Drama revives Macao's wartime past

Silent Tides, a popular television drama revisiting Macao's isolation after Hong Kong fell to Japanese invaders in December 1941, sheds light on a lesser-known chapter of wartime history, according to speakers at a recent symposium in Beijing.

Set in Macao between 1941 and 1945, the series weaves together three narrative strands — financial warfare, struggles over material supplies, and espionage — to portray a group of patriotic Chinese businessmen and underground agents of the Communist Party of China. Together, their stories reflect the experiences and resilience of Macao patriots during the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45).

The drama also features well-known historical figures, including prominent Macao entrepreneurs Ho Yin and Ma Man-kei, as well as Ke Lin, the first president of Kiang Wu Hospital, who worked for the Communist Party during the war.