Fragile Cargo

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In the spring of 1933, as Japan's military threat loomed over Peking's Forbidden City, the curators faced a daunting challenge: how to safeguard the vast imperial art collections they oversaw. This collection, comprising a million pieces, included irreplaceable treasures such as exquisite silk paintings, rare Ming porcelain, and the culturally significant Stone Drums of Qin, inscribed with 2,500-year-old texts. Under the leadership of museum director Ma Heng, the curators embarked on a perilous journey to protect these invaluable artifacts from the impending chaos of the Sino-Japanese War and World War II. Over sixteen harrowing years, they transported the collections thousands of miles across China, navigating treacherous rivers, mountain ranges, and cities engulfed in flames. Amidst the violence, starvation, and turmoil of China's Second World War, these dedicated individuals chose to resist the destruction of their cultural heritage. This remarkable true story, now told in English for the first time, highlights the courage and determination of a small group who fought to preserve their civilization's legacy in the face of overwhelming adversity.