Details

Foreword I
Fang Dazeng: Disappearance and Reappearance, a biography written by Feng Xuesong, reveals the stories of Fang Dazeng, a distinguished journalist and photographer buried in oblivion for over 80 years. Making his name known to the public is a great contribution to the research on China’s history of journalism and war photography.
Fang Dazeng took a large volume of news photographs about the Lugou Bridge Incident and the military activities in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. These photographs present a truthful account of the great resistance war of all the Chinese people. They embody the national spirit of the soldiers and civilians in the war who fought against their foreign enemy. These photographs raised their morale and stimulated their fighting will. Many precious scenes were taken onsite and preserved in these photographs, so they possess the important value of historical literature. We are proud that there was such an outstanding news photographer in Chinese history who will live in our heart forever.
Fang Dazeng stands parallel to Fan Changjiang: They are like two soaring peaks, or two raging torrents, in the landscape of the Chinese history of journalism. One of them was an outstanding photographer and the other an outstanding writer. These two peaks in the history of Chinese journalism will stand parallel both in history and print.
Fang Hanqi
Scholar of the history of Chinese Journalism,
Founding president of the Chinese Association for History of
Journalism and Communication,
Professor at Renmin University of China

Foreword II
He Was the Robert Capa of China
If your pictures aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough.
— Robert Capa
Many people say they know this story. After the Lugou Bridge Incident in 1937, Fang Dazeng was dispatched by Ta Kung Pao, in Shanghai, to the frontline in northern China as a battlefront correspondent. In a period of over two months, he published a number of battlefront reports under the penname “Xiao Fang.” But, at 25 years old, he soon disappeared forever. According to present historical records, he was the first journalist who died on the front in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. This book is not merely a reminiscence of the past. Next year, the 70th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression will be celebrated. Over 800 photographic negatives left by Fang Dazeng have been permanently collected by the National Museum of China as precious relics of the war, highlighting the value of this book.
Last year, I went to Shanghai to meet my old friend Mr. Zhang Zhongyu, who was still the manager of a publishing house. I mentioned the story about Fang Dazeng. He immediately indicated that he would make this a publication theme for his publishing house. He was a man who always talked shop. I was excited about his suggestion and moved by his professionalism. Immediately afterwards, I thought about Feng Xuesong at China Central Television, who was the director of In Search of War Correspondent Fang Dazeng, a documentary shot by the station more than 10 years earlier. In addition to his talent as a writer, he invested great passion and time in interviewing people about the story of Xiao Fang. So, he was the best candidate for this topic......