In China's Liaoning Province, there is a tower, and its name is Baiyushan Tower.
Located on Baiyu Mountain in Lushunkou District, Dalian, this tower has witnessed a profound history and has become a symbol of that history.
Its existence makes us always remember a truth: if we are backward, we will be beaten.
1. The Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was a war fought between Japan and the Russian Empire in 1904-1905 for the Korean Peninsula and Northeast China. The context of this war is complex, involving multiple countries and political forces.
At that time, China was at the end of the Qing Dynasty, with political corruption, economic malaise, and a serious decline in national strength. Japan, on the other hand, has risen rapidly, salivating over the territory and resources of Northeast China and the Korean Peninsula.
On February 6, 1904, Japan severed diplomatic relations with Russia, and seven days later, a large-scale clash broke out between Japanese and Russian forces. The war lasted more than a year and ended in defeat.
This imperialist war on Chinese soil brought great disaster and suffering to China, with a large number of civilians killed in the war and many towns and villages destroyed by the war.
2. "Pyozhong Tower".
After the war, Japan colonized the Arthur region for 40 years. In order to promote militarism and commemorate the Japanese soldiers who died in the war, the Japanese authorities decided to build a tower on Baiyu Mountain.
The name of the pagoda is "Omotachi Tower", and it was built with funds raised from within Japan. During the construction of the tower, a large number of Chinese laborers were used, who worked in extremely difficult conditions, and many even lost their lives.
The tower is 668 meters, the appearance is cylindrical, composed of four parts: base, base column, tower body and tower top. The shape of the top of the tower resembles the shells of a 280-mm howitzer, which means "never extinguished".
The design of the entire tower is imbued with the atmosphere of Japanese militarism, and it is not only a building, but also a symbol of Japanese colonial rule.
Every spring and autumn, the Japanese authorities held a spiritualist memorial and forced Chinese students to participate in order to further consolidate their colonial rule.
3. Unreasonable demands
However, the wheels of history roll forward. Japan's unconditional surrender on August 15, 1945 marked the liberation of the Chinese people from half a century of humiliation and oppression.
However, victory did not bring complete liberation. As a symbol of Japanese colonial rule, the White Jade Mountain Pagoda became the focus of controversy between China and the Soviet Union. The Soviets had proposed to dismantle the tower and send it back home for reconstruction, but the Chinese side refused.
In 1951, Lushun decided to rename the "Biaozhong Pagoda" to "White Jade Pagoda" in order to eliminate its colonial color. However, the shadow of history has not disappeared. In the decades that followed, the White Jade Pagoda was in danger of being demolished several times.
The most famous of these was the bizarre request made by former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev during his visit to China in 1953 that China dismantle the White Jade Pagoda and build a taller monument to commemorate the Russian generals who died in the Russo-Japanese War.
This unreasonable demand was categorically rejected by the Chinese side. In this process, Japan has repeatedly proposed to demand the demolition of the White Jade Pagoda, and their purpose is very simple, to eliminate this evidence of aggression against China.
But fortunately, despite a series of twists and turns, the White Jade Pagoda was finally preserved.
Fourth, the witness of history
Today's "White Jade Pagoda" has been renamed "White Jade Mountain Pagoda" and has become an important historical site and tourist attraction. A large number of tourists come to visit the tower every year and learn about the history behind it.
The existence of the White Jade Pagoda always reminds us to always remember that humiliating history and cherish the peaceful life of today.
When we stand under the Baiyushan Tower, we can't help but think about a question: why can this tower survive the wind and rain and survive?
The answer is simple: because it is a witness to history, ironclad evidence of that period of history that we cannot forget.
This tower tells us a truth: if you fall behind, you will be beaten.
Only when we continue to work hard to develop and strengthen ourselves can we truly realize the dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.