Taiwan Film: One Day I’ll Return Home | 台湾纪录片《有一天我会回家》

The story of Lai Xing-yang in a Siberian labor camp (ENG)

Mr. Lai Xing-yang was a Taiwanese soldier who volunteered for the Japanese army. He grew up in the farming villages of Hsinchu, Taiwan. Under the rule of the Japanese Empire, the colony of Taiwan received a conscription notice in 1945. On the brink of losing the war, on February of the same year, Mr. Lai was semi-forced to join the army to fight in World War II. He experienced the air raids of the American army, saw the comfort stations of the Japanese army, and was held at gunpoint of the Soviets. When Japan surrendered, he was captured by the Soviets in Wonsan, North Korea. He was subjected to hard labor in a Siberian concentration camp for three and a half years. When it was cold, he could only burn tree oil; when he was hungry, he could only roast blood leeches, and all the money he had could only be used as toilet paper. Despite being sick and bedridden, Mr. Lai was not discouraged and still believed that “One Day I Will Return Home.” Finally the international situation stabilized, the Soviets released the captured men. Yet even the journey home had its bumps along the way. Mr. Lai and the other men were first sent to Maizuru Port, Japan. There he witnessed the devastation of the atomic bomb. Only after finding odd jobs to earn some money was he able to return to Taiwan. Upon arrival, he was met with the February 28 incident and he was immediately taken to Taipei and was detained by the authorities for three weeks before being released to see his parents. In that moment, silent tears were shed. Before the war, it was said that Taiwanese people were the sons of the Japanese emperor, but after defeat, they became abandoned children, unheeded and uncared for. They did not receive any apology or compensation from the Japanese government!

“One Day I Will Return Home” is the story of Taiwanese veteran, Lai Xing-yang and his imprisonment in a Siberian labor camp. Although the story contains nothing that pushed the events along or heroics of any kind, his 96 years of life were still filled with shocking moments!

Life is but a short 100 years and the names that are left in history are few. Our documentary is real and warm, and it’s about resigning to life, and taking it step by step. This touching piece of history spans mainland China, Taiwan, North Korea, South Korea, Japan, United States, and Russia. It makes you really think about the war.

Let’s travel together through time and space and feel the tragic fate of the Taiwanese people in that era! We are all little people! And we possess the fantasy and love of the little people.

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