For remembrance and peace
A war documentary captures the bravery of generations past, Wang Ru reports.
Seventy years ago, Chen Zeng ji sent a letter to his family, writing that he would return home soon. However, they did not receive any more letters from the Chinese People’s Volunteers soldier after that.
In 1953, they were informed by a relative, who also served as a soldier in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea ( 1950- 53), that he had died and was buried on the battlefield as a CPV soldier. Upon hearing news of his death, his younger brother Chen Hushan followed in his footsteps and became a CPV soldier in 1956. Chen Hushan then went to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea that same year to help with relief efforts.
Last year, the then 82- year- old Chen Hushan, finally reunited with his older brother, whose remains were placed in a box covered in China’s red five- star flag.
Since 2014, China has flown the remains of 716 anonymous CPV soldiers back home. With the help of DNA technology, researchers identified the remains of Chen Zeng ji and contacted his family members, allowing Chen Hushan to meet his brother once more.
The Chen brothers’ story is featured in a six- episode documentary For the Peace, produced by the Political Work Department of the Central Military Commission, National Radio and Television Administration and China Media Group, about the war. It aired on CCTV- 1 in October, and will soon be aired on more channels in future. Viewers can also watch it on streaming sites Youku, Souhu and Mango TV.
At a seminar held in Beijing on Oct 22, Yi Kai, secretary general of China TV Artists Committee, shared and discussed details of the show. “The documentary shows China’s CPV soldiers fighting against the invaders and beating them under extremely difficult conditions like imbalanced military strength, and achieving great victory in the war,” Yi says.
Chen Dao, a 92- year- old CPV veteran who fought in the war for 20 months from 1950 to 1952, felt his eyes moisten as he watched the documentary. “When he saw scenes of the CPV soldiers marching and fighting in the snowy weather wearing very thin clothes, he nodded and told us his army received an urgent order at that time to go to the DPRK, and they didn’t have enough time to prepare better equipment. So the soldiers wore thin clothes, and hugged each other’s feet to keep warm,” says Chen Bing, daughter of Chen Dao.
“As a CPV soldier’s daughter, I have watched many films about the war. I was very excited to watch this documentary, and was really moved when I saw the bravery of our older generation to safeguard world peace. Although I have never participated in the war, I was born to keep their spirit in my heart,” she adds.
Yuan Xinwen, director of People’s Daily’s literature and art department, believes the CPV soldiers’ spirit forged in the war is still very important in the modern era. “The spirit is our valuable treasure, which comes from the sacrifices of several hundred thousand soldiers. It is also an important enlightenment for us when we analyze the war. The spirit will not become old even if the war ended dozens of years ago,” Yuan says.
“It still encourages Chinese people at present. For example, Chinese people have shown similar spirit in their joint efforts to fight against COVID- 19,” Yuan adds.
The documentary crew spent two months interviewing 92 CPV veterans and experts in China, and 21 foreign veterans who took part in the war in the United States, Russia and the United Kingdom and also scholars. Wei Jikui, general director of this documentary, says they used a large amount of documents from the National Archives Administration of China and the Military
Museum of the Chinese People’s Revolution, and reenacted some scenes of the war at the Hengdian World Studios, the country’s largest film- and- television shooting base.
Zhang Tongdao, a professor of documentary studies at Beijing Normal University, says: “We need to reflect on the war from the angle of all human beings.
“The title of the documentary is For the Peace. I like it very much,”
Zhang says. “When we reflect on the war 70 years later, we need to consider what we fought for. Of course, we hoped for victory, but victory is not the ultimate goal. Our goal is peace, the peace that enables people of different races, countries and regions to live happily and peacefully.”