Eighty years after the end of World War II, Japanese scholar Matsuno Seiya donated a rare collection of photographs capturing the 1938 invasion of Guangdong in the Chinese mainland. These images reveal bombed-out streets, destroyed buildings and the human cost of conflict.
Beyond the images of devastation, the collection reveals moments of defiance: local residents rallying behind slogans like “Drive out the invaders” and “Arm the entire nation,” a powerful echo of Guangdong’s resistance spirit.
These photographs serve as data-rich snapshots—ruins, displaced families and makeshift shelters—that help historians quantify wartime impact and trace the roots of modern civic engagement in the region.
By preserving these scenes, Matsuno aims to fuel global conversations about memory, reconciliation and the role of visual archives in shaping collective understanding.
As the archive opens to researchers and the public, this visual testimony invites young changemakers, entrepreneurs and curious travelers to explore the connections between past struggles and today’s movements for justice.
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In Pics: Japanese man donates photos of Japan's Guangdong invasion
cgtn.com
