The relic hunter

For three decades, Duan Shengkui has devoted himself to building a collection of wartime artifacts that tell the story of Yunnan between 1937 and 1945

Over the past 30 years, Duan Shengkui has accumulated more than 100,000 items relevant to the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1931-45), in a bid to raise awareness of part of history that, he believes, deserves more attention.

Duan, a 53-year-old native in Tengchong, in the western part of Yunnan province, started his longtime collection with 200 pieces that he originally used as props while playing at being soldiers with his childhood friends.