CHONGQING (CQNEWS) -- “To read a city, start by reading its water.” Chongqing is a city of rivers and mountains, with its spicy cuisine, crisscrossing interchanges, enchanting night scenes, and the magnificent Yuzhong Peninsula catching the eye of outsiders thanks to its unique style. While reading about the two rivers, I read about the bridges, and when I reached the Egongyan Bridge, I stopped in my tracks because I saw a museum called Jianchuan Museum.

During the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, Hanyang Arsenal was relocated to Chongqing and was purposely built on top of the steep cliffs along the Egongyan area to avoid Japanese air raids. Chongqing Jianchuan Museum, on the other hand, is a museum cluster set up using the cave body of a war-era military production cave as its site. To approach it is to revisit history, to re-read the weight and vicissitudes of history. It opens my mind and touches the sadness and joy in my thoughts, as if I heard the trumpets of battle, as if I saw the soldiers spilling their blood.

The thematic sculpture “Braving the Enemy’s Fire” stands majestically by the bridge, showing a Sichuan soldier with a machine gun in his hand and a determined look in his eyes, strafing Japanese warplanes in the air, a symbol of bravery and victory.

Boom-boom-boom, what’s that sound?

The Japanese were shelling Wanping City, and Pingjin and North China were in danger; Lugou Bridge Incident had left China weeping with blood, and every corner in China was in mourning; and the only way out was to fight against the Japanese aggression.

“The eyes become clearer because of the many tears, and the heart becomes warmer because it has suffered so much.” Faced with such an epigraphic exhibit, I realized that Zhao Yiman had been tortured with electric shocks before her death, and that her body had been half-burned when she died. In a letter to Ning’er before her execution, she wrote, “My dearest child! I don’t need to say a lot to educate you. I will educate you by practice. When you have grown up, I hope you will not forget that your mother died for her country!”

The scenes reproduced are so heartbreaking that they make people weep. In my teary eyes, I felt like I was seeing the years when the whole country fought together, worked hard and forged ahead. Ai Qing said, “Why are my eyes always brimming with tears? That’s because I love this land so deeply.” Yes, we are raised on this land and we love it dearly.

“Collect wars for peace, lessons for the future, disasters for tranquility, folklore for heritage.” I remember the red handprints and the souls of the heroes, although the smoke and the fire of war are far away.

In this city of mountains and water at night, the water of the two rivers still flows slowly, and the lights on both sides of the bridge are always lit up at night, but have we ever revisited the history of the stubborn iron and stone that sank to the bottom of the rivers?

Have you seen the hands of heroes who fought against the invaders in the fires of war, who held swords and spears, threw grenades, planted mines and blew up bunkers?

The heaviness and sorrow of history is meant to make our steps forward more persistent and determined.

“People live up to a hundred years, paper lasts a thousand years, while objects of wood, stone, gold, bronze, porcelain and jade can last up to ten thousand years. People go away and things stay forever. Museums speak for themselves in quiet. The vicissitudes of heritage speak for themselves: stories from the past to future.” 

I remember what the curator wrote.

At Jianchuan Museum, there is always a force for upward mobility, sun and light.

The flowers on the field paths are in bloom and you can enjoy them while you slowly return. The one who returns will be the one who has worked hard, gone forward and persevered for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Introduction to the Museum>>>

Located in Huangjia Wharf Community, Xiejiawan Sub-district, Jiulongpo District, Chongqing, Jianchuan Museum cluster consists of nine thematic museums and one temporary exhibition hall. The museum has a collection of over 40,000 cultural relics, including 116 national-level relics, and is a national AAAA-level attraction.

Features>>>

Culture of arsenal: the Museum of the Former Site of the First Factory of the Arsenal Department presents the historical appearance of the arsenal and the development of China’s national arsenal industry through cultural relics, layouts, scene restoration and multimedia displays.

War culture: Museum of War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression exhibits a large number of valuable relics to warn the Chinese nation to learn from history and strive for a peaceful and friendly future.

Tickets culture: Life Museum of Ticket displays items from the founding of New China to the reform and opening up of the country, such as food, clothing, housing, transportation and use of the people, supplemented by many ticket objects, clearly outlining the social customs and living habits of the Chinese people, forming a picture of generations of people seeking survival and happiness.

Folk culture: Chongqing Story Museum takes a folk memory perspective and systematically showcases Chongqing folk culture such as boat trackers, special cuisines and Chongqing dialects.

Routes recommendation>>>

Route 1

Entrance of the Museum - Museum of the Former Site of the First Factory of the Arsenal Department - Museum of War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (Tour duration: 1-2 hours)

Route 2

Entrance of the Museum - Museum of the Former Site of the First Factory of the Arsenal Department - Museum of War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression - Life Museum of Ticket - Museum of the History of Arms - Chinese Xi Culture Museum (Tour duration: 3-4 hours)

Route 3

Entrance of the Museum - Museum of the Former Site of the First Factory of the Arsenal Department - Museum of War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression - Life Museum of Ticket - Museum of the History of Arms - Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine Culture - Chinese Xi Culture Museum - Museum of Folk Prayer Culture - Chongqing Story Museum - Air Defense Exhibition Hall of Chongqing People (Tour duration: over 6 hours)

(Written by Han Yi, and translated by Wang Huixin, Fathom Language Limited)