The Datong Mass Grave Memorial (Chinese: 大同煤矿万人坑, lit. Datong coal mine pit of ten thousand people) is a mass grave from the time of the Second Sino-Japanese War. It is located in a former coal mine in the city of Datong in the province of Shanxi.[1]
| Datong Mass Grave Memorial | |
|---|---|
| Native name 大同煤矿万人坑 (Chinese) | |
 Entrance to the mass grave photographed in December 1966 | |
| Type | mass grave |
| Location | Datong, Shanxi Province, People's Republic of China |
| Coordinates | 40°01′30″N 113°07′55″E / 40.025°N 113.132°E |
According to historian Li Jinwen, more than 155,000 Chinese laborers are buried in unused coal mines around Datong.[2] During the war, the Japanese occupiers wanted to extract the coal around Datong for their war effort. Chinese laborers were made to work in the mine for extended hours without protective equipment. The miners were plagued by injuries, malnutrition, and diseases. [3] When people succumbed and died, their bodies were disposed of in unused mineshafts. The Japanese even buried alive miners who could no longer work. [2] The artist Wang Youshan depicted the events in his art installation, Washing: 1941, Datong, Ten Thousand Men in Ditch.[4]
The mass graves were first uncovered in the 1960s. The pits were first open to the public in 1969. In 2006, construction began on a memorial hall, which opened to the public in 2010.[5] The memorial features a museum of 337,000 square meters, recounting the atrocities faced by Datong coal miners. Along with the memorial to the miners, the museum also depicts the history of coal mining in Datong.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b Fang, Silvia. "Datong Mass Grave Memorial". China Daily. Archived from the original on 2020-05-28. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
- ^ a b Wang, Sining. "Researcher Claims War Crimes Worse Than Thought". www.china.org.cn. China Internet Information Center. Archived from the original on 2016-11-16. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
- ^ "Miners forced into slavery by Japanese tell of ordeals- China.org.cn". www.china.org.cn. Archived from the original on 2015-10-13.
- ^ "Wang Youshen". ShanghART. Archived from the original on 2001-08-08. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
- ^ "大同煤矿"万人坑"遗址纪念馆落成开馆". 中国文明网. Xinhua. Archived from the original on 2020-12-14. Retrieved 14 December 2020.