Five military swords discovered during renovation work at the Fengle Theater are displayed at the Jilin Modern History Exhibition. [Photo provided to gojilin.gov.cn]

A set of five military swords is being displayed to the public for the first time at the recently opened Jilin Modern History Exhibition in Changchun, Northeast China's Jilin province. The weapons, discovered earlier this year during renovation work at the Fengle Theater, include Tsarist Russian cavalry sabers and Japanese swords.

The swords were found hidden within a wall, wrapped carefully with their original scabbards, and remarkably well preserved. According to Zhang He, deputy director of the Jilin Provincial Museum, these weapons are physical evidence of Japanese and Russian aggression in China, and a striking symbol of imperialist collusion in Northeast Asia.

The military sword on exhibition. [Photo provided to gojilin.gov.cn]

Zhang suggested that one Russian saber likely belonged to the Middle East Railway guard force. Its presence alongside Japanese swords may point to its transfer as a war trophy or gift, underscoring exchanges of power and interests between the two empires.

The discovery deepens the historical narrative of foreign incursions in Northeast China and stands as a reminder of the nation's turbulent past.