French temporary travel document from China
A WW2 related laissez-passer issued at Beijing.
1939 issued temporary travel document to a Chinese young man, a student, on the grounds of travelling to french controlled Vietnam possibly for personal affairs.
Document number 602 was issued on July 17th to 23 year old Zhao Ji (趙冀) at Beijing for the explicit journey to Indochina, valid for one single journey only.
The document has several markings inside, dating from August the same year:
- August 8th – French security inspection at Haiphong, and Tonkin, North Vietnam’s largest sea-port cities;
- August 11th – Northernmost top part of Vietnam, bordering with Chinese Yunnan province;
- August 12th – illegible Chinese border inspection stamp, most likely from Yunnan province as well.
The document here is interesting because it has a mixture of colonial and travel related material. Not something one comes by every day. I believe its close connection to the outbreak of WW2 adds to its appeal as well.
Thank you for reading “Our Passports”.
