SHENYANG – A significant collection of 189 historical artifacts documenting Japan’s wartime aggression against China has been formally donated to the September 18th Historical Museum in Shenyang, Liaoning province. The donation comes from local collector Li Yanbo, who has preserved these crucial historical materials.
The comprehensive collection encompasses various documentary formats including official certificates, handwritten manuscripts, personal correspondence, and photographic albums. These items collectively provide tangible evidence of numerous atrocities committed by Japanese military forces during their occupation of China in the 1930s and 1940s.
Among the most notable items is a military photograph album containing 154 original images captured by Japanese war correspondents. These photographs visually document various military operations including troop reconnaissance missions, advancement maneuvers, and other invasion activities.
Museum historians note that during Japan’s military campaigns across China, numerous embedded journalists extensively documented wartime operations. They produced high-definition photographic collections, commemorative albums, and propaganda publications that promoted Japan’s expansionist agenda while attempting to legitimize acts of aggression.
The donated materials include particularly significant first and second volume commemorative albums that accurately record Japan’s systematic propaganda efforts to whitewash their invasive military actions.
Collector Li Yanbo emphasized that although these artifacts remain silent physically, they powerfully articulate a沉重 chapter of history. He believes that museum preservation and public exhibition will enable broader societal awareness of historical truths.
Zhang Yunfeng, deputy curator of the museum, acknowledged the donation’s academic importance, noting that these materials provide compelling new evidence for research into both the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the pivotal September 18th Incident. The artifacts significantly enhance the museum’s archival holdings while filling crucial gaps in specific historical categories.