July 7, 2007, which is a day of "three seven" that foretells auspicious happiness in the eyes of Westerners, was however the 70th anniversary of the "July 7th Incident" in China...
On July 6, forum super moderators Mo Ye and Zi Long arrived in Chongqing in advance to prepare for our Chongqing area's "July 7th" commemorative activities.
On July 7th, there was a peaceful scene on the streets. Those who should be at work were still working, and those who should be entertaining themselves were still doing so. I and my colleague's child (due to his not being an adult yet and considerations of other factors, his avatar picture in the post has been blurred) met with Mo Ye, Zi Long, and Chongqing netizen Xiao Si first at Nangping, then we all went up Nan Mountain together to visit the air force cemetery built for the KMT air force soldiers who fought against Japanese planes to defend Chongqing airspace, as well as the Flying Tigers members. Due to the long passage of time and historical destruction, the originally grand and solemn air force cemetery had been destroyed into a wasteland. Even the local residents who grew up on the mountain since childhood did not know that such a place existed near their homes. The only things that could clearly indicate its existence are the memories of local elders and two stone tablets indicating the geographical location. One was erected by the local government in 2000, and the other was voluntarily funded and erected by nearby residents in 2005 to mark the sixtieth anniversary of the victory in the War of Resistance Against Japan...
After paying respects, it was around 3 PM. We then came to Nangping. By this time, Chongqing netizens Zúqiú, Xiǎo Zhāngyú, Pào Pào, and Dōngdào had also arrived successively. Thus, our outdoor activities began. It was 35 degrees Celsius in Chongqing, the sun was shining brightly outdoors, but everyone's enthusiasm remained undiminished. Under the sun, we held banners, waved national flags, distributed flyers to passers-by, and preached about the "July 7th Incident." I clearly remember two scenes while I was holding the banner...
A couple walked by.
The woman: "What are they doing?"
The man: "Today is the July 7th Incident. They're conducting patriotic propaganda."
The woman: "How do they organize themselves?"
The man: "This doesn't need organizing!"
A middle-aged man in his thirties approached us, gripping our hands.
"You guys are great! Salute to you! Thank you!"
Making the passers-by understand and gaining their affirmation is the effect we aim to achieve through our publicity. Yes, patriotism doesn't need organization; it's the most basic quality and responsibility of every citizen! When that man said "this doesn't need organizing," I felt very excited inside. When that middle-aged man expressed respect to us, I realized that our sweat was not wasted, our efforts were not in vain, our country hasn't fallen, and our nation is still one with blood, thought, conscience, and hope!
Oh, I almost forgot a small detail.
When the activity just started, a girl of about twenty years old dressed fashionably walked over. I thought she would come over and then leave laughing happily, but no, she came forward and asked us, "Can I sign on the banner?" We replied, "Due to some special considerations, we didn't prepare this activity." She was very disappointed, "I want to express my feelings..."
I felt very remorseful...
The activity ended with the national anthem.
After the activity, everyone rushed to Danshi Stone to visit Mr. Yang Yangzheng, one of the "Eight Hundred Heroes."
Mr. Yang's spirit was very good, and his health had improved a lot compared to recent times. Here, we thank the relevant functional departments for their special care of Mr. Yang. When we explained our purpose, Mr. Yang directly said, "Yes, today is July 7th, the July 7th Incident, the event of 1937..." Then he lowered his head and fell into deep thought...
In order not to disturb Mr. Yang's personal rest, after briefly understanding his current situation and presenting the condolences items we brought, we left (because of the hot weather in Chongqing, we don't want to make Mr. Yang recall too much of the past due to excessive mention of the past, thus causing sadness and affecting his recuperation).
Below, I will only use pictures to explain...