The 9.18 Historical Museum
“九·一八”历史博物馆 9.18 History Museum · Dadong District, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
In front of the Broken Calendar Monument, shaped like an open desk calendar, remember the history that began at Liutiaohu on the night of September 18, 1931.
Know before you go
- Do not laugh, make noise or pose frivolously for photos at the Broken Calendar Monument or in the galleries
- do not wear clothing with Japanese militarist symbols or the Rising Sun Flag pattern
- do not eat or drink in the exhibition areas
This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.
Culture
Culture & customs
Background
The 9.18 Historical Museum stands at 46 Wanghua South Street in Dadong District, Shenyang, close to Liutiaohu, where the Mukden Incident took place. On the night of September 18, 1931, the Japanese Kwantung Army blew up a section of the South Manchuria Railway near Liutiaohu, falsely blamed it on Chinese troops, and immediately shelled and attacked the Beidaying barracks. Northeast China then fell to occupation, and this day is regarded as the start of China's fourteen-year War of Resistance. The museum grew out of the Broken Calendar Monument and underground exhibition hall completed in 1991; it was expanded in 1997 and officially opened on September 18, 1999, collecting and displaying a large number of historical photographs and artifacts from before and after the incident. The Broken Calendar Monument is shaped like an open desk calendar, its face carved with the date and course of the incident. The museum also holds the 'Monument of Gratitude to Chinese Foster Parents', funded in 1999 by Japanese war orphans; its bronze statue depicts a Chinese couple and the Japanese child they adopted, recording the history of Chinese families who took in orphans after the war.
Local customs
Since 1995, every year on 18 September air-raid sirens sound across Shenyang for about 3 minutes, and at the Broken Calendar Monument Square a "Never Forget September 18" bell-ringing and siren ceremony is held, with the bell struck 14 times to commemorate the fourteen-year War of Resistance. At other times many schools and workplaces bring students and staff to visit, observe a moment of silence and lay flowers before the monument.
Religion & beliefs
This is a place commemorating the victims of war and the lessons of history, with no religious function. Whatever country you come from, please remain solemn: do not make noise or laugh at the monument or in the exhibition halls, place flowers as directed on site, and if a group commemoration is underway, stop walking and wait quietly.
Etiquette & taboos
Etiquette & taboos
Rules that apply here
China: At Qingming tomb-sweeping, no burning paper or open flames in wooded areas
Do
- Check whether the cemetery requires a reservation before you go
- Stay quiet while laying flowers, bowing and observing silence
- Consider flowers, tree planting or online memorials instead of burning paper
- Dress soberly for tomb-sweeping
- Take offering wrappers and rubbish with you when you leave
Don’t
- Don't burn paper, incense or candles, or set off firecrackers, in woods or grassland
- Don't talk loudly or joke around in the cemetery
- Don't block cemetery paths for long to take photos
During fire-prevention periods, burning paper, incense and candles is strictly banned in forest and grassland fire zones, and anyone who starts a wildfire may be held legally liable. Whether and where a cemetery allows burning is set by its own rules on site.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Xinhua: Two departments deploy safety measures for the Qingming holiday
China: Go through security before the metro, and park shared bikes in marked zones
Do
- Cooperate with the security check at the entrance and put bags through the scanner
- On the platform, wait beside the doors and let passengers off first
- Register with your real name in the app before riding a shared bike
- Park in a marked bay or an app-designated spot, and make sure the lock clicks shut
- If the brakes or lock don't work, switch bikes and report it in the app
Don’t
- Don't linger in the doorway or force your way through closing doors
- Don't leave bikes in traffic lanes, fire lanes or on tactile paving
- Don't let children under 12 ride shared bikes
If you refuse the security check you will not be let into the station. Badly parked bikes are removed, and riders may face action under local rules and the operator's terms.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: People's Daily Online: Beijing issues standards for shared bike technology, services, parking
China: No smoking anywhere on high-speed trains, and no phone calls in quiet carriages
Do
- Sit in the carriage and seat shown on your ticket
- Put large luggage in the racks at the carriage ends or overhead
- Use headphones for videos and music
- In a quiet carriage, step outside to make or take calls
- Before getting off, check around your seat and take your rubbish and belongings
Don’t
- Don't smoke anywhere on the train, including toilets and vestibules
- Don't take someone else's seat
- Don't choose a quiet carriage when travelling with babies or toddlers (12306 advises against it)
Smoking on a bullet train can set off smoke alarms and slow or even stop the train. Smokers are fined by the police and, according to reports, may also be barred from buying bullet-train tickets; official rules prevail. If someone breaks the quiet-carriage rules, tell the train staff.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Travel China Guide: Smoking on Chinese trains
China: Stay on open sections of the Great Wall and never carve the bricks
Do
- Walk only on open sections and marked routes
- On steep stretches, stop and steady yourself before taking photos, and watch your step
- Wear non-slip shoes, carry enough water, and turn back if you are tired
- Carry your rubbish down or put it in a bin
- Check opening arrangements before you go; official announcements prevail
Don’t
- Don't carve, write on or prise loose the bricks
- Don't climb over fences or onto closed, crumbling walls and watchtowers
- Don't run or push on steep sections
