Fushun War Criminals Management Centre
A former prison and re-education facility that held high-ranking Japanese, Manchukuo and Kuomintang prisoners of war, now partly a museum documenting Cold War justice and historical memory.
At a glance
The Fushun War Criminals Management Centre, also known as Liaodong No. 3 Prison, operated as a holding and re-education facility for prisoners of war from 1950 onwards. Located in Xinfu District, Fushun, it became a significant site of post-war processing under Chinese communist authority.
History
After World War II, the People’s Republic of China established the centre to hold and re-educate military and political prisoners captured from the Empire of Japan, Manchukuo and the Kuomintang. Among its most famous inmates was Puyi, the last emperor of China and former puppet emperor of Manchukuo, alongside his younger brother Pujie. Other notable detainees included the Japanese general Xi Qia, diplomat Zang Shiyi and Prime Minister of Manchukuo Zhang Jinghui. The facility operated as both a prison and a space for ideological transformation during the early years of the People’s Republic.
What you see
The site comprises two distinct areas. Part of the original prison complex remains in operational use, while the older section has been preserved and adapted as a museum. The museum displays document the day-to-day conditions of internment, personal artifacts and historical records of both the facility itself and the lives of prisoners and staff.
Cultural significance
Fushun represents a unique chapter in post-war East Asian history, illustrating China’s approach to prisoner re-education rather than capital punishment for many senior war criminals. The centre and its museum serve as a testimony to how nations process conflict, memory and reconciliation in the aftermath of war. Puyi’s presence lends particular symbolic weight—his transformation from emperor to ordinary prisoner embodied broader historical shifts.
Key facts
- Country: China
- Location: Xinfu District, Fushun, Liaoning Province
- Coordinates: 41.88°N, 123.90°E
- Operational from: 1950 onwards
- Notable inmates: Puyi (last emperor of China), Pujie, Zhang Jinghui, Zang Shiyi, Xi Qia
Practical information & getting there
The museum section is open to visitors; hours and admission details should be confirmed locally. Fushun is accessible by rail and road from major Liaoning cities including Shenyang, approximately 40 kilometres south. Contact local tourism offices for current visiting arrangements and any necessary permits.
Sources & resources
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