Songhu Campaign memorial to reopen on anniversary of victory
Print Edition
THE Shanghai Songhu Anti-Japanese Campaign Memorial Hall in Baoshan District is one of several buildings that will reopen on August 13 to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II and the War against Japanese Aggression, authorities said yesterday.
The 12-story hall has been closed for renovation since January 28, which itself marked the 83rd anniversary of Japanese forces first attacking Shanghai, said Yan Shuang, director of a working group established to manage the commemoration of the two conflicts.
August 13 is a significant date as it will be the 78th anniversary of the second invasion of Shanghai by Japan. The conflict was one of the bloodiest campaigns in the entire war, Yan said.
More than 300,000 Chinese soldiers were killed or wounded in the campaign, while Japan’s casualties numbered 40,000, he said.
Since its opening in 2000, the memorial hall has attracted more than 3.5 million visitors and was last year named as one of China’s top 80 venues related to the War against Japanese Aggression
“Despite its popularity, it was too small and needed upgrading,” Yan said.
The hall is located in Linjiang Park, which itself is undergoing a process of renovation and will also reopen on August 13.
To celebrate the revamp, the green space will be renamed Songhu Anti-Japanese Campaign Park and will feature about 1,000 exhibits — including sculptures and paintings by modern artists from across China — that commemorate the battles of Shanghai.
Prior to the opening of the park and hall, on July 7 — the 78th anniversary of the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, which is considered to the actual start of the War against Japanese Aggression — an exhibition titled “A Million People United As One” will open at the Shanghai Exhibition Center.
The event’s organizers are appealing to local people to loan or sell their personal documents, items and other artefacts to the center to be included in a special display.
The exhibition will close on August 15, the 70th anniversary of Japan’s surrender.
Among the other buildings to undergo a face-lift ahead of the anniversary activities is the Sihang Warehouse in Zhabei District.
The building, which will reopen on August 13, is being restored to appear as it would have from October 26-31, 1937, when it provided a base for 420 Chinese soldiers as they sought to fend off the invading Japanese army.
Other venues, including the Jewish Memorial and the original site of the temporary government of Korea, are also being renovated.
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