Memorabilia of Establishing the Memorial Hall
Mdm. Florence Fang and Mr. Lin Wen, two prestigious overseas Chinese in America, worked together to launch the program of building the first overseas anti-Japanese war memorial hall in the United States. By establishing this overseas memorial hall, we can let the world know about the truth of the war, respect history and cherish these epic anti-Japanese heroes together with us. Meanwhile, the truth shall be passed on to the younger generation.
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Florence Fang is the president of the American “Pan-Asian Company”, the initiator and the executive director of the “Top 100,000” Foundation, the honorary chairman of American Chinese Association of Public Affairs, the honorary president of the Flying Tiger, as well as the prestigious overseas Chinese entrepreneur and social activist. Moreover, Ms Florence Fang is also one of the outstanding representatives of overseas Chinese who has made great contribution to enhance the Sino-US friendly exchanges and improve the development of overseas patriotic education.
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Lin Wen is the president of American Huatong Sihai Company, and the vice president of the Innovation Association for the US and Asia. He has also built up the largest overseas Chinese network media “City of Literature”.
Moment of determination for the founding of the Memorial Hall
Florence Fang inspects as volunteer sets up the wall
Working hard to get banners set up at Memorial Hall
Moment of determination for the founding of the Memorial Hall
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Start-Up Stage
On July 7th 2014, the 77th anniversary of the eruption of China’s anti-Japanese war, we decided to start up the project of establishing the first overseas Chinese anti-Japanese memorial hall in San Francisco. At the start-up ceremony Florence Fang said, “the exhibition shall be based on the revivification of the Japanese brutal invasion and the national humiliation that China had gone through during the war, and hereby furthermore to present the huge sacrifice that the Chinese people had made for the victory, national freedom and independence; to show the world the dauntless determination and national cohesion of the Chinese people to protect their country.”
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Fundraising
As one of the Organizing Committee Members, “Cite of Literature” announced to undertake the online fundraising support for the establishment of overseas memorial hall in the press conference. It set up a fundraising website “1937china.org”, making an appeal that “One dollar donation from one person, we can together build up a great memorial hall”, and calling for overseas Chinese around the world to contribute actively to the construction of that first overseas anti-Japanese memorial hall which should have been established in the past 70 years.
However, at the night of July 9th, the website was hacked by an unidentified person who left a message on the donation page, “You, a bunch of Cina pigs should dream about building up a memorial hall. Hahaha… You have no unity. If we had a chance, we would kill all of you Cina pigs!!!” As for the force behind such savage act is not worth deliberating.
The fundraising activity was not impeded by this act rather than having intensified our strength and determination to make this project come true. There were more and more overseas Chinese who joined in this magnificent donation feat. A sum of $0.3 million donation was achieved up to July 7th 2015, which would provide enough financial support for the opening up of memorial hall.
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Field Investigation
After the ceremony, Florence Fang and her team began to spend a lot of time on gathering historical materials for the memorial hall. They had made numerous visits to many memorial halls in the mainland and Taiwan, such as Chinese anti-Japanese War Memorial Hall of Marco Polo Bridge, Zhongshan Warship Memorial Hall in Wuhan, Accepting Surrender Memorial Hall in Zhijiang, Shanghai Battle Memorial Hall, Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall in Jiangsu, Taierzhuang Campaign Memorial Hall in Shandong, Jianchuan Museum in Sichuan, Memorial Park of the Flying Tiger in Guangxi, and so on. Florence Fang and her team listened carefully to other’s narration, introduction and recollection everywhere when they went. They also consulted modestly in an attempt to present every quintessence they had learned in the memorial hall later on.
Memorabilia
On April 14th 2014, Lin Wen drafted an outline of the plan for establishing the first “Overseas Anti-Japanese War Memorial Hall”.
On April 14th 2014, Overseas Anti-Japanese War Memorial Hall was successfully registered, and obtained the Employer Identification Number (EIN) of the federal government.
On April 15th 2014, the first preparatory meeting was held, planning to invite Hao Bocun and Xu Linong to be the honorary curators of Overseas Anti-Japanese War Memorial Hall.
On May 9th 2014, the online design for Overseas Anti-Japanese War Memorial Hall was started.
On May 11th 2014, 4A Group was invited to undertake the design project for Overseas Anti-Japanese War Memorial Hall.
On May 17th 2014, Florence Fang, together with Lin Wen and Deborah paid a visit to Chinese Anti-Japanese War Memorial Hall.
On May 20th 2014, Florence Fang, together with Lin Wen and Deborah paid a visit to Zhongshan Warship Memorial Hall in Wuhan.
On May 27th 2014, the engagement letters, including both English and Chinese version, were sent to the general Hao and the general Xu.
On June 4th 2014, Florence Fang paid a visit to Taierzhuang Campaign Memorial Hall in Shandong.
On June 6th 2014, Florence Fang paid a visit to Shanghai Battle Memorial Hall.
On June 22th 2014, to prepare the “7·7 Press Conference” of Organizing Committee of Overseas Anti-Japanese War Memorial Hall.
On July 7th 2014, the start-up ceremony and press conference of establishing Overseas Anti-Japanese War Memorial Hall were held.
On July 9th 2014, the website of Overseas Anti-Japanese War Memorial Hall was attacked by unknown hacker.
On Oct 27th 2014, at the reception of “Honoring veterans of the Flying Tiger” in San Francisco Consulate, Florence Fang announced to contribute an aircraft that once been used in “Hump Air Transport” during the war to Memorial Park of Flying Tiger in Guangxi.
On Nov 21th 2014, the “Making a hump flight with you” press conference of Overseas Anti-Japanese War Memorial Hall was held.
On Feb 15th 2015, many societies were encouraged to participate in the donation activity for Overseas Anti-Japanese War Memorial Hall.
On Feb 28th 2015, the engagement letter was awarded to Mike Honda, a member of congress, and he will be the honorary curator of the memorial hall.
On Mar 5th 2015, the demolition work began to be carried out.
On Mar 24th 2015, Florence Fang paid a visit to Accepting Surrender Memorial Hall in Zhijiang.
On Mar 26th 2015, as the honorary chairman of Flying Tiger, Florence Fang was invited to the opening ceremony Memorial Park of the Flying Tiger in Guangxi.
On April 13th 2015, a new logo of Overseas Anti-Japanese War Memorial Hall was released.
On May 13th 2015, Beijing GuanYaWeiYe finished the interior design project of the memorial hall.
On May 14th 2015, the first council of Overseas Anti-Japanese War Memorial Hall was established, as well as a series of specific protocols.
On May 15th 2015, the Flying Tiger contributed several cultural relics to the memorial all.
On June18th 2015, all cultural relics for internal display set sail from the port of Shanghai, China.
On June 25th 2015, the opening ceremony invitations were sent out.