About Datong

Datong patriotism surges in celebration of Anti-Japanese War victory

By Sylvia Fang ( chinadaily.com.cn )

update: 2014-07-08

Around 300 Young Pioneers gathered at Pingxingguan Victory Memorial Square to celebrate the 77th anniversary of the Anti-Japanese War. The victory at Pingxingguan was key during China's Anti-Japanese period, and the battle took place in September 1937 in Datong's Lingqiu county, Shanxi province, North China.

The celebration's goal was to inspire younger generations to reflect on that period's history by visiting local museums, telling war stories and participating in a series of patriotic educational programs jointly offered by the Lingqiu branch of China Young Pioneer Committee, the Pingxingguan Volunteer Association and the Pingxingguan Singing Association.

The Pingxingguan Singing Association organized an Anti-Japanese War-themed concert, in addition to a series of celebrations in local communities and essay competitions.

The Young Pioneers visited the Pingxingguan Victory Memorial Museum to see artifacts from the September 28 Massacre—the murder of Shuoxian residents by Japanese soldiers in Shanxi province—and from Pingxingguan Battle, the first victory by the Chinese Communist Party in the Anti-Japanese War. On September 25, 1937, the No 115 Division of the Eighth Route Army defeated the Japanese army at Pingxingguan Pass, which remains a symbol of Chinese patriotism today.

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