National Museum of China Presents "United in Arms, Standing for Peace: 80th Anniversary of Chinese Victory in the War of Resistance Exhibition" at the Hong Kong Museum of History

On August 27, United in Arms, Standing for Peace: 80th Anniversary of Chinese Victory in the War of Resistance Exhibition, supported by the National Cultural Heritage Administration and jointly presented and organized by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the National Museum of China, and the Hong Kong Museum of History, opened to the public at the Hong Kong Museum of History.

 

The rise and fall of a nation concern every individual. Only when the people stand united can they effectively resist foreign aggression. On the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, this special exhibition is presented to serve as a poignant reminder of both the suffering endured by the Chinese people and their glory. It provides an opportunity to cherish peace and happiness, to reflect on the historical experiences and lessons learned, to carry forward the great spirit of the War of Resistance, and to support the continued rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

 

 

From 1931 to 1945, during the 14-year War of Resistance under the banner of the Chinese United Front against Japanese Aggression, initiated by the Communist Party of China and joined by the Kuomintang, all Chinese men and women who refused to be enslaved united as one, fighting tenaciously and shedding blood on the battlefield. With extraordinary courage, they forged an epic chapter in the history of human warfare, secured the glorious victory of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, and made a major contribution to the triumph of the broader World Anti-Fascist War.

 

This marked the first complete victory of the Chinese people against foreign invasion in modern history. The Hong Kong Battalion of the Anti-Japanese Guerrilla Force, led by the Communist Party of China, collaborated with local residents across Hong Kong to effectively disrupt the strategic plans of the Japanese Army, contributing immensely to victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. 

 

 

The exhibition, themed on the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, features 183 representative artifacts and 89 historical photographs. Through seven sections, including "Japanese Aggression Against China", "National War of Resistance", "Strong Support from Overseas Chinese", "Hong Kong's Joint Resistance", "The Fall of Hong Kong", "Substantial International Support", and "Great Victory", it presents a panoramic view of this monumental war of national liberation, while underscoring China's pivotal contribution as the principal battlefield in the East to the victory of the broader World Anti-Fascist War.

 

Among the 183 exhibits, the National Museum of China has contributed 82 carefully selected items, including the couplet presented by educator Ma Xiangbo to patriot Li Gongpu; Mao Zedong's On Protracted War, disguised as Wenshi Tongyi (Comprehensive Meaning of Literature and Historiography); a dadao saber used by Chinese soldiers in the Battle of Taierzhuang; the graduation certificate awarded to Huang Shunuan, a student of the second cohort of the Chinese News Institute in Hong Kong; and a cloth bundle once used by Lan Tianhong, deputy squad leader of the Chinese Squad of the Hong Kong–Kowloon Brigade of the East River Column. The remaining 101 items are provided by the Hong Kong Museum of History, as well as local collectors and cultural institutions, with around 60 of them being exhibited in Hong Kong for the first time.

 

 

In recent years, the National Museum of China has continued to deepen its cooperation with various sectors in Hong Kong. In 2019, it collaborated with the Leisure and Cultural Services Department to present the exhibition The Road to Modernization at the Hong Kong Museum of History. In 2021, it joined hands with the China Association for Science and Technology and the China National Space Administration to stage the Centennial Exhibition on Chinese Scientists at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. That same year, in partnership with the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong SAR and the HKSAR Government, it presented the large-scale exhibition Centennial Endeavor at the same venue. The current exhibition marks another collaboration between the National Museum of China and the Hong Kong Museum of History, supported by the Museum's strategic partner in Hong Kong, Bank of China (Hong Kong), among other institutions. The exhibition is scheduled to run until December 15.

 

 

Exhibition Information