Tourists visit the Sihang Warehouse. Photo: IC

Tourists visit the Sihang Warehouse. Photo: IC

Clockwise from the top right: Tributes are placed in front of Sihang Warehouse in Shanghai. Photo: IC

Tributes are placed in front of Sihang Warehouse in Shanghai. Photo: IC

Three days after I watched the Chinese war epic The Eight Hundred in Beijing, I was so eager to visit the old building where the battle took place that I booked a ticket for Shanghai. 

It was a rainy Saturday, but the heavy downpours did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of hundreds of fans like me who had come to see what the Sihang Warehouse looks like. The building was witness to one of the most tragic battles faced by the Chinese people in World War II. It is now probably the hottest tourist attraction in Shanghai, as the booking system for visiting the museum shows tickets are sold out for the next five days. 

Before entering the warehouse, I came to its north gate. Small holes and large pits caused by bullets and cannons fired by the Japanese army are still clearly visible. The wall seemed to tell me that although the blood of Chinese soldiers had disappeared, the spirit of standing with the nation continues.

Inside the warehouse, which was used by four banks in 1937, 452 Chinese soldiers were ordered to resist Japanese forces in order to buy time for the army to retreat and gain international support by showing China's determination to fight during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1931-45). 

The soldiers came to be known as the Eight Hundred Heroes, as their commander did not want to reveal their true strength to the enemy. The Chinese soldiers had to rely on their limited weapons against an overwhelming Japanese assault of air, naval and armored striking power. The defense of Sihang warehouse marked the end of the three-month Battle of Shanghai. In the end, Shanghai fell with an estimated 300,000 injuries and deaths. But the resistance from Chinese forces destroyed the Japanese boast that Japan could conquer Shanghai in three days and China in three months. 

Divided city

The Sihang Warehouse was located along Suzhou Creek, across from the foreign concessions in Shanghai. The city was divided into two sides connected by a bridge. One side was a hell-like war zone with people dying every minute as buildings were bombed into ruins. The other side was a world-renowned modern metropolis like New York with neon lights everywhere, hot dogs, whisky bars, casinos, theaters and people enjoying their lives as if the war didn't exist. 

At that time, the Japanese didn't want to go to war with Europe or the US, so they didn't dare call for naval artillery strikes on the area, as that could have resulted in a diplomatic incident. 

Today, the river is still there, and so is the bridge. But they are no longer two different worlds. Standing in the core center of the hustle and bustle of Shanghai, the warehouse was renovated into a museum and has become a special part of the city's landscape.  

Under the north wall, flowers and Five-Starred Red flags have been placed on the lawn. The museum's guide told me that after the film screened on August 21, large numbers of fans came there to pay their respects to the deceased soldiers. 

The rain wet the flowers, and also my eyes. This sentiment quickly disappeared when I saw several primary students come and offer milk tea and candies as their tribute. Police officers nearby had to take them away as they were not an "appropriate gift." I was dumbfounded, but also touched by their innocent and pure reverence. 

Standing up for the nation

Accompanied by the guide, I began my journey to find out what really happened in the warehouse. "Eight hundred heroes, an example of national revolution," is how the late Chinese leader Chairman Mao described them.  

It reminded me of an interlude in the opening of the 22nd Shanghai International Film Festival in June 2019, when the film was withdrawn due to "technical reasons." Some left-wing commentators criticized the film for beautifying the Kuomintang's role in the war. 

Looking at Chairman Mao's inscription, all I felt at the time was that those who could stand up for the Chinese nation, whether they were from the Communist army or the Kuomintang army, were all national heroes to be praised for generations.

The climax of the film is the "raising the flag" scene. On the night of October 28, 1937, a flag was raised on the roof of Sihang warehouse. After daybreak, the fluttering flag attracted the attention of the whole of Shanghai. On the other side of the Suzhou Creek in the concession, Chinese people of different social strata all cheered. The slogan "If you fight against the enemy, you will win" rang through the sky. Even the British soldiers in the concession were moved by this exciting scene. 

"People across the river took off their hats and bowed, moved to tears," Shanghai Shenbao reported at that time. 

This flag was sent by Yang Huimin, who risked her life at the warehouse. I saw the statue of Yang, who has been dubbed "China's Joan of Arc" by US media. Standing among the soldiers, I felt proud that women could also be recognized by history for their bravery and persistence. 

The museum features statues of figures and key scenes from the battle, a curved screen that displays images showing the wartime history and a video projection of commander Xie Jinyuan's speech to inspire the soldiers. It serves as a vivid book, teaching all of us, and especially the students, about the country's true history, pain and lessons. 

Indeed, the life we have now was made possible by the blood of millions of martyrs. The strong, wealthy country we live in is built on the courage to denounce militarism and invasion. This strong will is still precious for us now as we face the US' reckless provocations and blatant slander, telling us that we should work and fight harder. 

At the end of the journey, I saw several primary students lining up to write the line: "Recall the memory of our revolutionary martyrs, and cherish peace." In their writing, although a little childish, I seemed to see the future of the country. 

The battle in the warehouse was a "political show" and a tragic event. But simple patriotic sentiment was rooted in their children's hearts. No Chinese person will ever forget their sacrifice, or their courage. These painful memories will alert us to the fact that any country that lags behind could leave millions of lives vulnerable to invasion. Perseverance will serve as an eternal motto for us.
Newspaper headline: Journey to a tragic battle