Evan Kail owns a Minneapolis pawnshop. He’s 35, a social media influencer, has an interest in history, a bachelor’s degree in Japanese studies, and a love for China.
One of Evan’s social media followers gave him a photo album, a pictorial account of atrocities committed during war time.
Evan studied the historical pictures from the War of Resistance in the winter of 1937-38, leading to WWII, and made up his mind to donate the original album to the Chinese Consulate General in Chicago.
Then he went to China, where he found high-speed trains that go three times faster than U.S. high-speed trains, community grown food and tea, the Temple of Heaven where he dressed traditionally to make a wish, infrastructure that works, a Great Wall, cleanliness and human warmth.
The Chinese were so grateful they gave Evan an exquisite and rare porcelain tea jar to thank him for educating the world about a largely forgotten event. “This is the greatest achievement of my life,” Evan said.
We should also thank the unknown photographer and social media.
Both are hard to do.