For decades, the significant role of 140,000 Chinese laborers on the Western Front during World War I remained largely overlooked. Recruited between 1916 and 1918, these individuals performed vital tasks ranging from trench construction to post-war reconstruction. While Chinese officials initially viewed this deployment as a strategic move to improve the nation's diplomatic standing, the subsequent failure to regain Shandong province at the Paris Peace Conference triggered the May Fourth Movement. Despite their contributions, these workers faced indifference upon returning to a politically unstable China. Recently, a collaborative effort between Shanghai University and several Belgian institutions launched an archaeological project to excavate former labor camps. By combining historical records with modern geophysical surveys and excavations, researchers are finally uncovering the physical remnants of these workers' experiences, addressing a long-standing gap in both Western and Chinese historical narratives.
Source : [Sixth Tone](https://www.sixthtone.com/news/1019176/Digging Into China’s Overlooked World War I History)
Photo : Sixth Tone
