British Chinese Armed Forces Heritage Project: British Lions, Chinese Dragons Exhibition

The​​ ​​British​ ​Chinese​ ​Armed​ ​Forces​ ​Heritage​ ​project​​ ​run​ ​by​ ​Ming​ ​Ai​ ​(London)​ ​Institute​ ​and​ ​Regent's University​ ​London​ ​is​ ​a​ ​four-year​ ​UK​ ​Heritage​ ​Lottery​ ​funded​ ​project.​ ​Our​ ​aim​ ​is​ ​to​ ​highlight​ ​the​ ​contribution that​ ​servicemen​ ​of​ ​Chinese​ ​descent​ ​have​ ​made​ ​to​ ​the​ ​British​ ​Armed​ ​Forces​ ​during​ ​the​ ​19th​ ​and​ ​20th centuries.

The​ ​​British ​Lions, ​Chinese ​​Dragons ​exhibition​​ ​has​ ​just​ ​finished​ ​a​ ​two-month​ ​run​ ​at​ ​Regent's University​ ​London​ ​and​ ​is​ ​now​ ​​looking​ ​for​ ​hosts​ ​to​ ​stage​ ​temporary​ ​roadshow​ ​exhibitions​ ​in​ ​2018.​​ ​The exhibit​ ​consists​ ​of​ ​four​ ​separate​ ​sections​ ​with​ ​text​ ​alongside​ ​photos​ ​and​ ​archive​ ​material​ ​contributed​ ​from the​ ​National​ ​Army​ ​Museum,​ ​Hong​ ​Kong​ ​University​ ​Archives​ ​and​ ​several​ ​private​ ​collections​ ​including​ ​the Elizabeth​ ​Ride​ ​collection​ ​(British​ ​Army​ ​Aid​ ​Group)​ ​and​ ​the​ ​John​ ​de​ ​Lucy​ ​collection​ ​(The​ ​Chinese​ ​Labour Corps)​.  If​ ​your​ ​institution​ ​or​ ​university​ ​library​ ​are​ ​interested​ ​in​ ​hosting​ ​the​ ​exhibition​ ​please​ ​contact bcafh@ming-ai.org.uk​.​  Further​ ​details​ ​of​ ​the​ ​content​ ​of​ ​the​ ​exhibition​ ​can​ ​be​ ​seen​ ​below.

1)​ ​​Timeline.​ ​​A​ ​comprehensive​ ​timeline​ ​depicting​ ​UK-China​ ​military​ ​collaboration​ ​throughout​ ​history.​ ​The timeline​ ​begins​ ​in​ ​the​ ​1600s​ ​and​ ​ends​ ​with​ ​the​ ​handover​ ​in​ ​1997​ ​when​ ​Hong​ ​Kong​ ​was​ ​returned​ ​to​ ​China. Single​ ​side​ ​pop​ ​up​ ​banner.​ ​approx​ ​3​ ​x​ ​5​ ​metres.

2)​​ ​Chinese​ ​Labour​ ​Corps​ ​(CLC).​ ​​The​ ​Chinese​ ​Labour​ ​Corps​ ​of​ ​World​ ​War​ ​One​ ​was​ ​a​ ​labour​ ​corps​ ​of Chinese​ ​men​ ​who​ ​were​ ​brought​ ​over​ ​from​ ​mainland​ ​China​ ​to​ ​serve​ ​on​ ​the​ ​Western​ ​and​ ​Eastern​ ​fronts. Single​ ​side​ ​pop​ ​up​ ​banner,​ ​approx​ ​3​ ​x​ ​5​ ​metres.

3)​ ​​Battle​ ​of​ ​Hong​ ​Hong.​ ​​The​ ​Battle​ ​of​ ​Hong​ ​Kong​ ​and​ ​the​ ​British​ ​Army​ ​Aid​ ​Group​ ​of​ ​World​ ​War​ ​Two. Single​ ​side​ ​pop​ ​up​ ​banner,​ ​approx​ ​3​ ​x​ ​4​ ​metres.

4)​ ​​Highlighted​ ​oral​ ​histories.​​ ​14​ ​oral​ ​history​ ​foam​ ​boards​ ​(15​ ​including​ ​introductory​ ​board)​ ​with​ ​a​ ​cross section​ ​of​ ​those​ ​interviewed​ ​for​ ​the​ ​British​ ​Chinese​ ​Oral​ ​History​ ​archives​ ​from​ ​the​ ​CLC,​ ​the​ ​British​ ​Army, the​ ​British​ ​Army​ ​Aid​ ​Group,​ ​the​ ​Royal​ ​Navy​ ​and​ ​the​ ​Volunteers.​ ​​Foam​ ​boards​ ​A1​ ​size.

Further information is available on their website at http://www.britishchineseheritagecentre.org.uk/