China publishes sites, heroes commemorating Anti-Japanese War

BEIJING - China's State Council has released a list of 80 state facilities and sites commemorating the anti-Japanese war ahead of the 69th anniversary of the country's victory, which falls on Sept. 3.

Host of Japan's historic surrender

Lugou Bridge in Beijing and the Memorial Hall for the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre are on the list, which is the first of its kind in the nation, according to a circular issued on Monday by the State Council.

The list outlines sites related to events involving Japanese war crimes, surrender and trials, as well as locations where Chinese forces led by the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Kuomintang (KMT) fought Japanese invaders.

Also on Monday, the Ministry of Civil Affairs announced a list of 300 martyrs and heroic groups who sacrificed their lives during the Japanese invasion of China in the 1930s and 40s.

The list included names from the CPC-led Eighth Route Army, New Fourth Army, the South China Guerrillas, the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army, and other anti-Japanese militia resistance forces as well as famous officers and soldiers from the KMT troops.

It also listed some renowned representatives of Chinese patriotic personages and foreigners who supported China and died in the war.

The State Council circular urged intensified protection and management of the historical sites and called on local government departments to organize relevant memorial activities to remind the public, especially the youth, the Japanese Fascists' wartime crimes and the Chinese heroes' feats in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression.

China's anti-Japanese war was an important part of the World Anti-Fascist War.