Marcus Detrez visits Pingshan

On Aug. 14, Frenchman Marcus Detrez and his friends — Bastien Ratat, also from France, and Zhong Haosong, from China — visited Shenzhen.

Frenchman Marcus Detrez and his friends visit the Dongjiang Column Memorial Hall in Pingshan District on Aug. 14. Photo from Pingshan Media Center

Detrez recently donated 618 rare historical photographs to China. The photos document atrocities committed by the Japanese army during the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. Experts have noted the photos’ significance for research on the war and the global fight against fascism.

Detrez and his friends began their visit at the Dongjiang Column Memorial Hall in Pingshan District, which commemorates the Dongjiang Column of the Guangdong People’s Guerrilla Force Against Japanese Aggression. Formed in 1943 after several reorganizations of the original guerrilla units, the column played a crucial role on the southern China battlefield during the fight against Japanese aggression.

“Seeing these pictures [at the memorial hall], I feel like all the dots are connected,” Detrez said. “[The Dongjiang Column] is clearly part of history, but I didn’t know about it [until now], so I’m very glad to learn more.”

After leaving the memorial hall, the trio rode in a robotaxi in Pingshan and praised its AI system as an “experienced driver.”

“People here work so hard to build this kind of technology. In France, we don’t have this. It’s very impressive,” Detrez said. “This driverless technology reflects China’s present and future,” Ratat added.

During their visit to other parts of Shenzhen, the group remained impressed by the city’s urban and technological development. They tried Kenqing Technology’s exoskeletons and had drinks delivered by drone at Shenzhen Bay Park.