Some memories are engraved deep in the soul of a nation, never to fade. Some names are carved upon the monuments of history, forever remembered.

In 1937, Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression broke out, and the Chinese nation faced a grave moment of survival. Lanzhou, this ancient city in the northwest, became a coveted target for the Japanese military due to its strategic importance.In August 1937, China and the Soviet Union signed the Sino-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact. The Soviet Union provided paid assistance to China, dispatching over 300 military advisors to war zones and forming a volunteeraviation group to aid China.

With the coast blockaded by Japan, the Soviet Union became the major power providing military aid to China at that time. To establish an international united front and secure strategic support, the Communist Party of China opened several secret transportation lines between the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region and the Comintern. Among these, the Northwest International Transportation Route, with Xi'an, Lanzhou, and Dihua (now Urumqi) as its hubs, played a historical role in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

A continuous flow of military equipment made Lanzhou a major corridor and transit point for Soviet personnel, aircraft, weapons, and other supplies destined for China. In October 1937, to support the Chinese people, the Soviet government aided the Chinese government with 500 ZIS-5 three-and-a-half-ton trucks. These trucks, carrying over 1,500 tons of gasoline purchased by China from the Soviet Union, entered China's Xinjiang from Alma-Ata, Soviet Union, and traversed through Yumen, Jiayuguan, Jiuquan, and Wuwei in Gansu before reaching Lanzhou, carving a "great road" across the Gobi desert. Facing the immense pressure of transporting Soviet aid, the Northwest Highway Transportation Administration under the Ministry of Communications was established and issued an order to construct the Gansu-Xinjiang Highway.

After the Gansu-Xinjiang Highway was completed, convoys of trucks carrying military supplies such as gasoline, bombs, and anti-aircraft guns, as well as necessities like biscuits, sugar, cigarettes, sausages, and butter, entered this route in batches. Reception stations were set up along the way specifically for Soviet aid transport vehicles and personnel.

Besides road transport, the Northwest International Air Route also played a significant role. At that time, China and the Soviet Union cooperated to build 10 rudimentary airports along the route from Alma-Ata to Lanzhou, establishing airbases. Urgently needed combat aircraft were flown directly to Lanzhou via the air route from Dihua, Hami, and Jiuquan by Soviet or Chinese pilots, before being allocated to other war zones. Numerous aircraft and tanks were assembled in Hami and then flown from Hami via Jiuquan to Lanzhou.

In late October 1937, the first batch of the Soviet Volunteer Aviation Group arrived in Lanzhou, China, comprising 254 air and ground crew members, forming bomber and fighter units. Once 42 bomber fighter jets arrived in Lanzhou, the Soviet volunteers immediately began training Chinese pilots to fly these aircraft. Between 1937 and 1941, a total of 3,665 Soviet military advisors and experts came to China. Over 2,000 volunteer air force personnel participated in rotations, forming 8 aviation groups (5 fighter groups, 3 bomber groups).

On Dec 4, 1937, Japanese forces bombed Lanzhou for the first time. From then until September 1941, the invading Japanese army, aiming to cut off the Soviet aid route and destroy Chinese air force training bases, consistently targeted Lanzhou for military bombing.

However, the military and civilians of Lanzhou were not intimidated. Wuquan Mountain, Lanzhou's natural barrier, also housed the front-line headquarters of the Eighth War Zone Air Defense Command during the war. This air-raid shelter once served as the pivot for defending Lanzhou and directing air combat. The entrance of the shelter was hidden within the yard of Wuhou Temple in Wuquan Mountain Park, appearing inconspicuous from the outside. However, once inside, a different world revealed.

The tunnel walls were constructed with reinforced concrete, sturdy and durable. The passages were wide enough for two people to walk side by side. It contained not only core areas like the command room, telecommunications room, and duty room but also facilities such as escape shafts, ventilation systems, and kitchens — a underground military command center built for combat needs.

On Feb 20, 1939, the 2nd day of the Chinese New Year, while people in Lanzhou were still immersed in New Year's joy, the shrill sound of air raid sirens broke the peace over the Yellow River. A formation of 29 Japanese bombers arrived in Lanzhou airspacein the afternoon, attempting to ruin this lifeline of resistance. On Feb 23, 36 Japanese aircraft again raided Lanzhou.

Inside the shelter, telecommunications personnel stood duty 24 hours a day, ready to respond tothe air raids at any moment. They guarded the city's safety with their lives. The valiant pilots of the Chinese Air Force, alongside their Soviet volunteer comrades, soared into the enemy formations like eagles, resolutely plunged into air combat.

Over two days of air combat in Lanzhou, 18 Japanese aircraft were shot or damaged, 63 enemy pilots were killed, and 7 wounded; all escaping enemy planes were shot. No losses on our side in personnel or aircraft. This was the greatest victory achieved by Chinese forces since the fall of Wuhan and Guangzhou, greatly boosting the morale of the Chinese people's resistance. The Lanzhou Air Battle became one of the most famous air combat events in modern Chinese air combat history. Following this victory, the Air Forceof Lanzhou Military Region held a grand celebration.

Time has passed, and the flames of the war has dissipated, but that period of history forever etched in our memory. From 1937 to September 1941, Japanese forces dispatched 670 aircraft, conducted 36 air raids on Lanzhou, destroyed over 24,000 rooms, and caused 1,426 casualties.

The Zhongshan Bridge was one of the key targets of Japanese bombing. To protect against the air raids, the bridge's originally conspicuous orange-red steel beams were repainted a concealed iron gray early in the war, a color that remains to this day.

The Soviet Union successively dispatched over 2,000 volunteer pilots to China to participate in the fight against Japanese aggression, 236 of whom sacrificed their livesin China, making significant contributions to the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. The Lanzhou Air Battle witnessed the bravery and resilience of Lanzhou's military and civilians, as well as the indomitable spirit and ultimate victory of the Chinese nation.

Remembering history is essential to better safeguarding the hard-won peace and to passing on the courage and friendship forged in times of peril.