China commemorates war anniversary, highlights WWII role

Shandong province in East China on Tuesday launched an online memorial website on the anti-Japanese war, which features 3D video.

The interactive museum profiles the battles in Shandong during the war. It also features the names of soldiers and civilians who died during the war.

Wang Junmin, vice-Party chief of the province, said the site is cell phone and computer friendly, and the content is available in Chinese, English, Japanese and Korean.

The privately run Jianchuan Museum in Anren township of Dayi county in Sichuan province opened an exhibition on Tuesday, with more than 6,000 items on display that document Japanese atrocities during WWII.

The 3,500-square-meter exhibition hall was designed by Japanese architect Arata Isozaki. About 95 percent of the items are from Japan, explained museum owner Fan Jianchuan.

The items include the records of Chinese-civilian deaths by Japanese troops, letters from Japanese soldiers, official documents on bombings, propaganda boasting military achievements, shell debris and Japanese swords.

"I hope Japanese people will visit, and reflect," said Fan.

The government of Jiangsu province on Tuesday opened a photo exhibition in the provincial capital of Nanjing. More than 700 images are on display.

Among the visitors was Li Jianfeng, 90, a soldier during the anti-Japanese war. Li said the pictures are records of history and are of great value.

"Knowing history can help us better live up to our responsibilities and do better in our work," he said.

In Beijing, two monuments were unveiled on Monday, one in memory of Tong Linge and another for Zhao Dengyu. Both were commanders of the Nationalist Army and died during the war.

Early on Tuesday, Wang Lei cycled for an hour to see the sculpture depicting Zhao Dengyu in downtown Beijing.

"It is a special day. I want to come here to see the sculpture, remember our heroes, and feel their spirit in my heart."