It was a bright spot in the history of Sino-US relations, when more than 250,000 Americans joined Chinese soldiers to fight against Japanese forces in what was then known as the “China-Burma-India” theatre during the second world war.
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But that episode of wartime alliance – with its stories of heroism and sacrifice – has largely been forgotten, and is hardly known of among Chinese and American people today.
Now Chinese blogger Zou Dehuai, 34, is bringing these wartime stories back to life through an exhibition curated from his own collection of more than 10,000 photographic artefacts from that time.
“There’s a saying that a picture is worth a thousand words, and it is so true,” said Zou, who studied visual communication at college.
“Both China and the US were once allies, forgotten by history, and it should not be forgotten,” he said. “This friendship, of fighting shoulder to shoulder, should be remembered forever.”
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For the exhibition, being held at the Beijing American Centre, Zou selected photos to help to tell the personal stories of some of these wartime heroes.