BEIJING, Nov. 18, 2025 -- From November 15 to 16, the large-scale original stage play Searching for Doolittle, jointly produced by the Publicity Department of the CPC Quzhou Municipal Committee and the China Coal Mine Art Troupe, made its debut in Quzhou. The play is adapted from the historical event of the Doolittle Raid and the rescue of its airmen in 1942.
In April 1942, Lieutenant Colonel James H. Doolittle led a successful air strike on Tokyo. Originally, they planned to return to Quzhou Airfield. Running low on fuel, the pilots were forced to parachute over regions including Hangzhou, Ningbo, and Quzhou in Zhejiang Province, as well as parts of Jiangxi Province. Seventy-five American airmen were rescued by Chinese soldiers and civilians in a courageous effort, hailed as one of the most miraculous rescues of World War II.
Set against the backdrop of this courageous rescue, the play recounts the heroic epic of the people of Quzhou saving the American airmen through the perspectives of kind-hearted local farmers, patriotic students from the National Southwestern Associated University, and civilian laborers who helped to build the airfield.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. The premiere of Searching for Doolittle at this significant moment serves not only as an artistic tribute but also as a vibrant effort to tell China's stories well and promote exchanges and mutual learning between civilizations.
Following its premiere in Quzhou, the play will be further refined and staged in Beijing, Hangzhou, and other cities, bringing this historic chapter to a wider audience, and ensuring that the legacy of China-U.S. people-to-people friendship is passed on to future generations.
