Never Forget the September 18. Incident!
On the night of September 18, 1931, Japanese troops detonated explosives on the South Manchuria Railway near Liutiaohu (Willow Lake) in Shenyang, falsely accusing Chinese forces of the act. Immediately following this, they shelled the Beidaying barracks of the Northeast Army, brazenly launching the September 18 Incident (Mukden Incident) and beginning their long-planned full-scale invasion of China. Within months, the three northeastern provinces fell completely to the invaders.
On the third day after the incident, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China issued a manifesto calling on the workers, peasants, and laboring people of China to "mobilize and arm themselves as one to give a severe answer to the Japanese bandits and all imperialists."
The September 18 Incident marked the starting point of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and opened the prelude to the World Anti-Fascist War.
The Eight Heroines of the Wusun River
In October 1938, a detachment of the 2nd Route Army of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army, returning from the Western Expedition, encountered over a thousand Japanese puppet troops at the ferry crossing of the Wusun River. Facing this sudden fierce battle, the Anti-Japanese Allied fighters fought while retreating, finding it difficult to break free.
At the time, Leng Yun, Political Instructor of the Women's Regiment of the 5th Army, along with squad leaders Hu Xiuzhi and Yang Guizhen, soldiers Guo Guiqin, Huang Guiqing, Wang Huimin, Li Fengshan, and An Shunfu, director of the 4th Army's Clothing Factory, had reached the riverbank preparing to cross. In this critical moment, the eight women warriors launched a surprise attack on the enemy, regardless of their own safety. Their bold move forced the enemy to redirect their forces towards the river.
Exhausting their ammunition and surrounded by the closing enemy demanding their surrender, the eight indomitable heroines linked arms and stepped into the icy waters of the Wusun River, sacrificing their lives heroically. Their lives were frozen in time at the blooming ages of 13, 16, 20, and 23... Among them, some had just become mothers, while others were still children themselves. Except for Leng Yun, not a single photograph remains of the other seven.
Peng Xuefeng: Love and Devotion to the Cause
"Forever your intimate companion! Wishing you victory, good health, and happiness! Everything for the Party's cause!" wrote Peng Xuefeng, a New Fourth Army general, in a letter to his wife, Lin Ying. In that extraordinary era, their love was not about gazing into each other's eyes, but about looking in the same direction.
Loyal to the Party's cause, Peng Xuefeng went wherever the Party assigned him. He worked diligently and fought bravely fearlessly in every position he held. Tragically, on September 11, 1944, Peng Xuefeng was hit by a stray bullet and sacrificed his life while commanding the Battle of Balizhuang in Xiayi, Henan, at the young age of 37.
Tong Linge: From Filial Piety to Loyalty
On July 7, 1937, the full-scale War of Resistance broke out. Tong Linge issued an order: "Resist firmly against any Japanese aggression; swear to live or die with the Marco Polo Bridge." Japanese fighter planes frequently flew low, and the sound of artillery shook the earth as the battle situation became critical.
In a letter to his wife, Tong Linge wrote, "With the great enemy at the gates, this is the time to transform filial piety into loyalty," asking her to take care of his parents on his behalf. He never returned home. During a battle, as Tong Linge directed his troops to break out, Japanese aircraft suddenly attacked, strafing wildly. He was shot in the leg. His officers and soldiers urged him to retreat for medical attention, but he replied, "Personal safety is trivial; resisting the enemy is paramount!" He continued to command through the pain. When enemy planes dived again, a shell exploded, and Tong Linge was fatally hit in the head, sacrificing his life at the age of 45.
Countless martyrs paved the way for the great victory of the War of Resistance with their blood. The air raid sirens wail for history, and the bells ring for peace.
To remember history is not to perpetuate hatred, but to learn from the past and create the future. History warns us that the destinies of all humanity are intertwined. Only through equality, harmony, and mutual assistance can all countries and nations safeguard common security, eliminate the root causes of war, and prevent the tragedy of history from repeating itself.
The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is unstoppable! The noble cause of peace and development for humanity will surely triumph!
Full text available at the following URL:
https://www3.xinhuanet.com/politics/20250918/7d42ef859ea646739f21a453af92f59e/c.html
(Source: Xinhua News Agency)
Planning: Song Junyi, Li Yu
Author: Wang Yixuan
Design: Feng Zixiong, Pan Yulong
Photojournalists: Ding Zengyi, Fei Maohua
[Responsible Editor: Wang Di]