Sources: All Taipei Newspapers

 

July 15, 2014

 

The Mainland is planning to hold large-scale celebrations for the 70th anniversary of China’s victory in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression.  The Sihang Warehouse (四行倉庫), located in Zhabei District (閘北區), Shanghai, is an important symbol of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression.  The original site of the Sihang Warehouse will be restored and the display room expanded.  The surrounding area of the warehouse along Suzhou River (蘇州河), will become a memorial square.

 

The Battle of Shanghai erupted on August 13, 1937.  Military engagements to defend the Sihang Warehouse took place from October 26 to November 1, 1937, and marked the beginning of the end of the three-month Battle of Shanghai in the opening phase of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. Defenders of the warehouse held out against numerous waves of Japanese attacks and covered Chinese forces retreating westward during the Battle of Shanghai.

 

The successful defense of the warehouse lifted the morale of the Chinese army and people in the demoralizing aftermath of the Japanese invasion of Shanghai.  

 

The 423 defenders,  known as the Eight Hundred Braves (八百壯士), were led by Col. Xie Jinyuan (謝晉元), a deputy commander of 524th Regiment under the 88th Division of the Armed Forces of the Republic of China.  Col. Xie did not want to reveal their true strength to the Japanese, so he provided an inflated number of soldiers to girl scout Yang Huimin （楊惠敏） to announce to the public.  The 423 defenders held out for 4 days and made the warehouse famous in the international community.  ROC teenage students are all familiar with the heroic story of Col. Xie Jinyuan and the Eight Hundred Heroes who defended the warehouse and fought against Japanese troops.

 

Although the Sihang Warehouse had been approved by the Committee of Cultural or Historical Relics Protection of Shanghai City in 1985 as a memorial site of the War of Resistance against Japan Aggression, the warehouse has been used as a market.  Later, the City Hall allowed the cultural/innovative industry to set up shop at the warehouse.   The cockloft of the warehouse is a simple and narrow display room now.

 

Lai Hsiao-yeh (雷小葉), director of the Taiwan Affairs Office in Zhabei District, pointed out that they planned to repair or recast the bronze statue of Col. Xie Jinyuan, and restore the wall to show the public the original bullet holes and shell craters caused by Japanese troops.

 

【Editor’s notes: 1. Sihang Warehouse was so named because it served as the warehouse of four banks in Shanghai. 2. Col. Xie Jinyuan was posthumously promoted to Major General of the ROC Army.】