Nestled in the west of China’s Hunan Province, the small town of Zhijiang in Dong Autonomous County witnessed a remarkable chapter in history – one in which the bonds of friendship between China and the United States blossomed amid the global fight against fascism during World War II.

At the onset of the China’s total resistance against the Japanese aggression following the Lugou Bridge Incident, US General Claire Lee Chennault vowed, “I’ll help China as much as I can if you need.” He would soon go on to lead a group of American volunteer pilots to support China’s resistance against Japanese aggression. This group became famously known as the Flying Tigers, namely the American Volunteer Group (AVG).

At the height of the campaign, Zhijiang Dong Autonomous County hosted 6,062 American pilots. Over the course of their mission, more than 2,000 American members of the Flying Tigers gave their lives in combat. Meanwhile, over 200 downed airmen were rescued by local Chinese citizens – many of whom paid the ultimate price during these daring rescues.

In his memoir “Way of a Fighter,” General Chennault wrote: “At least 95 percent of all American airmen that landed alive behind the Japanese lines were rescued and guided back to their bases by Chinese. The Japanese made it quite plain during their punitive expedition in the wake of the Doolittle Raiders in early 1942 that the penalty for aiding American airmen was, not only death for individuals involved, but annihilation for their families and communities. Yet there is no authentic case of the Chinese refusing to aid American airmen behind the Jap lines during the rest of the war… These rescues were by far the most convincing demonstration of Chinese goodwill toward Americans… “

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-07-29/Flying-Tigers-Memorial-Museum-A-living-tribute-to-China-US-friendship-1FoTSIuCW0E/img/d4da02fcbe2f41b481a64f526ec621fe/d4da02fcbe2f41b481a64f526ec621fe.jpeg' alt='A statue of General Claire Lee Chennault stands outside the Flying Tigers Memorial Hall in Zhijiang Dong Autonomous County, Hunan Province, China, in this photo taken on July 25, 2025. /CGTN'

Today, the Flying Tigers Memorial Museum, located in Zhijiang Dong Autonomous County, continues to tell this extraordinary story of wartime solidarity and friendship between the two nations.

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-07-29/Flying-Tigers-Memorial-Museum-A-living-tribute-to-China-US-friendship-1FoTSIuCW0E/img/2d5dd9cbdeb647efaf96d84d94a628c7/2d5dd9cbdeb647efaf96d84d94a628c7.jpeg' alt='The name of the main memorial hall was inscribed by Anna Chan Chennault, or Chen Xiangmei, wife of the late General Claire Lee Chennault and a well-known Chinese American advocate for China-US friendship in this photo taken on July 25, 2025. /CGTN'

The museum complex consists of three main buildings: the main memorial hall, and two wartime structures – the original control tower of the Sino-American Air Force and the Chinese American Composite Wing clubhouse – both preserved to reflect their historical roles.