The Flying Tigers: Friendship Across Mountains and Oceans

Yongle Village in Tengchong, Yunnan Province, preserves a wartime friendship that transcends international borders.

In 1945, Flying Tiger pilot William Findley was forced to make an emergency landing near Yongle when his aircraft suffered mechanical failure.

Upon learning that he was fighting alongside the Chinese people against Japanese aggression, locals came to his rescue and escorted him safely back to his base.

Since 2000, William's daughter, Lisa Findley has made several visits to Yongle Village, retracing her father's story.

During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, more than 2,000 Americans serving with the Flying Tigers lost their lives, while over 200 were rescued by Chinese civilians.

In 2023, President Xi Jinping recalled the story of the Flying Tigers at a welcoming dinner in San Francisco, acknowledging: “The foundation of China-US relations was laid by our peoples… the friendship between our two peoples, which has stood the test of blood and fire, will be passed on from generation to generation.”