A walk among heroes
Streets, memorials and museums honor wartime martyrs, preserving spirit of sacrifice and inspiring peace across generations, report Xu Lin and Liu Kun in Wuhan.


Like her, more Wuhan citizens and visitors are "retracing heroes' footsteps" in the community. The Memorial Hall of the Former Site of the Wuhan Office of the Eighth Route Army also launched an initiative to guide students through urban exploration and uncover the stories behind these heroic routes.
"Each heroic road carries the name of a martyr whose story turns textbook narratives into vivid, emotional encounters. Walking through the city is different from traditional, rigid forms of patriotic education, it speaks directly to the younger generation," says Zhou Jing, head of the memorial hall.
The memorial hall recently opened its renovated permanent exhibition Heroic City, Flames of Resistance — Wuhan's War of Resistance History. By skillful use of artifacts, texts, photos, reconstructed scenes and immersive multimedia displays, the exhibition brings to life Wuhan's pivotal role as a "heroic city" during the war.
