A photo exhibition documenting the courageous efforts of Chinese people in rescuing United States airmen in East China following the Doolittle Raid during World War II opened in Wuhan, Hubei province, on Sept 22.

The exhibition is part of the "Peace Memory" historical photo exhibition marking the 2026 International Day of Peace.

At the exhibition, the Memorial Hall to the Doolittle Raid in Quzhou, Zhejiang province, presented more than 40 historical photographs documenting the wartime rescue. The images are arranged in three sections covering the raid, the rescue in Quzhou, and the friendship that followed.

On April 18, 1942, US Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle led a bombing mission over Japan. After the raid, most of the crews headed for China, where many airmen bailed out or made emergency landings and were helped by local residents. A total of 64 of 75 US airmen from 15 crews were rescued in China.

At the Memorial Hall to the Doolittle Raid in Quzhou, more than 200 artifacts and archival items and over 400 historical photographs are displayed to recount this notable wartime rescue effort.

Tong Lijuan, director of the memorial hall, said the photo exhibition aims to promote peace and honor history by revisiting how Chinese people rescued US airmen.

The historical photo exhibition in Wuhan will run through Oct 7.