Shenyang gallery to commemorate start of war

Shenyang, Liaoning province, is building an exhibition gallery commemorating the Beidaying Barracks for the 90th anniversary of the September 18th Incident. It will be open to the public before the anniversary this year.

The Beidaying Barracks was built in 1907. On Sept 18, 1931, Japanese troops destroyed a section of railway in northern Shenyang and attacked the Chinese garrison in the barracks in the city that same night. Japan then occupied China's northeastern region.

As many as 35 million Chinese were killed or wounded by invading Japanese troops between 1931 and 1945.

Construction of the exhibition gallery started in 2018. It has a total area of more than 12,000 square meters and will exhibit a large number of precious historical materials for the first time.

Cultural relics are also being collected. So far, Shenyang has collected more than 1,400 related cultural relics of great historical significance and research value.

Song Zhenhong, deputy director of the Shenyang Administration of Culture, Tourism, Radio and Television, said: "The Beidaiying Barracks represents not only the start of the Japanese War of Aggression Against China but also China's 14-year war of resistance. It will always be a reminder to the Chinese people."

Chen Mo in Shenyang contributed to this story.