On August 26th, 2015, International Exhibition of Coins and Medallions for the 70th Anniversary of Victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, initiated and hosted by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), was held in Beijing. More than 100 representatives including Mr. Xie Yuan, Vice President of the CPAFFC; Mr. Zhang Hanqiao, General Manager of China Gold Coin Incorporation; Mr. Chen Yuqiang, Vice President of Singapore Mint Co., Ltd., and other representatives from China Banknote Printing and Minting Corporation, Museum, Shanghai Mint Co., Ltd. Eighth Route Army Research Association, New Fourth Army Research Association, etc. attended the Opening Ceremony of the Exhibition. Mr. Xie Yuan and Mr. Zhang Hanqiao respectively delivered welcoming speeches.
Additionally, in the Opening Ceremony, the “Peace 70 Gold & Silver Commemorative Coins” and “Commemorative Medallions of the Main Theater in the East” were unveiled and Mr. Xie Yuan and other representatives respectively presented the “Peace 70 Gold & Silver Commemorative Coins” as a gift to the Ambassador of the Embassy of the Republic of the Congo in China and “Commemorative Medallions of the Main Theater in the East” as gifts to two veterans of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and representatives from National Museum of China, Military Museum of Chinese People's Revolution, Museum of the War of Chinese People's Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, China Numismatic Museum, Eighth Route Army Research Association and New Fourth Army Research Association, etc.
The Exhibition highlighted refreshing memory of history, commemorating predecessors and cherishing peace, in addition to cooperation and development. It was divided into “Cherish Peach”, “Remember History” and “Promoting Cooperation and Development” and showcased over 300 coins and medallions selected from nearly one thousand coins and medallions issued by 48 countries and regions to mark WWII in recent 70 years, with historical photos and text interpretation. The Exhibition was the first time around the world to commemorate the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War by gathering and exhibiting sovereign currency of numerous and relevant countries. The Exhibition will last for 15 days. We sincerely invite people to take a visit of the Exhibition. Please find attached the time and requirements in the end.
In his speech, Mr. Xie Yuan said, as a sovereign symbol and cultural medium, coins have a widespread influence and can be passed from one generation to another. These selected coins and medallions, as a combination of politics, history and art, have a unique advantage in delivering the concept of justice, peace and cooperation. By hosting the Exhibition, CPAFFC wishes to all-roundly show the Chinese people’s 14 years of extremely hard and bitter resistance against Japanese aggression and the major contribution and great sacrifice they made to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War, and meanwhile to deliver the concept of peace, cooperation and development widely to the world.
The past can serve as a good guide for the future. Looking at these small coins and medallions, you will feel like in that era which is full of clouds of war. You will feel the human suffering in the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, the Nanjing massacre, the bombing of London and Chongqing, the epic Normandy Landings, the defense of Moscow, the air fight over Jianqiao, the victory of Tai’erzhuang, the battle of Midway and the conquer of Berlin, as well as WWII figures and ordinary people from these coins and medallions which freeze-framed the brutalities of wars and engraved the commitment of people to resist fascist aggression. These coins and medallions are inheritance of heroic and unyielding spirit of our predecessors and eternal freeze-frame of many historical moments, which keeps reminding people of the cruelty of war and the sacrifice of nation, and the need to cherish and safeguard the hard-won peace.
The World Anti-Fascist War was the most important historical event in the 20th century. China is a main theater of the World Anti-Fascist War in the east and made a major contribution and great sacrifice to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War. The Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression broke out the earliest and lasted for the longest and the Chinese people made the most national sacrifice for victory. From the September 18 Incident in 1931 to Japan’s unconditional surrender in September 1945, the Chinese nation experienced 14 years of hard struggles in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.
CPAFFC, founded in 1954, is the earliest and largest national people’s organization aimed at enhancing people’s friendship, furthering international cooperation, safeguarding world peace and promoting common development. On October 25th, supported by China Gold Coin Incorporation and Monnaie de Paris, CPAFFC launched the initiative to issue coins themed on peace to mark the 70th anniversary of the WWII victory, and got a positive response from over 10 countries including France, Australia, UK, etc. The 35 versions of coins on the theme of victory or peace jointly issued by China and the above-mentioned countries also became one of the highlights in the Exhibition.
Through the Exhibition, we could fully and rationally understand the great contribution of the Chinese nation to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and the world peace, and then cherish and appreciate more about the peaceful life now, and hereby to remember history, and commemorate our predecessors.
Notes: Visiting Time: Monday to Friday, 9:30am-11:30am
Please call or email to us in advance, and the contact information is as follows:
Telephone: 010-85115029 85118906
E-mail: cpaffc_cec@126.com
