In May 2023, signs indicating the location of the nearest air defence shelter popped up across Taiwan. These red arrows, many pointing to a basement or a building’s parking lot, are designed to let people know where to seek refuge in case of an air raid. Taiwan has more than 90,000 shelters, but critics say they lack sufficient ventilation, air conditioning and water. This could be dangerous over an extended period. In a notorious episode in the mainland Chinese city of Chongqing, in 1941, tens of thousands of people crowded into a tunnel to escape Japanese bombs. three hours of bombing by the…
