SHENYANG, Sep 18(ABC): Shenyang, capital of northeast China’s Liaoning Province, resounded with wailing air-raid sirens and vehicle horns on Sunday, the 91st anniversary of the September 18 Incident that marked the start of Japan’s 14-year invasion of China.
As the three-minute sirens howled in the city, pedestrians stood in silent tribute and vehicles honked. Since 1995, Shenyang has sounded the air-raid alarm on this occasion to commemorate the September 18 Incident for 28 years in a row.
At the 9.18 Historical Museum, nearly 300 people from all walks of life gathered and held a ceremony to commemorate the September 18 Incident and the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression.
Flanked by the honor guards of the People’s Liberation Army, 14 representatives from central and local authorities, the military, and various sectors struck a huge bell 14 times at around 9:18 a.m., in commemoration of China’s 14-year-long bitter war against Japanese aggressors.
On Sept. 18, 1931, Japanese troops blew up a section of railway under their control near Shenyang and accused Chinese troops of sabotage as a pretext for the attack. Later that night, they bombarded barracks near Shenyang, starting the bloody invasion.