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 →

Chinese Militaria: A Hot New Area for Collectors

Chinese military items from WW2 have become more popular among collectors in recent years as China’s role in the war has become better known. However, collecting Chinese militaria involves unique … 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 →

Jiangyin 1937: Battle for the Yangtze, Part 2

The first months of war between China and Japan in the fall of 1937 took place mostly on land and in the air. But the two nations’ navies also clashed … Continue Reading →

Jiangyin 1937: Battle for the Yangtze, Part 1

The first months of war between China and Japan in the fall of 1937 took place mostly on land and in the air. But the two nations’ navies also clashed … 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 →

Nanjing 1937: Battle for a Doomed City

‘Nanjing 1937: Battle for a Doomed City’ by Peter Harmsen is now on sale. The sequel of his best-selling ‘Shanghai 1937: Stalingrad on the Yangtze’, it tells the epic story … 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 →