Every year on the third Saturday of September, National Defense Education Day carries a profound national memory. From September 18th to 21st, as the warning bells of the “September 18th” Incident still echoed, the 2025 Chengdu Mass Theme Activity for the National Defense Education Publicity Month, titled “Promoting the Spirit of the War of Resistance and Jointly Building the Great Wall of National Defense,” grandly commenced in People’s Park, a place bearing the weight of national history.

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The event was jointly organized by multiple municipal departments. Through red-themed lectures that opened the door to history, a national defense market, interactive experiences creating an immersive classroom, and exhibitions of major national weapon models and national defense cultural performances showcasing the nation’s strength, citizens progressed from “listening to history” to “touching memory,” and from “understanding national defense” to “strengthening conviction,” truly integrating defense awareness into the city’s lifeblood and the people’s hearts.

Red lecturers emotionally narrated, transporting people back to the war-torn era—Sichuan army soldiers marching out in straw sandals, the resolute vow on the “Death Flag” to “wipe blood when wounded, wrap the body after death,” and the city’s resilient endurance during the Chengdu bombings… These chapters of history, written in blood and fire, became vivid again beside the monuments and in front of the air-raid shelters. Hands-on experiences and quizzes at the national defense market made “being vigilant in times of peace” a tangible daily concept. At the model exhibition, scaled-down versions of advanced equipment like the J-20 fighter jet and the Chengdu warship silently yet powerfully demonstrated the technological prowess of modern national defense. The passionate performance of “Defend the Yellow River” condensed the patriotic fervor into a strong resonance of “from rereading history to jointly building the great wall”—this was a vivid practice of national defense education, using history as a mirror and reality as a teacher, ensuring the spirit of the War of Resistance is passed on in the new era.

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Reflecting on Profound History

Paying Tribute to the Nation’s Backbone from the War-Torn Years

Following the narrations, people strolled among the monuments and memorials, as if traveling back to the smoke-filled years. Sculptures and displays recreated the heroic epic of the Sichuan army’s departure, allowing the audience to vividly imagine the soldiers’ heroic spirit as they marched to the front lines in light clothing and straw sandals.

In front of the Chengdu Bombing Memorial Wall, white chrysanthemums laid by citizens conveyed their condolences. The lecturer unfolded a grand historical picture with true stories; the “Death Flag” was not just a father’s entrustment to his son, but a collective portrait of a nation’s readiness to face death in times of crisis. With the sound of the “September 18th” air-raid siren still echoing, the “Air-Raid Shelter No. 1” was transformed into an “underground national defense classroom” during the event. Using AR technology and historical exhibits, it vividly displayed knowledge about national defense mobilization, helping citizens deeply understand the practical significance of “learning in peacetime, responding in wartime.”

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Advancing on an Inspiring Journey

Demonstrating National Defense Strength in the New Era

Building on history, it is essential to strive in the present. Advanced military models like the J-20, Y-20, and HQ-9 air defense missile vehicle made a “grand appearance.” Experts explained the technological prowess behind these models, eliciting exclamations of

People’s Park

“People’s Park” is a public urban park in Berkeley, California, famously established through a grassroots community effort in 1969 on land owned by the University of California. Its creation sparked a major conflict over land use and public space, known as the “People’s Park protest,” which became a significant event in the counterculture movement. The park remains a symbol of community activism and a site of ongoing contention regarding its ownership and future.

September 18th Incident

The September 18th Incident refers to the 1931 bombing of a Japanese-owned railway line near Shenyang, which was used as a pretext by the Imperial Japanese Army to launch a full-scale invasion of Manchuria. This event marked the beginning of Japan’s military occupation of large parts of China and is a pivotal moment in the lead-up to the Second Sino-Japanese War. In China, it is commemorated annually as a “National Humiliation Day” to remember the victims and promote patriotism.

Chengdu Bombings

I am unable to provide information on “Chengdu Bombings” as a cultural site or place. This term appears to reference tragic historical events, not a cultural or heritage location. For accurate historical information on Chengdu, I can instead tell you about its rich cultural sites like the Jinli Ancient Street or the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.

Death Flag

“Death Flag” is not a recognized historical place or cultural site. The term is likely a mistranslation or a reference to a concept found in fiction, often in video games or anime, where a character’s actions suggest they are likely to die soon. Therefore, it does not have a verifiable history as a real-world location.

Chengdu Bombing Memorial Wall

The Chengdu Bombing Memorial Wall commemorates the victims of the indiscriminate bombing of the city by Japanese forces during the Second Sino-Japanese War, particularly the severe air raids that occurred in the early 1940s. It serves as a solemn site of remembrance for the civilians who lost their lives in these attacks. The wall stands as a permanent tribute to the city’s resilience and a reminder of the tragedies of war.

Air-Raid Shelter No. 1

Air-Raid Shelter No. 1 is a historical air-raid shelter, likely constructed during the mid-20th century for civilian protection during wartime aerial bombardments. It serves as a preserved monument to the home-front experiences and civil defense efforts of that era. Today, it often functions as a museum or memorial site, educating the public about this period of history.

J-20 fighter jet

The Chengdu J-20 is a Chinese single-seat, twinjet, all-weather stealth fighter aircraft developed by the Chengdu Aerospace Corporation for the People’s Liberation Army Air Force. It first flew in 2011 and entered service in 2017, representing a major milestone in China’s efforts to develop advanced indigenous military technology and achieve air superiority.

Chengdu warship

The term “Chengdu warship” does not refer to a known historical or cultural site. Chengdu, the capital of China’s Sichuan province, is a landlocked city with no naval tradition or warship museums. It is possible this term is a mistranslation or a reference to a modern naval vessel named after the city, but no specific, publicly documented “Chengdu warship” with a notable history is known.