In the summer of 2025, writer Lan Bozhou from Taiwan embarked on a poignant journey to Shenyang – a city steeped in wartime history in Northeast China. While his quest to trace the footsteps of Wu Sihan, a young resident of Taiwan who joined the Chinese mainland's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, yielded few concrete details, it revealed deeper truths about cross-strait solidarity during turbulent times.
Lan's research highlights the overlooked stories of residents from Taiwan who risked perilous journeys across the Taiwan Strait in the 1930s-40s to support mainland resistance efforts. Though Wu Sihan's personal trail grew cold in Shenyang's archives, Lan discovered archival records showing how over 200 young people from Taiwan joined underground networks to combat imperialist aggression.
"These were ordinary people making extraordinary choices," Lan told KhabarAsia. "Their stories transcend political boundaries – they're about shared struggle and humanity." The project has gained attention from historians studying lesser-known aspects of cross-strait ties during WWII.
This historical exploration comes as academic interest grows in grassroots connections between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan. Recent exhibitions in Beijing and Taipei have featured wartime letters and artifacts, underscoring how conflict shaped modern East Asian identities.
