French archival materials donated to Chongqing shed new light on wartime Japanese bombings

(ECNS) -- A collection of archival materials documenting Japanese air raids during the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression has been donated to the Chongqing Municipal Archives for preservation and research.

The 138-page collection was gathered by Marcus Detrez and Bastien Rata from France, together with Zhong Haosong from China.

Copied from French archival institutions, the materials are mainly in French and also include Chinese-language documents and maps.

The records document Japanese bombing campaigns against Chongqing and Chengdu between 1938 and 1941, offering a third-party historical perspective on the attacks.

Among the materials are original records relating to the Chongqing tunnel disaster on June 5, 1941, one of the deadliest incidents associated with Japanese air raids on the city during the war.

Detrez said the documents reflect the historical ties between France and Chongqing and that it was meaningful for the materials to return to the city where the events they describe took place.

The Chongqing Municipal Archives said the donation reflects international efforts to preserve historical records and will provide valuable material for research into the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and World War II.

(By Helen Mo, intern Liu Shuangjing)