This is a set of old photos of Liaoyang taken in the late Qing Dynasty. It reproduces the real scenes that happened in the ancient city of Liaodong before and after the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905). Through these vivid old photos, we can have a clearer understanding of the suffering living conditions of the people of Liaoyang at that time.
Liaoyang City Wall
In 1904, the Kuixing Tower in the southeast corner of the Liaoyang Ancient City Wall had plenty of water in the moat outside the wall. The ancient city of Liaoyang has a very long history. The construction of the city wall can be traced back to the Tianfu City built in the fourth year of Liao Shence (919). The city wall in the picture was built on the basis of the original earth city site in the Ming Dynasty.
The muddy market
Overlooking the market in Liaoyang from the Bell and Drum Tower. It had just rained, and the low-lying street was muddy. The carriages passing back and forth made the road even worse. Pedestrians had to walk along the narrow highlands on both sides of the road.
Chinese and foreign carriages
The streets of Liaoyang are bustling with people and carriages, including four-wheeled carriages driven by Russians and two-wheeled Chinese carriages commonly used by the Chinese.
Close view of the carriage
Close view of a freight carriage, which contains large bags of grain. It is said to be a carriage, but in fact most of the animals pulling the carriage are mules. The shops on the street are relatively low, with various banners hanging in front of the doors. You can clearly see the towering city gate tower in the distance.
A wealthy family
A family living in Liaoyang City, a family of four took a group photo standing in the courtyard. The mother-in-law is holding the child, the daughter-in-law has her hands on her sleeves and is looking at the camera with a smile. The husband is a businessman and probably a musical instrument enthusiast. When taking the photo, he did not forget to hold the bamboo flute in his hand. Judging from the clothing and the house next to it, it was a relatively wealthy family at that time.
Ancient temples
There are many temples in Liaoyang. In addition to the Confucian Temple and the Martial Arts Temple, there are dozens of Guangyou Temples, mosques, Yong'an Temples, and Longfeng Temples containing Buddha relics. The picture shows an ancient temple, which can be seen from the old tree in front of the door. The temple was built on a high platform with three bays. It looked very desolate because it was abandoned and the roof was covered with weeds.
Liaoyang White Tower
The White Tower in the picture is a landmark building in Liaoyang. It was built during the Dading period of the Jin Dynasty and has a history of more than 800 years. With a height of 71 meters, the tower is the tallest brick tower in Northeast China and one of the six tallest towers in the country. There were many residential houses under the White Tower back then, and a carriage loaded with crates was passing by on the road next to it.
Arsenal
This is the military warehouse of the Russian army near the White Tower. Various military supplies are piled in a row of long wooden houses. Because it occupies a large area, two Russian soldiers rode horses back and forth in front of the warehouse to inspect.
Coolie transportation
At that time, there was a moderate flood in Liaoyang. The materials in a warehouse of the Russian army were soaked in water. They had to hire some local drivers to help transport the goods. In order to prevent accidents with the goods, they sent armed soldiers to follow the escort.
swaggering through the city
On the streets of Liaoyang, a infantry regiment band of the Tsarist Russian Empire came over playing military music. When they saw the invaders beating gongs and drums and strutting through the city, the Chinese man next to them turned and left, with a look of helplessness on his face.
Reinforcements
Between 1904 and 1905, the Japanese Empire and the Russian Empire fought for control of China's Liaodong Peninsula and Korean Peninsula. A "dog-eat-dog" war broke out in Northeast China. The armies of both sides invested a total of 400,000 troops in a major battle in the Liaoyang area. The picture shows a Tsarist Russian reinforcement force entering Liaoyang City.
Japanese spy
Several Russian soldiers captured a spy who was spying on intelligence for the Japanese. Unfortunately, this spy was not Japanese, but a compatriot of Korean . During the war, the Japanese hired a large number of Chinese to help spy on intelligence. This was a very risky job, and if they were caught, they would definitely die.
The Hanging Chinese
The Battle of Liaoyang ended with the Russian army withdrawing from Liaoyang City. On September 4, 1904, the Japanese army occupied Liaoyang. After entering the city, the Japanese army burned, killed, looted, and committed all kinds of evil. The picture shows a Chinese man being hanged in the street for public display. The reason given by the Japanese was "stealing something."
Little girl
A little girl with two thin braids and bare feet. Her bellyband and pants were full of holes. She should be at a carefree age, but there is no trace of innocence on her face, and her clenched fists convey her inner uneasiness.
Japanese-Russian Wounded Soldiers
The Russo-Japanese War finally ended with Russia's defeat. The two powers moved from the war to the negotiation table. On September 5, 1905, Japan and Russia signed the " Treaty of Portsmouth" in the United States, officially ending the war on Chinese soil. This is the scene of wounded soldiers from Japan and Russia watching small vendors on the streets of Liaoyang. It seems that the relationship between the two parties is quite harmonious.
A dilapidated city
This is the south gate of Liaoyang. It suffered heavy damage due to the war. The gate tower has collapsed and only a corner of the house is left. Under the city gate, two Russian soldiers on horseback entered the city. A Chinese child saw them and quickly ducked to avoid them.
People in Suffering
Two men stood next to a low stone wall. One was seriously ill. Although he was using a cane, he still had to rely on others to help him stand. His house has been destroyed by the war, and hunger, poverty and homelessness may all become the final straw in his life.
To learn more about Liaodong City old photos, please watch the "Collection of Old Photos of Liaoyang, Liaoning" below!
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