The September 18 Incident occurred in 1931 and is regarded by Beijing authorities as the starting point of the War of Resistance Against Japan. This year marks the 94th anniversary of the incident.
On the morning of the 18th, a "Never Forget September 18" bell-ringing and siren-sounding ceremony was held at the site of the incident—in Shenyang, Liaoning Province. At 9:18 am, the sound of air raid sirens pierced the sky as all cities in Liaoning simultaneously sounded their sirens. Pedestrians on the streets paused, motor vehicles halted and sounded their horns, and ships and trains also blared their whistles, jointly participating in the commemoration activities.
Shenzhen, bordering Hong Kong, also held memorial events on the morning of the 18th. From 10:40 am to 11:03 am, the entire city of Shenzhen conducted a test sounding of air raid sirens. Each siren sounded for 3 minutes, with a 7-minute interval.
On September 18, 1931, the Japanese Kwantung Army stationed in Northeast China blew up a section of the South Manchuria Railway near Liutiaogou, falsely claiming it was deliberately sabotaged by Chinese troops. That night, they suddenly shelled Shenyang and simultaneously attacked Jilin and Heilongjiang, leading to the fall of Northeast China.