A general view of Wei-Hai-Wei, after its capture Possibly 1895

This photograph, captured by the Ordnance Survey Office, documents Wei-Hai-Wei following its capture, a stark tableau of a city reshaped by conflict. The city walls, snaking through the landscape, stand as potent symbols of both defense and division. These walls echo through time, reminiscent of the fortifications of ancient Rome, or the medieval city-states. Walls, in any culture, become a stage where societal divisions play out. Here, the capture of Wei-Hai-Wei introduces a new chapter to this motif. It's a moment pregnant with change, filled with collective anxieties about sovereignty. The broken lines of its walls reveal the psychological weight of invasion, engaging the subconscious fear of displacement and loss. The image serves as a reminder that symbols are never static; they perpetually evolve. It reveals how these images reappear, transformed and laden with new meaning in different historical epochs.