"Archive footage from the 1940s shows China's post-war reconstruction after the end of armed conflict with Japanese forces during the 'War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression' and the conclusion of WW2. Chinese soldiers can be seen holding Japanese military flags they had seized, while Japanese prisoners of war are shown being given cigarettes. The video also shows wounded Chinese servicemen receiving rations and eating. The leader of the Chinese Communist Party, Mao Zedong, is seen arriving and giving a speech at a military academy located in a mountainous area. The footage also features young men and women constructing houses on the slopes of the mountains. Art school students can also be seen practising outdoors under the supervision of their teachers. Furthermore, the video depicts a group of children in the playground of a preschool, laughing and having fun while enjoying their meals together. The Second Sino-Japanese War between China and the Japanese Empire had its roots in 1931 with the Japanese invasion of Manchuria, becoming the largest Asian war in the 20th century. It was reported to have resulted in the deaths of around 20 million people, mainly Chinese civilians. Following WW2, Japan formally surrendered on September 2, 1945, after the Soviet declaration of war, as well as the US atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. China holds its landmark 80th anniversary Victory Parade in Beijing on September 3, attended by many world leaders and dignitaries."