Veterans relive struggle against invaders

Collective effort of a nation overcame Japanese aggression

The voice of 94-year-old Zhang Kexia fills the room as she sings March of the Big Sword. This powerful anthem, heard across battlefields eight decades ago, still resonates as China commemorates the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45).

"Swing your broadswords at the enemy's heads! Compatriots across the nation, the day of resistance has come," she sings.

More than 80 years on, she still knows the lyrics by heart and sings the song with passion and conviction. Her song serves as a direct link to the generation that endured the conflict.