Deep Dive

The Unyielding East: China’s WWII Relics - The people's fight against fascism recorded by music

During the global fight against fascism in the 20th century, countless ordinary people sacrificed their lives, never living to see the victory they helped secure. In this episode, we meet a man who collects music albums from that era. The songs he shares serve as melodic memorials to unsung heroes, ensuring their stories and spirit echo through generations.

The Unyielding East: China’s WWII Relics - Forged in fire: China’s battlefield sacrifice in WWII

In August 1937, one of the largest and bloodiest battles of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression erupted in Shanghai. Tough ending in a Chinese defeat, the battle marked a pivotal turning point after Japan’s full-scale invasion, as the ferocious resistance demonstrated China’s unshakable resolve to defend its sovereignty – at any cost. In this episode, we visit the former home of a commander who fought in that battle, where his family safeguards his relics and the enduring legacy of national courage.

The Unyielding East: China’s WWII Relics - Untold horrors of the “Death Factory” in WWII

This is one of the darkest chapters in human history—the secret atrocities committed by Japan’s Unit 731 during World War II. Hidden behind the frontlines, the unit conducted horrific biological experiments on civilians and unarmed soldiers. In this episode, we meet a collector who has spent years uncovering relics from Unit 731, and a descendant of biological warfare victims, as they shed light on a haunting, yet lesser-known, chapter of history.

The Unyielding East: China’s WWII Relics - Huangpu Military Academy: a united stand against fascism

During World War II, one school in China stood as a cradle of heroes—the Whampoa (Huangpu) Military Academy. Founded through a unique collaboration between the Communist Party of China and the Kuomintang, both sides laid its foundation, selected its instructors, trained its cadets, and shaped its mission. In this episode, we meet a passionate collector of Huangpu relics, whose dedication ensures that the academy’s legacy forged in valor, sacrifice, and national unity lives on.

The Unyielding East: China’s WWII Relics - Unearthing heroic sacrifice from the war of resistance

Garlic scattered across the battlefield, bones half-buried in the earth, bullets rusting in the hills… These silent witnesses of the Battle of Nankou still speak for the Chinese soldiers who held their ground against the Japanese invasion. In this episode, we retrace their footsteps and meet the man dedicated to keeping their memory alive.