In a country where war was fought, it lingers, even if that war is already a century behind us. For each of the more than 600.000 dead who fell here, there is a story of suffering and pain somewhere in the world. Apart from the soldiers, there were many other military behind the front such as transport troops and labour corpses.
One of them was the Chinese Labour Corps (CLC), consisting of no less than 140.000 labourers from the territory of WeihaiWei and Qingdao from Shandong province. Around 2.000 of these Chinese volunteers found their last resting place in the North of France and even in Belgium you can find back Chinese grave stones in the Westhoek.
To commemorate the contribution of the CLC to WWI, I am pleased to invite you to a visit to the In Flanders Fields Museum on December 10, 2014 which presents the story of the First World War in the West Flanders front region.
Agenda:
15.00 – 15.30 Registration
15.30 – 15.35 Welcome words by Mr. Bernard Dewit, Chairman of BCECC
15.35 – 15.40 Speech by Mr. Zhuo Ruisheng, Chargé d’affaires ad interim of the Embassy of P.R. of China in Belgium
15.40 – 16.00 Presentation by Dominiek Dendooven, In Flanders Fields Museum concerning the Chinese volunteers at the front region
16.00 – 17.00 Visit to the Museum
17.00 – 18.00 Reception offered by the Province of West Flanders in the presence of Governor Carl Decaluwé
Venue:
In Flanders Fields Museum
Lakenhallen – Grote Markt 34
B – 8900 Ieper