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21 August, 2015
70th Victory Day Commemorative Exhibition Opened in Hong Kong To Commemorate a Heroic Age
On August 21, the “Japan Surrenders! - 70th Victory Day Hong Kong Commemorative Exhibition” was officially opened at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Organized by Ta Kung Pao, the HKCPPCC (Provincial) Members Association and the New Territories Association of Societies, the exhibition is a collaboration with eight leading war museums in China. A detailed chronicle that includes the heroics of the Hong Kong Independent Battalion of the Dongjiang Column and Ta Kung Pao’s historical coverage exhorting the public to unite and resist, the exhibition offers multiple perspectives on a time when Hong Kong remained unbowed in the face of peril and aggression.
The guests of honour at the event performing the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Mr. Keung Joy Chung, CEO & President of Ta Kung Pao, spoke at the opening ceremony. He said, “When Japan unconditionally surrendered in 1945, Ta Kung Pao printed a special front page with the headline “Japan Surrenders!” in extra large type. This edition of the paper has now been designated a National Grade One Cultural Relic. By bringing back this headline, the exhibition asks that we always remember the past and the sacrifice of those who fought for us, now and into the future.”
Mr. Keung Joy Chung, CEO & President of Ta Kung Pao, speaking at the event.
For the opening ceremony, the organizers invited a former member of the Hong Kong Independent Battalion of the Dongjiang Column, 94-year-old Chao Xiangling, to recount her wartime experiences for the audience. Chao took part in the “Great Hong Kong Rescue” covert operation of 1942, gathered intelligence for the resistance throughout the war, and helped rescue and escort prominent figures out of occupied Hong Kong. With her daughter by her side, Chao then sang the marching song of her old guerrilla unit, the stirring strains of which evoked the defiance and resolve of her comrades-in-arms and brought the ceremony to a climax.
Old warrior Chao Xiangling singing the marching song of her old guerilla unit.
Former resistance fighters of the Hong Kong Independent Battalion of the Dongjiang Column being presented with flowers by Hong Kong youth representative
Mr. Kit Szeto, Director & CEO of Dim Sum TV, attended the event as one of the guests of honour. In his interview with a Ta Kung Pao reporter, Mr. Szeto said, “Ta Kung Pao occupies an important place in the history of the Chinese press, and this exhibition is a very meaningful event. Its extensive collection of precious historical records and exhibits will serve as a powerful reminder to all of us that history should never be forgotten.”
Mr. Kit Szeto being interviewed at the event.
(From left to right) Mr. Li Deling, Vice-Chairman of the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce; Mr. Kit Szeto, President & CEO of Dim Sum TV; Mr. Zeng Xiaoping, Director & CEO of Bank of China Group Insurance Co.Ltd.
The exhibition also includes the winning entries from the “70th Victory Day Secondary School Essay And Poster Design Competition”, through which students who have traveled to Shenzhen, Beijing, Harbin and Hong Kong to relive the war effort could express their thoughts and feelings about this crucial chapter in history.
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