A thrilling read about China’s race to save the imperial treasures in WWII: Fragile Cargo by Adam Brookes
Fragile Cargo will change the way you look at Chinese artifacts
★★★★★
Fragile Cargo
By Adam Brookes
Atria Books - Simon & Schuster
February 2023
When we look at Chinese artifacts in an art museum, we often don’t consider the logistical challenges that come with safely transporting these objects, whether it is packaging or long distances. In Fragile Cargo, however, Adam Brookes encourages readers to look at China’s precious art collection from a different angle, specifically the complicated transport of these delicate objects from the Forbidden City to the National Palace Museum in Taipei.
Brookes presents a captivating story of museum curators who embarked on a difficult journey to save China’s imperial treasures from the Japanese during the Second Sino-Japanese War from 1937 to 1945. Written in 2023, The book goes into detail about the events that unfold, from the founding of the museum in 1925 to the shipment of goods to Taiwan in 1949. Fragile Cargo centers around the following major curators and archivists involved in the planning and execution of the transport: Ma Heng, Na Chih-Liang, Ouyang Daoda, and Chuang Yen. Ma was the main leader who oversaw the transport and storage of the imperial treasures, though each person played an important role in the journey.
In the book, Brookes argues that a lot about the Second Sino-Japanese War can be learned by reading about the curators’ tireless efforts to protect China’s finest artworks.
The Japanese invasion and occupation of China influenced Ma Heng and the other curators to plan three convoluted routes (Northern, Central, and Southern) for the transport of the imperial collections inland to avoid the Japanese.
Another important point Brookes makes in Fragile Cargo is that World War II was truly a global war. However, Western media tends to focus on the U.S. and Europe while overlooking what happened in Asia during this period. By covering this fascinating historical event, Brookes helps raise awareness of WWII in China for English readers and does a wonderful job engaging with history by using an interesting structure.
The book not only revolves around the museum curators’ wartime journeys, but also weaves in events that happened during this time. Some parts of the book may have required a bit of the author’s imagination, like the prelude describing a day in the life of Qianlong (1736-1795), a notable emperor in the Qing Dynasty. These depictions, however, are historically accurate because the author relies a lot on primary sources, especially diary entries of museum curators like Na Chih-Liang and Ouyang Daoda.
Besides diary entries, Brookes also uses a lot of local news articles written from the 1930s to 1940s to provide readers with a detailed understanding of the many events throughout the Second Sino-Japanese War. In addition, Brookes incorporates secondary sources to provide readers with context regarding the history of important art pieces in the journey, like the Early Snow on the River (江行初雪图), a famous landscape painting from the 10th century. In short, Brookes employs a wide range of sources that serve as solid historical evidence and help readers learn about this history through various lenses.
The book could have explored more, however, what happened to the artifacts that stayed behind in mainland China after the founding of the PRC. Although Brookes delved deep into Ma Heng’s life under Communist rule at the end of the book, there wasn’t much about the fate of the Palace Museum in Beijing after Ma’s death in 1955. Despite this minor gap, Fragile Cargo is a thorough and well-researched book overall.
As a whole, Fragile Cargo was fascinating because it goes into great depth about WWII in China from a different perspective by focusing on the wartime journey of the imperial collections. The book felt like an adventurous and thrilling read while being educational at the same time. After reading Fragile Cargo, my perception of China’s imperial artifacts has changed significantly. Now, I consider how many complex factors go into ensuring that the delivery and storage of these precious pieces are safe. The curators’ tactful planning was impressive, especially during an unstable period characterized by financial hardships and few resources.