Chongqing - The national tour of the Doolittle Raid Rescue Themed Image Exhibition opened on November 28 at the Chongqing Stilwell Museum. The event marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, as well as the 83rd anniversary of the Doolittle Raid Rescue — a chapter of shared sacrifice that forged a bond between Chinese civilians and American airmen in 1942.
The Doolittle Raid Rescue Themed Image Exhibition opened on November 28 at the Chongqing Stilwell Museum, marking Chongqing as the final stop of the 2025 national tour. (Photo/Chen Chang)
Jointly launched by relevant departments of Chongqing and Quzhou in Zhejiang Province, the exhibition is co-organized by the Chongqing Stilwell Museum and the Memorial Hall to the Doolittle Raid in Quzhou.
More than 100 representatives from Chongqing and Quzhou city governments, institutions, museums in Hangzhou and Nanjing, scholars, and cultural organizations attended the opening ceremony.
At the opening, Zhou Yi, Deputy Director-General of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Chongqing Municipal People's Government, remarked that Chongqing — once the wartime capital — carries an enduring legacy of shared struggle and resistance against fascism.
“Eighty-three years ago, American airmen rescued by the people of Quzhou were transferred to Chongqing before returning to their units to fight alongside the Chinese,” Zhou said. “Quzhou and Chongqing represent two critical ends of a life-saving bridge. This exhibition, beginning in Quzhou and concluding in Chongqing, is a continuation of the spirit of cooperation forged in the flames of war — and a reflection of ongoing friendship between the Chinese and American people.”
Wang Huilin, Director of the Publicity Department of the CPC Quzhou Municipal Committee, highlighted that both cities witnessed extraordinary bravery and humanitarian compassion during the war.
“The Doolittle Rescue was not only a military story, but a monument built by courage, kindness, and the sacrifice of ordinary people,” she noted. “We hope this exhibition becomes a new starting point for deeper cooperation between Quzhou and Chongqing — allowing this friendship, forged in blood and fire, to shine even brighter in our time.”
Scholars and historians emphasized that re-examining this episode today is a reminder of the enduring value of international cooperation and civilian solidarity in the face of shared crisis.
This exhibition is the sixth stop of the 2025 national tour, following Nanjing, Shanghai, Huangshan, and other cities. The display reconstructs the history of April 18, 1942, when Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle led 16 B-25 bombers to strike Japan following the attack on Pearl Harbor. Due to fuel shortages and disrupted coordination, 75 American crewmen parachuted into Zhejiang, Jiangxi, and nearby regions — sparking a massive rescue involving thousands of Chinese civilians and soldiers. Sixty-four airmen survived with direct assistance from local people.
The exhibition is divided into four sections, presenting nearly 80 rare photographs that recount how Chinese civilians sheltered, escorted, and cared for stranded American aviators, many at the cost of their own lives. From Quzhou to Chongqing, an invisible yet resolute life corridor was formed — one that later led many rescued pilots to join major Allied operations such as the Hump airlift.
During the opening, the Chongqing Stilwell Museum and the Memorial Hall to the Doolittle Raid signed a cooperation agreement. Quzhou representatives also presented the historical volume “Heroic Mountains and Rivers: Quzhou's Promise in 1942” to multiple cultural institutions in Chongqing — symbolizing the shared duty of preserving memory.
Chongqing Stilwell Museum. (Photo/Chen Chang)
Experts noted that historical memory is not only to be commemorated, but to inform the future. As China and the United States navigate complex global dynamics, civil-level remembrance and exchange continue to hold irreplaceable value.
The Chongqing stop marks the conclusion of this year’s national tour — and the beginning of renewed collaboration. With enhanced joint exhibition planning, shared archives, and public education, the two cities aim to expand research on wartime cooperation, deepen scholarly communication, and bring this history to wider audiences in China and abroad.
From Zhejiang to Chongqing, the story of the Doolittle Rescue remains a testament to courage, sacrifice, and friendship — a story built not by governments or armies alone, but by ordinary people who reached across war and language to save lives.
As the exhibition opens to the public, its message resonates clearly: history remembers courage, friendship endures time.
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