Politics
15:56, 07-Jul-2017
'Don't dare be a coward': 80 years since the Lugou Bridge Incident
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Millions of Chinese suffered in the longest and bloodiest war in the country's history -- the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression which began in 1931.
Friday marks 80 years since the Lugou Bridge Incident, one of the major events in the war.
On September 18, 1931, Japanese troops stationed in northeast China occupied three provinces; Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang, marking the start of the 14-year war.
80 years ago today on July 7, 1937, Japanese troops crossed Lugou Bridge on the outskirts of Beijing in a major military campaign against China.
"Fight against the enemy and don't dare be a coward," 100-year-old veteran, De Yun, repeatedly said during the war.
De, who served in the Eighth Route Army, changed his family name from Cao to Deng as a tribute to an old army buddy who died in the conflict.
Even though his memory is not what it used to be, De is still full of energy when talking about the war and the fight to protect his country.
Major events in the war
(Story written by CGTN's Han Jie. Infographics designed by CGTN's Fan Chenxiao.)