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Wàn Sōng Temple, China
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During the [Second Sino-Japanese War](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Sino-Japanese_War), the [Imperial Japanese Army](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Japanese_Army) and its Chinese puppet auxiliaries set fire to the historic Wàn Sōng Temple, *lit.* Temple of (Ten) Thousand Pines. The temple was the largest of its kind on [Mt. Pán](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Pan) in [Ji County](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ji_County,_Tianjin), near the city of [Tientsin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tianjin), a famous scenic area. The temple was ancient and once home to the famed [Tang dynasty](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tang_dynasty) general [Li Jing](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Li_Jing_(general)).

When war broke out, Japan quickly swept through much of the region, taking the urban centres without really control the country. Remnant Chinese forces, both regular and irregular, retreated into the mountain to conduct guerrila warfare. In response Imperial Japan instituted a [scorched earth policy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Alls_Policy). As part of the resulting counter-insurgency operations, many of the historic buildings on Mt. Pán were destroyed.

![enter image description here][1]

<sup>(The temple today, rebuilt in 1985.)</sup>

The overt justification for the destruction is contained in the policy that led to it; namely, to suppress guerrilla activity.


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  [1]: https://i.sstatic.net/sLEYB.jpg