From June 30 to July 1, a special interview and research team paid a visit to Zhijiang Dong Autonomous County of Huaihua. The team was comprised of hundreds of reporters nationwide and was titled “A Bite of China’s culture through the tour of Blessed Huaihua”. The reporters conducted in-depth investigations into the local anti-Japanese war history and culture as well as the Dong ethnic cultural heritage, and in so doing, they experienced the innovative charm of the "culture + technology" integration locally.
On the evening of June 30, the team enjoyed the Helong Banquet endemic to the local Dong ethnic group during its first trip to the Weichu Winery. Sitting at the long table, they were enthusiastically entertained by the Dong songs performed by youngsters of the Dong as well as the served delicacies such as salted fish, bacon, and sour soup. They also savored the "culture + technology" integration project at Heping Lake where a dynamic spectacle of the local anti-Japanese war culture and legends of the Dong people was refreshingly presented, through lighting technology and live-action performances.
On July 1, the team went to the Memorial Hall of the Chinese People's Victory of the Anti-Japanese War and the Acceptance of the Japanese Surrender. On August 21, 1945, the Japanese army surrendered to China at this very site, with Zhijiang standing as a testament to the war victory. The precious cultural relics, including the surrender archives and weapons and equipment, were on display and greatly impressed the reporters with a truth that peace is hardly-won.
At the Flying Tigers Memorial Hall, the team gained an in-depth understanding of the heroic deeds of the American Volunteer Group (Flying Tigers) who aided China's air forces. Through physical objects, images and scene restorations, the hall vividly recreated the historic period when the Chinese and American armies and civilians jointly fought against the Japanese aggression.
During the research, the team not only relished the unique charm of Dong ethnic culture but also witnessed the historical greatness of Zhijiang as the " acceptance site of Japan's surrender in the anti-Japanese war victory". The county is now continuing in an innovative manner to forge ahead with its inheritance and promotion of its diverse cultures through models of “culture + tourism” and “culture + technology”.
(Translated by Dong Yue)