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Chongqing News

Air-raid shelters used in Chongqing

2021-12-26 22:55:21

CHONGQING (CQNEWS) -- The special geographical and historical background led to the creation of numerous air-raid shelters in Chongqing. At the end of 2018, Chongqing Municipal People’s Air Defense Office launched a special livelihood initiative to implement the “Air-raid Shelters in Mountain City” air-raid shelter project, and upgraded the shelters with “separate policy for separate shelter”.

The reporter from Chongqing Evening News found that the air-raid shelters, engraved with Chongqing’s unique mark, now have not only the familiar air-raid shelter hot pot, but also the air-raid shelter museum and the air-raid shelter bookstore, which are extraordinary.

Air-raid Shelter Bookstore

Address: Tieluwucun, Huangjueping Sub-district, Jiulongpo District

Route: Walk from Exit 2 of Yangjiaping Station, CRT Line 2 to Yangjiu Road Stop, take Bus 441 and get off at Huangjueping Stop, then walk about 200 meters to reach it.

Tour: After getting off the Bus No. 441 at Huangjueping Stop, walk across the road through a small alleyway and down a flight of stone stairs to the famous “Air-raid Shelter Bookstore”. The first thing you see when you enter the bookstore is a wall of door signs: Changgangcun, Tashancun, 368 Tieluliucun, 4 Tuanjie Road... These are the historical imprints of Chongqing.

Walking further in, there is warm yellow light and a comfortable environment. The 45-meter-long corridor-style bookshelves are installed on both sides of the shelter and contain more than 5,000 books, many of which are already yellowing. These are mostly books on Chongqing’s local history, but of course there are also many dated novels and materials, for which the bookstore can be considered a treasure trove of books. Inside the air-raid shelter, there is also an undeveloped section which is also available for guests to visit.

The owner of the bookstore is Gou Jun, 54 years old. In July this year, due to the demolition of the Huangjueping area, he moved the original “Jun’s Bookstore” to the air-raid shelter. Gou Jun loves to read and collect books, and these books are only a part of his collection of over 40,000 books, and he has rented several other private houses to store them.

Some of the bookshelves are marked “XX’s Bookshelf”. Gou Jun explained that many customers donate books to the bookstore, so he set up a special area for them in order to give their books a sense of belonging in the bookstore.

The shelter is warm in winter and cool in summer, but a bit damp, so Gou Jun installed a dehumidifier in the shelter to make it more suitable for collecting books.

Not only has Chongqing Municipal People’s Air Defense Office donated books and magazines to set up a resource area here, but Gou Jun has also produced a poster entitled “The Amazing Chongqing Air-raid Shelters”, which allows visitors to learn about the history of Chongqing’s air-raid shelters and “our childhood experiences of exploring the shelters” through the humorous dialogue on the poster.

Gou Jun told the reporter that there are many female visitors to the shop, and most of them are young people. When they come to the bookstore, apart from reading books, they like to take photos, and the yellowed books and some small objects with a sense of history are very attractive to them; and when middle-aged men visit the bookstore, apart from reading books, they also like to sit down for a cup of tea, chat and play chess, all of which is a pleasure.

The site of Chongqing Bombing

Address: No. 87, Jiaochangkou, Yuzhong District (Junction of Bayi Road and Ciqi Street, Jiefangbei)

Route: Approximately 200-meter walk from Exit 9 of Jiaochangkou Station, CRT Line 1 or Line 2

Tour: The site has three floors and a total floor area of 1,181 square meters. It makes comprehensive use of new modern technology and techniques to recreate the original historical appearance. The site consists of six sections: Prologue, Massacre from the Air - the bombing of Chongqing by the invading Japanese, The June 5th Tragedy - the making of the Tunnel Tragedy, Stronger Through the Bombing - the people of Chongqing stand strong in the midst of the bombing, Memory in Time - a warning of the tunnel tragedy scene, and Postscript.

The site is free of charge from Tuesday to Sunday and is open from 9:00 to 17:00. The public need to make an appointment to visit it through the official WeChat account “重庆大轰炸‘六五惨案’史实展馆” (Historical Facts of June 5th Tunnel Tragedy During the Bombing).

Tunnel Tragedy site

Address: Tunnel Tragedy site, Shibati, Yuzhong District

Route: Approximately 200-meter walk from Exit 4 of Jiaochangkou Station, CRT Line 1

Tour: Through the tunnel site, you can learn about the history of Chongqing from the air-raid shelter, the production and living conditions in the shelters during the War of Resistance Against Japan, and feel the spirit of “stronger Chongqing people through the bombing”.

Jianchuan Museum

Address: No. 1, Fujiagou, Xiejiawan Sub-district, Jiulongpo District

Route: Approximately 1,000-meter walk from Exit B of Xiejiawan Station, CRT Line 2

Tour: In Jianchuan Museum, elements of Chongqing can be found everywhere. Especially in Museum of Chongqing Stories, some of the market scenes and long-established shops of old Chongqing are recreated by means of scenes. In the air-raid shelter, there are also eight thematic museums, namely Museum of the Former Site of the First Factory of the Military Industry Department, Museum of Relics from War of Resistance, Museum of the History of Development of Weapons, Museum of Tickets, Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine Culture, Museum of Chongqing Stories, Museum of Chinese Xi Culture and Museum of Folk Prayer Culture (兵工署第一工厂旧址博物馆、抗战文物博物馆、兵器发展史博物馆、票证生活博物馆、中医药文化博物馆、重庆故事博物馆、中国囍文化博物馆、民间祈福文化博物馆).

Liziba Air-raid Shelter

Address: Next to Liziba Station, CRT Line 2

Route: 100-meter walk from Exit A of CRT Liziba Station (diagonally opposite the viewing platform)

Tour: The deep air-raid shelter is punctuated by various lights, and on the two walls at the entrance are blessing walls with small cards. Further in is the “I love Chongqing” graffiti, with solid wooden swings hanging on either side. At the top of the shelter are many warm paper lanterns, creating a mysterious passage.

Apart from the blessing walls and lanterns, the water lilies in the stone tanks, the retro tables and chairs, the kiosks in the childhood and the old photos of Chongqing hanging on the rock walls all have a retro flavor. It is a unique place to take photos and visit. (Translated by Wang Huixin, Fathom Language Limited)
 

Editor:Jiang Yiwei