Young PhD student preserves history of war against Japanese aggression

Yang Yali visits the Wudadao historical urban area in north China's Tianjin, May 8, 2025. Born in 1996, Yang Yali is a PhD student at the History Department of Nankai University. Since 2018, she has focused her research on the history of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, particularly exploring the Nanjing Safety Zone and the daily lives of residents in the Beijing-Tianjin area during the war.

In September 2018, Yang began her master's studies at Nanjing Normal University. Under the guidance of Professor Zhang Lianhong, she focused her research on "John Rabe's Chinese Friends," uncovering numerous Chinese individuals who protected and assisted refugees in the Nanjing Safety Zone during the war. Their contributions, previously overlooked, are an essential part of the history of the Nanjing Massacre.

In 2021, Yang Yali continued her doctoral studies at Nankai University under the supervision of Professor Jiang Pei, further advancing her research on wartime history. In 2023, she joined the Nankai University-Aichi University double degree PhD program and studied in Japan for a year. During her time there, she accessed a wealth of historical materials, extracting many details from extensive Japanese archives.

Over the years, Yang Yali has been actively preserving the memory of the war through various actions, including searching for descendants of Chinese staff at the Nanjing Safety Zone refugee shelters, studying Japanese to gather historical materials, and participating in documentary filming. "The responsibility of seeking truth and defending peace has been passed on to our younger generation. I will continue my research and do my part to tell the truth of the war," Yang said. (Xinhua/Zhang Cheng)

Yang Yali takes a photo of a monument of the National Southwest Associated University at the Balitai Campus of Nankai University in north China's Tianjin, May 8, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Cheng)

Yang Yali search for documents at the archive of the School of History at the Jinnan Campus of Nankai University in north China's Tianjin, May 7, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Cheng)

Yang Yali walks in the Jinnan Campus of Nankai University in north China's Tianjin, May 7, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Ran)

Yang Yali (C) talks with her friends at the Jinnan Campus of Nankai University in north China's Tianjin, May 7, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Cheng)

Yang Yali is pictured at the Jinnan Campus of Nankai University in north China's Tianjin, May 7, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Cheng)

Yang Yali searches for documents at the Tianjin Municipal Archives in north China's Tianjin, May 8, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Ran)

Yang Yali search for documents at the archive of the School of History at the Jinnan Campus of Nankai University in north China's Tianjin, May 7, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Cheng)

Yang Yali works on her papers at the library of the Jinnan Campus of Nankai University in north China's Tianjin, May 7, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Ran)

Yang Yali works on her papers at the library of the Jinnan Campus of Nankai University in north China's Tianjin, May 7, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Cheng)

Yang Yali passes by the campus bell at the Balitai Campus of Nankai University in north China's Tianjin, May 8, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Ran)

Yang Yali (C) attends a lecture at the Jinnan Campus of Nankai University in north China's Tianjin, May 8, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Ran)

Yang Yali walks in the Jinnan Campus of Nankai University in north China's Tianjin, May 8, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Ran)

Yang Yali passes by a monument of the National Southwest Associated University at the Balitai Campus of Nankai University in north China's Tianjin, May 8, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Ran)

Yang Yali searches for documents at the Tianjin Municipal Archives in north China's Tianjin, May 8, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Ran)