Witness a new dawn: The Amethyst Incident
To mark the 72nd anniversary of the liberation of Shanghai, the city has launched six episodes on the subject.
The documentary series presents the story of the city's liberation from the perspective of the westerners who were in Shanghai in 1949, including diplomats, journalists, doctors and businessmen.
The short films also use English historical material. Besides reports from The New York Times, the Associated Press and Reuters at the time, they also features reports from local English-language newspapers, such as the North China Daily News and The Millard's Review, as well as memoirs, diaries and unpublished oral histories of those who were living in Shanghai at the time.
"I'm going to tell a story that almost no foreigners have ever told," said American professor Andrew Field, guest host of the film series. Field has a background in East Asian history and has lived in Shanghai for more than 20 years.
Professor Andrew Field is guest host of the series of short films.
Third episode: The Amethyst Incident
On April 19,1949, a British sloop Amethyst sailed from Holt's wharf, despite repeated warnings that the People's Liberation Army was about to cross the Yangtze River.
A gun battle quickly ensued between the PLA shore batteries and the Amethyst. The Amethyst was hit and grounded, forced to raise a white flag.
The Amethyst incident sent shock waves among the foreign residents of the city. But for the Chinese residents, this was a great morale boost.
A few days after the Amethyst incident, all foreign warships moved out of the Huangpu River. That was a significant moment in the history of Shanghai.
