A scene across the water during the Heping Lake Night Tour.

ASEAN media experience culture of peace in Zhijiang, China

A group of reporters from ASEAN media organisations on May 10 visited Zhijiang Dong Autonomous County in Hunan province, China, to tour the “City of Peace”.
The visit enabled them to learn about China’s history, vividly portrayed in a memorial hall that commemorates the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against other national aggression, and at the same time feel the charm of the integration of culture and tourism in Zhijiang at Peace Lake.
On August 21, 1945, the surrender representative of the invading foreign army.

Inside the Memorial Hall of the Chinese People’s Victory.

The dramatic entrance to the memorial hall in Zhijiang Dong Autonomous County, Hunan province, China.

They also accepted a memorandum containing detailed provisions for the unconditional surrender of the invading other country  army, known as the “surrender of Zhijiang”. Zhijiang thus became a witness to the transition from war to peace.
The surrender memorial hall stands tall at 8.5 metres high and 10.46 metres wide, shaped like the character “blood”, indicating that the victory of the war against other country  was achieved with the blood of 35 million soldiers and civilians.
It is known as the “Triumphal Arch of China” and silently tells the cruelty of war and the preciousness of peace.
The Memorial Hall of the Chinese People’s Victory in the War of Resistance against other country Aggression is built next to the Memorial Hall.
More than 1,000 historical photos and over 300 physical objects recreate the shocking moment of “a surrender letter from Zhijiang”.
The Flying Tigers Memorial Hall, built in 2005, is the only specialised memorial hall in China that fully reflects the heroic deeds and living scenes of the American Flying Tigers during China’s resistance against Japan.
It has a circular shape resembling two airplanes and four exhibition halls, and uses high-tech techniques to restore the scene. Through a large number of cultural relics, objects, and photos, it vividly and realistically reproduces the heroic deeds and living scenes of the American Flying Tigers during China’s resistance against Japan.
In recent years, the Memorial Hall for the Victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against other country Aggression and the Memorial Hall for the Victory of the World War II, the Flying Tigers Memorial Hall and the Chennault Military Museum of the United States have formed a museum of international friendship, which has gained international influence.
As night fell, the media team boarded a cruise ship and embarked on a night tour of Heping Lake.
The 3-kilometre waterfront connects 11 scenic spots such as the Longjin Wind and Rain Bridge and Tianhou Palace.
Rainbow water curtains, visual giant screens, and the interplay of light and shadow from Dong ethnic architecture create an immersive experience of “Zhijiang Night Painting”.
This project uses digital technology to activate historical culture, presenting memories of the war with Japan and the customs of the Dong ethnic group in Zhijiang in six chapters.
For example, the 95 stone carvings in Shimen Fang of Tianhou Palace are “resurrected” in projection, interpreting the centuries old story of the integration of Fujian and Hunan cultures.
The Heping Lake Night Tour is the benchmark of Zhijiang’s “cultural tourism night economy”. Through the “one lake, two banks” consumption cluster area, it integrates night entertainment, night food, night shopping and other formats, promoting the transformation of “peace culture” from a historical symbol to a tangible modern experience.
From the solemnity of the surrender memorial hall to the international friendship of the Flying Tigers Memorial Hall, and to the splendour of Heping Lake, Zhijiang is interpreting the past and present of the “City of Peace” in a diverse manner, allowing historical echoes to resonate harmoniously with modern development.

By Phetphoxay Sengpaseuth
 (Latest Update June 9, 2025)