The aftermath of the Tiananmen Square massacre 1989, taken and smuggled out of the country by Hong Kong photographer Kan Tai Wong....

In the early hours of June 4, 1989, Beijing’s wide avenues fell silent after weeks of student-led demonstrations calling for political reform. What followed was a military crackdown that ended the protests and left the area under tight control. Images like this one were difficult to capture and even harder to preserve.

Photographer Kan Tai Wong risked detention by documenting the scene and secretly moving the film out of mainland China. The scattered bicycles, abandoned belongings, and nearly empty streets tell a quieter story than the moments of confrontation, showing the sudden absence of the crowds that had filled the capital only hours before.

For decades, photographs from that night have served as rare visual records of an event that remains heavily restricted in public discussion inside China.

References to June 4, 1989 are still censored on Chinese internet platforms, where even numbers like “6-4” are routinely filtered to prevent discussion.

© Reddit

#archaeohistories

点击图片查看原图