800 Heroes: Defense of Sihang Warehouse

About this board game

800 Heroes: Defense of Sihang Warehouse is a postcard wargame for 1–2 players that portrays the defense of Sihang Warehouse during October 27 to November 1, 1937. Designed for a play time of about 30 minutes, it presents a focused game about one of the most remembered episodes of the Shanghai Battle.

Lieutenant Colonel Xie Jinyuan led more than 400 Chinese soldiers against the invading Imperial Japanese Army. Their stand at the warehouse helped cover the retreat of Chinese forces at the end of the battle, placing the defense within a wider moment of military withdrawal and resistance.

The story behind the game is notable for both its battlefield significance and its wider impact. The successful defense provided a morale-lifting consolation to the Chinese army and attracted international support for the Chinese government. The brave soldiers who took part became known as the “800 Heroes”, despite the account describing more than 400 soldiers led by Xie Jinyuan.

• Format: Postcard wargame
• Players: 1–2
• Playing time: Approximately 30 minutes
• Historical setting: Sihang Warehouse, October 27–November 1, 1937

800 Heroes: Defense of Sihang Warehouse offers a concise way to engage with this historical defense and its place in the Shanghai Battle. Its postcard format and short playing time make the game a focused treatment of the stand that captured attention beyond the battlefield and came to symbolize courage during the invasion.