Dragon 1/35 Pla Gongchen Tank Plastic Model Kit

A limited-edition kit of the "Gongchen" tank, the very first tank used by the People's Liberation Army (PLA). This specific Type 97 w/Shinhoto (new turret) tank was captured from the Japanese in 1945. It later saw combat against Kuomintang troops in the Chinese Civil War and it was chosen to lead a victory parade in Tiananmen Square on Oct 1, 1949. Even today the "Gongchen" tank, whose Chinese name roughly means "Heroic", is housed in a Beijing museum.

This 1/35 scale model is a hybrid that makes use of the chassis and hull from Dragon's existing Type 97, combining it with the Shinhoto turret from Japanese maker. For modelers wishing to own an important slice of Chinese and PLA history, this kit is a fine selection.