Chinese Embassy in France holds ceremony for handover of historical Songhu Battle photos

This photo taken on Aug 4, 2025 shows a ceremony for the handover of historical photos taken during the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, donated by Marcus Detrez (3rd L), at the Chinese Embassy in Paris, France, Aug 4, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

A ceremony for the handover of historical photos taken during the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, donated by Marcus Detrez, was held at the Chinese Embassy in France on Monday evening.

During the event, Chen Dong, minister at the Chinese Embassy in France, presented a donation certificate and a letter of thanks from the Shanghai Songhu Memorial Hall for the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression to Detrez, who had donated 618 historical photographs collected by his grandfather, Roger-Pierre Laurens.

Many of the photos, taken between the 1930s and 1950s, document the Battle of Songhu in 1937. The Shanghai Songhu Memorial Hall for the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression has incorporated these historical photos into its permanent collection.

These photos document the atrocities committed by the Japanese invaders against Chinese civilians, and are of great historical value in the research of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

Speaking to reporters at the event, Detrez said that these photos captured history, and he wished that more Westerners, especially young people, would learn about that part of history through these donated photos.