Carving the Great Wall counts as damaging a cultural relic: one visitor who carved his name at Badaling was given administrative detention and a fine by the police and was blacklisted by the scenic area. Closed sections are not maintained and can be dangerous.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: China News Service: Man detained for five days and fined 200 yuan for carving on the Badaling Great Wall
China: book popular sights in advance, under your real name, through official channels
Do
- Check the booking rules on the site's official website, mini program or account before you go
- Enter every companion's ID details in advance and pick an entry time slot
- Children, seniors and others with free or reduced tickets also book as required and show ID
- Book early for holidays and summer; popular dates often fill quickly
Don’t
- Don't trust third parties offering to grab tickets or sell 'insider' tickets
- Don't assume a free ticket means no booking is needed
- Don't count on buying tickets at the gate on peak days
Once a popular date is fully booked, you may be turned away. China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism requires sites to keep in-person ticket windows and to accommodate seniors and others, but on-site quotas are limited; booking windows, release times and visitor caps are subject to official announcements.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: China Daily: Ministry of Culture and Tourism requires all scenic areas to keep ticket windows
China: set up mobile payment before you go; hotels and tickets are booked under your passport
Do
- Link a foreign bank card to Alipay or WeChat Pay before departure
- Carry some cash in yuan for small stalls, remote areas or payment glitches
- Expect real-name checks at hotels, for train tickets and popular sights; use your passport
- Make sure the name and number on bookings match your passport exactly
- If a station gate cannot read your passport, use the staffed lane
Don’t
- Don't wait until you arrive to set up payment; verification can take time
- Don't assume cash alone or a bank card alone will work everywhere
- Don't book with details that differ from your passport
Without a working payment method, or with mismatched ID details, you may be unable to check in, buy tickets or enter sights. Payment limits, fees and platform rules are subject to official announcements.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Gov.cn: Payment services for foreign visitors to China
China: Queue, don't smoke where banned, and never carve on heritage sites
Do
- Wait your turn in line, and follow staff directions when it's crowded
- On buses and the metro, let passengers off first and offer seats to those in need
- Book popular sights and museums in advance, under your real name, through official channels
- Sort your rubbish into the right bins
- Use serving chopsticks and spoons, and order only what you can eat
Don’t
- Don't cut in line or walk side by side blocking the way
- Don't smoke where it is banned; many cities ban smoking in indoor public places and on public transport
- Don't carve or write on historic buildings or ancient trees, or climb on or touch relics
- Don't use flash or tripods in exhibition halls
- Don't talk loudly or play music out loud in public places
Staff will stop you from queue-jumping, smoking where banned or marking relics, and smoking in no-smoking areas or damaging relics can also lead to fines under the law. Fine amounts, booking methods and opening hours are as officially announced.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Palace Museum official site: Visit
Shenyang: when the air-raid sirens sound at 9:18 am on 18 September, stop and stand in silence
Do
- If you are in Shenyang on the morning of September 18, look out for the bell-striking and alarm ceremony at the Broken Calendar Monument square of the 9.18 Historical Museum
- During the roughly 3 minutes the siren sounds, stop walking and stand in silence
- When driving, stop as directed by traffic police and sound your horn along with everyone else
- When visiting the 9.18 History Museum on that day, dress neatly and behave solemnly
Don’t
- Do not laugh, make noise or keep filming videos for fun while the sirens sound
- Do not mistake the siren for a real air raid and run in panic
- Do not crowd around the ceremony site or cross cordoned-off areas
Since 1995, every year on September 18 at 9:18 Shenyang rings the warning bell and sounds the air-raid sirens; cars stop and honk and pedestrians stand still; laughing, joking or horsing around at this moment is seen as deeply disrespectful to history and to the victims.
Don’t DON'T
- Do not laugh, make noise or pose frivolously for photos at the Broken Calendar Monument or in the galleries
- do not wear clothing with Japanese militarist symbols or the Rising Sun Flag pattern
- do not eat or drink in the exhibition areas
- do not take close-up photos of people in mourning
- do not post remarks or photos online that disrespect the victims
Locals appreciate DO
- Observe a moment of silence at the Broken Calendar Monument before entering
- look closely at the chronologically arranged materials from before and after the incident
- learn about war orphans at the "Monument of Gratitude to Chinese Foster Parents"
- around September 18, watch for the bell-ringing and siren ceremony
- afterwards visit the Zhang Family Mansion to learn about Northeast China in the same period
Plan your visit
Practical info
Travel tips
- Allow 1.5–2 hours. The museum is in Dadong District in northeastern Shenyang
- you can take Metro Line 10 to a nearby station and walk or transfer to a bus, or take a taxi
- from the Shenyang Imperial Palace and Zhang's Mansion area it is about half an hour by car. The museum is free, entry generally requires valid ID, and whether advance booking is needed, opening hours and closing days are as officially announced
- visitor numbers are high around September 18, and some areas may be temporarily restricted during memorial ceremonies. Combine with: Zhang's Mansion (to learn about Zhang Xueliang and the Northeast Flag Replacement), the Shenyang Imperial Palace, memorial sites related to the Beidaying site, and the China Industrial Museum in Tiexi District for industrial history.
Photos
Photos
Zimbres · CC BY-SA 3.0
陳炬燵 · CC BY-SA 3.0
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