
have come so soon," said Tong Bing, son of Tong Linge, the first
high-ranking commander to die in the war against Japanese
aggression.
The veterans also joined students, scholars and troops in
attending an exhibition which opened at a memorial hall near Lugou
Bridge.
The exhibition, which organizers say serves as a reminder to
people to cherish peace and not to forget history, is showcasing
220 pictures and more than 200 wartime objects.
"We hope that the cruel war will not happen again and that peace
will last forever," said Liu Bo, a middle school student who came
from central China's Hunan Province.
"But we must remember the lesson that lagging behind leaves one
vulnerable to attacks, and therefore we will work hard to
contribute to a stronger motherland," he said.
The exhibition will last until December 30. A similar exhibition
of wartime photographs also opened in the northeastern city of
Shenyang, which was seized by Japanese troops in 1931.
"Our purpose of holding such an exhibition is not to perpetuate
our hatred but to keep the past firmly in mind so China and Japan
can have a better future," said Tang Xiaohui, deputy curator of the
Memorial Hall of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against
Japanese Aggression.
Also on Saturday, a US film chronicling Japan's notorious 1937
invasion of the Chinese city Nanjing and massacre of its residents
made its debut in Beijing and Shanghai.
Starkly titled Nanking, the 90-minute English
documentary with Chinese subtitles features interviews with Chinese
survivors and Japanese soldiers, along with pictures, letters and
diaries read by actors portraying westerners who helped save more
than 200,000 Chinese.
(Xinhua News Agency July 8, 2007)