The Mysterious Case of E.A.R. Fowles II

This is the second installment in a two-part series about a more than 75-year-old riddle involving a war-themed mahjong set. It belonged to a mysterious E. A. R. Fowles, who … Continue Reading →

The Mysterious Case of E.A.R. Fowles I

This is the first installment in a two-part series about a wartime riddle involving a unique mahjong set full of anti-Japanese symbolism. It belonged to an elusive E. A. R. Fowles … Continue Reading →

Shanghai’s Invisible Stain II

This is the second instalment in a two-part series about Shanghai’s dark legacy —  buildings that housed brothels used by the Japanese Army during World War Two. This article, written by … Continue Reading →

Shanghai’s Invisible Stain I

This is the first instalment in a two-part series about Shanghai’s dark legacy–  buildings that housed brothels used by the Japanese Army during World War Two. This article, written by … Continue Reading →

Stranded in Shanghai II

Thousands of foreigners were stranded in Shanghai during World War Two, among them a group of Swedish sailors unable to go home. This is the last of two instalments of … Continue Reading →

Stranded in Shanghai I

The Second World War uprooted lives across the globe, including in nations that were not directly involved in the conflict. One example was the sailor Sten Nilsson, who was born … Continue Reading →

Giving Up the Pen For the Sword II

Now in his 90s, Chinese veteran Yang Cenfeng experienced all eight years of the Second Sino-Japanese War from 1937 to 1945. Below is the second and last instalment of his remarkable … Continue Reading →

Giving Up the Pen For the Sword I

Yang Cenfeng was just a teenager when full-scale war broke out between China and Japan in 1937 and his life changed forever. Today he is one of the only remaining … Continue Reading →

Photos from the Front

  This article by Marine Cabos was first carried on the great Photography of China website. It is reproduced here with their kind permission. Sha Fei (1912-1950) – literaly “sand flying” … Continue Reading →

A Helmet for the Chinese (II)

(The German ‘Fritz’ helmet was a characteristic part of the Chinese uniform in World War Two, especially in the early years of the conflict with Japan. This is the second … Continue Reading →