Macao and the British reoccupation of Hong Kong

This article is part of a large online project — End of Empire — launched by the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies (NIAS). The idea is simple: To describe day … Continue Reading →

The Fate of Japanese Settlers in Manchuria

Large numbers of Japanese fell into Soviet hands at the end of World War Two. This happened to both soldiers (see photo above) and civilians. This article is part of a large online … Continue Reading →

A Chinese Child Soldier Speaks

Huang Meng-hou, now 84 years old and a resident of Taiwan, served as a child soldier in the army of the collaborationist government headed by Wang Jingwei (or Wang Ching-wei). In … Continue Reading →

Operation Chahar, Part 2

The Nankou Campaign, sometimes known as “Operation Chahar,” broke out on August 8, 1937, and is largely forgotten today. This article, written by Eric Wu, focuses on the meaning of this campaign based … Continue Reading →

Operation Chahar, Part 1

The Nankou Campaign, sometimes known as “Operation Chahar,” broke out on August 8, 1937, that was 5 days earlier than the outbreak of the famous Shanghai Campaign. For decades, the … Continue Reading →

The Mysterious Prisoner

This website previously carried an article on Nadine Hwang (above in post-war photo from Venezuela, second from right), the mysterious Chinese prisoner of Nazi Germany’s Ravensbrück concentration camp. Much remains … Continue Reading →

The Chinese Army Enters Indochina, 1945

This article is part of a large online project — End of Empire — launched by the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies (NIAS). The idea is simple: To describe day … Continue Reading →

An Early Role Model: Changing China from Within

Mme Sun Yat Sen, or Soong Chingling, was one of the most prominent figures of the Second Sino-Japanese War. On the photo above she is pictured with Chinese soldiers in the … Continue Reading →

A Life in a Passport

    This article by Neil Kaplan about an unusual British passport was first published on his website Our Passports. It is reproduced here with his kind permission.  Sometimes fate shines upon us collectors and … Continue Reading →

Scenes of Death and Struggle at ‘China’s Alamo’

Recently we carried a series of photos from Shanghai’s restored Sihang Warehouse, taken by Yi Lee. On this page find some more pictures, courtesy of Yi Lee, from this historic site, … Continue Reading →