A Sina Weibo account run by three history enthusiasts is bringing to life the Chinese People's 14-year War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. Adopting a news bulletin format, the account provides daily updates on historical wartime events, both on and behind the battlefield, as if they were unfolding in real time.

Jiang Tao (first from right) runs the Weibo account with his two partners (Photo: Shanghai Jiao Tong University)

Keeping a 14-year commitment

The account, titled Real-Time Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, has posted more than 55,700 entries since its first post on July 7, 2012. This date coincides with the Lugou Bridge Incident on July 7, 1937, recognized as the start of Japan's full-scale invasion of China and the beginning of China's nationwide resistance.

The account's first post featured the Lugou Bridge Incident on July 7, 1937.

From July 7, 2012 to September 2, 2020, the account kept its 8-year commitment to documenting the war until Japan's surrender in World War II. It attracted over 2 million followers who connect with the painful wartime memories and cherish the hard-won victory.

The account concluded the first phase of its project with a post documenting Japan's surrender ceremony on the USS Missouri battleship in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945. 

After a short break, on September 18, 2020, the account began a new 6-year commitment to commemorate the Chinese People's 14-year War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. This new phase dates the war's beginning back to September 18, 1931, when Japanese troops blew up a section of a railway in Shenyang, Liaoning Province, and used it as a pretext to occupy China's northeast region.

The second phase of posts began on September 18, 2020 to mark the September 18th Incident.

Stories from the battlefield

Jiang Tao, one of the account's operators, shared an anecdote about an anonymous soldier to explain the motivation behind the account's creation. "What will you do when we win the war?" the soldier replied, "By then, I'll already be dead. Soldiers like us are prepared to sacrifice in this war."

This story symbolizes countless unsung heroes who sacrificed their lives for victory, yet remain largely unknown in history. Moved by the martyrs' fearless spirit and patriotism, Jiang felt compelled to uncover and document the events of the war.

To provide its audience with a comprehensive understanding of history, Jiang drew on multiple primary sources, with a special focus on the stories of ordinary Chinese people.

The account documented two incidents of Chinese sailors refusing to transport weapons to Japan, which occurred on November 8 and 18, 1937.

One report from November 18, 1937, recorded how an Australian court ruled in favor of 36 Chinese sailors after their employer sued them for refusing to transport Japanese weapons. Ten days earlier, 158 Chinese sailors working in the Netherlands quit their jobs for the same reason and returned to China to join the war.

Such stories are common, illustrating how ordinary Chinese people stood up and fought in the war in various ways.

Paying tribute to our predecessors

Years of working with historical materials have led Jiang to reflect on how we should engage with history. He believes the best approach is to immerse ourselves in it, sharing the humiliation, despair, glory, and dreams of our predecessors.

In the account's top post, the reasons for continuing to post are well-articulated: "These posts are not intended to promote hatred or any other negative sentiments but to remind people of the forgotten past in a measured way. They serve as a reminder of how our forefathers set aside disagreements and fought united against a common foe, enduring the fear, humiliation, and adversity they faced."

The account has successfully engaged its audience with history. "Today, merely scrolling through such a staggering amount of blog entries seems impossible. Yet our predecessors endured those years of war, day by day. It's hard to imagine how they sustained themselves through it all. How remarkable the Chinese people were!" commented a netizen.