90-year-old WWII veteran inspires Hong Kong youth with tales of valor, peace

HONG KONG -- At a monument in memory of a group of anti-Japanese aggression martyrs in Lung Kwu Tan in the western part of Tuen Mun district of Hong Kong, 90-year-old veteran Lin Zhen stands with a cane, the medals around her neck glinting in the sunlight.

Despite her frail frame, her voice rings clear as she recounts the heroic deeds of the soldiers of the Hong Kong Independent Battalion of the Dongjiang Column, an anti-Japanese aggression guerrilla force under the leadership of the Communist Party of China.

In early July, Lin boarded China's first homegrown aircraft carrier, the Shandong, when it led a fleet of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy on a historic visit to Hong Kong as part of celebrations marking the 28th anniversary of the city's return to the motherland.

The occasion evoked memories of a tumultuous past and pride in today's powerful navy, as she hoped for the younger generation to carry forward the spirit of patriotism, bravery, and perseverance of the warfighting heroes.

Looking into the eyes of the children at a military exhibition, Lin recalled her own childhood during the ravages of war. "No one could escape the reality of conflict. If you are Chinese, you must stand united against aggressors," she often tells the young.