During the event, Stanley met Han Chongbin, an 80-year-old whose father once aided expatriates at the Weihsien concentration camp.
“At that time, out of pity for the internees, my father spent his own money to buy candy and brought eggs from home, managing to send them into the concentration camp. In return, the internees dismantled an iron bed and sent it out,” Han said. “He never expected that his help would be ‘rewarded.'”
In 2019, Han donated the iron bed to the museum. Now a museum volunteer, he shares stories about that period of history with visitors.
With the help of translators, he and Stanley shared a heartfelt conversation, holding hands like old friends. “Peace is our common aspiration,” Stanley said.
“Remembering suffering is not perpetuating hatred; it is igniting the beacon of hope for the future,” said Ayo Ayoola-Amale, vice chair of the governing council of International Cities of Peace.
“Weifang’s commitment to preserving this legacy — establishing the camp’s memorial museum, inviting descendants of survivors to return, and educating younger generations with truth — epitomizes the deepest practice of peace. Such courage deserves global recognition,” she said.
