Weixian Concentration Camp Special Exhibition Conducted Overseas

WEIFANG, China, March 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — This is a report from the Shandong Office of Hong Kong Business Daily. Recently, with the strong support of the Shandong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, the Foreign Affairs Office of the Shandong Provincial People’s Government, the Weifang Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, and the Foreign Affairs Office of the Weifang Municipal People’s Government, the “Weixian Memory of Human Nature – Weixian Concentration Camp Special Exhibition” opened at the Overseas Anti Japanese War Memorial Hall in San Francisco.

Zhao Xiangjun, Executive Director of the Overseas Anti Japanese War Memorial Hall, said that the Weixian Concentration Camp Museum of Ledaoyuan in Weifang City, Shandong Province, has gone abroad, marking a wider international recognition and dissemination of China’s heroic story of assisting Western expatriates during World War II. By hosting an exhibition at the Overseas Anti Japanese War Memorial Hall in San Francisco, USA, this initiative not only showcases the friendly cooperation between China and the United States in history, but also provides a window for tourists from all over the world to gain a deeper understanding of this period of history. In a difficult environment, the Chinese people in Weixian and surrounding areas provided food, medicine, and intelligence assistance to Western expatriates who were detained, reflecting a profound humanitarian spirit and a desire for freedom and peace. Through exhibitions and discussions, the Overseas Anti Japanese War Memorial Hall will showcase to visitors the historical background of the Western Overseas Chinese Concentration Camp in Weixian County, the daily lives of detained overseas Chinese, the details of rescue operations, and the commemoration of these heroic acts after the liberation of the concentration camp. Especially some precious historical documents and photos have added a vivid aspect to this period of history, allowing the audience to more intuitively feel the historical background and character stories of that time.

It is understood that this exhibition is divided into seven parts. Through detailed text and more than 170 precious photos, it presents a panoramic view of the lives of over 2000 foreign immigrants from more than 20 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Norway, Uruguay, who were detained in the Western Overseas Chinese Concentration Camp in Weixian from March 1943 to August 1945, including 327 children.