At 67, Yang Jinyu has devoted most of his retirement years to establishing the first private memorial hall on the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) in the northern province of Shanxi. It specifically commemorates the history of the war in the Zhongtiao Mountain area.

"After I retired, I have been passionate about collecting. By chance, I watched a movie depicting the Battle of Zhongtiao Mountain, which inspired me to establish a memorial hall," said Yang, the museum's director and a resident of Yuanqu county, which is situated in the mountain area.

Zhongtiao Mountain, in the southern part of Shanxi, is a strategic location north of the Yellow River, bordered by the Taihang Mountains to the northeast and the Lyuliang Mountains to the northwest.

"My father was a veteran who fought in the war. He often told me stories of fighting Japanese invaders since I was young, which sparked my interest in researching the history of my hometown," Yang said.

On May 7, 1941, the Japanese invaders launched a comprehensive attack on the Chinese army in the Zhongtiao Mountain area, leading to the outbreak of the battle. It became a significant losing battle for the Chinese army on the front lines during the war.

The memorial hall was established in 2014 and is located in Linghui village of the county. Yang said that as of June, the museum had received a total of 3.38 million visitors from across the country over the past 11 years.

It aims to comprehensively, objectively, and truthfully depict the history of the war in Zhongtiao Mountain. The museum consists of showrooms, memorial pavilions and martyr cemeteries.

Yang said that the hall displays a collection of 926 items, some collected from the public and some donated by war veterans. Some bullets and bomb shells came from the old battlefield.

He said that each exhibit has a touching story behind it. Since 2005, Yang has spent over a million yuan ($140,000) and traveled to 16 provinces and nearly 100 counties and cities across the country in collecting these historical materials.

Yang's efforts have been recognized. In August 2024, the Chinese Museum Association announced that the memorial hall would be rated as a national third-level museum.

In 2007, he also founded the Yuanqu County Revolutionary Base Area Memorial Hall. Yuanqu is a county with a revolutionary tradition, establishing the Yuanqu County Committee of the Communist Party of China in 1927.

Ahead of the 80th anniversary of the victory in the war against Japanese aggression, the memorial hall has experienced a surge in visitors.

It holds a special exhibition, displaying 120 relevant historical books and over 160 letters from veterans.

"The museum is also exploring new 'digital' preservation methods while developing themed study courses and experiential activities related to Red culture, allowing the historical memory and spiritual wealth of the battle to shine brightly through innovative inheritance," said Wang Xuehua, deputy director of the memorial hall.

Li Xin, a visitor, said: "Coming here to revisit the Red history, I find the cultural relics to be very precious, and they have great educational significance for us."

Yang said, "Due to various reasons, there are relatively few records and historical materials regarding the Battle of Zhongtiao Mountain. As a civilian, collecting and exhibiting these materials allows more people to understand and verify the history."

Contact the writers at zhuxingxin@chinadaily.com.cn