[Photo by Liu Xiangrui/China Daily]

Eventually, after gathering enough items to exhibit, in 2005 Duan was able to realize his dream and establish a museum in Heshun, an ancient town in Tengchong. It opened with about 7,000 pieces on display, each carefully arranged according to Duan's own ideas.

When someone asked Duan if he was trying to stir up hatred through his exhibition, Duan replied: "Hatred should be resolved, but memory and history must be preserved forever. A nation without awareness of its history and struggle is dangerous. I spent half of my life doing this to alert every citizen."

In addition to continuing his search for relics, Duan is keen to record the stories of old soldiers who fought in the War of Resistance. According Duan, while the relics are physical evidence, the surviving soldiers' narrations are more vivid and a valuable historical record. Unfortunately, he notes, they are a rapidly diminishing resource and are far more difficult to collect.

Li Yingqing in Kunming contributed to the story.