A student looks at photos on display at the Museum of the War of the Chinese People's Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in Beijing, on July 7, 2023. A special exhibition is being held at the museum to commemorate the 86th anniversary of the July 7 Incident, which marked the beginning of Japan's full-scale invasion of China, and China's whole-nation resistance against the Japanese invaders. Photos: Li Hao/GT

 
A special exhibition opened to the public in Beijing on Friday, to mark the 86th anniversary of the start of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1931-45), and to remember the history and commemorate martyrs who fought for the future of the Chinese nation.

On the night of July 7, 1937, the Lugou Bridge Incident occurred outside Beijing, marking the outbreak of China's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression.

To commemorate the anniversary, the Museum of the War of Chinese People's Resistance against Japanese Aggression launched a special exhibition with a theme of "development of the Communist Party of China (CPC) during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression" on Friday afternoon.

The exhibition provides a total of 240 photos and more than 250 exhibits, supplemented by 19 new media products and exhibition designs, to allow visitors to dive into the history and get a better understanding of the war and the development of the CPC in its early stages, said Luo Cunkang, the curator of the museum.

An important feature of the exhibition is that the museum has used many important documents on the history of the CPC to reflect on the Party's achievements during the war.

The temperature in Beijing reached 36 C in the afternoon but many people still came for a visit despite the searing weather.

Staff at the museum put chrysanthemums at the entrance of the exhibition hall. Many visitors picked the flowers and put them by sculptures of martyrs to commemorate them.

The exhibition had received over 6,000 visitors as of 4:30 pm, with the exhibition having opened at 1:00 pm, Luo noted. Visitors included former soldiers, as well as students, families and office workers.

Liu Zulin, 73, told the Global Times that he and his wife traveled from Lingyuan in Northeast China's Liaoning Province to see the exhibition in Beijing.

"We are descendants of the old Eighth Route Army. My wife's father joined the troops in Lingchuan, Northwest China's Shanxi Province in 1939," Liu said.

"Visiting this exhibition reminds me of the fighting and sacrifices made by our predecessors who were not afraid to sacrifice and who fought bravely for our nation. Our generation lives in a peaceful period. Now my wife and I have retired, but as CPC members we will still contribute to the realization of the Chinese Dream and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation," he said.

A family from Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong Province told the Global Times that they have wanted to visit the museum for a long time. They booked the visit and chose July 7, a special day for Chinese people.

The father, also a soldier, said that he wanted to let his son, a grade-4 primary school student, know more about the country's history.

"Now my son is on summer vacation, so I plan to take our family to visit some 'red tourism' scenic spots," he said.