Shanghai halts demolition of building used as "comfort station" by Japanese army during WWII (8)

The demolition of a historic building, located in Gongping Road, Hongkou District in Shanghai was halted on Feb. 23, 2016. The building was used as a "comfort station" by Japanese invaders from 1939 to the end of WWII.

This building once housed 40 "comfort women" in its 17 rooms -- 10 were from Japan, 10 from Korea and 20 from China.

The door of the building is locked from the outside. The external still remains intact, but the inside is a mess.

According to CRI, the two-story 1920s building was once home to more than ten households. It had been earmarked for demolition as part of an urban transformation project. The site will make way for a school expansion and a road.

Writer Chen Danyan posted a photo on the messaging app WeChat on Monday morning lamenting the loss of such an important piece of history.(Photo/CNS)