China held a national memorial ceremony Thursday to mourn the 300,000 victims of the Nanjing Massacre committed by Japanese invaders after the fall of the Chinese capital in 1937.
The ceremony was held by the Communist Party of China or CPC Central Committee and the State Council at the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders, in the city of Nanjing, Jiangsu Province.
The assembly square of the memorial hall square looked solemn with the national flag hoisted at half mast.
14 white Chinese characters representing state ceremony of the National Memorial Day for Nanjing Massacre Victims were inscribed on the wall to the west of the square.
More than 8,000 representatives from all walks of life wore white flowers on their chests and stood quietly. Eighteen soldiers of the guard of honors of the People's Liberation Army marched into the square to stand on the two sides of the altar.
Eight large wreaths were presented to the memorial altar by the guards of honor.
The memorial ceremony began at 10 o'clock. The participants started to sing the national anthem The March of the Volunteers to the rhythms of the military orchestra. All those present stood in silent tribute to mourn the victims of the Nanjing Massacre. Air defense sirens sounded all over the city while vehicles honked and pedestrians paused and observed a moment of silence.
Wang Chen, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, delivered a speech.
Wang Chen said that we gathered here to hold the state ceremony of the National Memorial Day for Nanjing Massacre Victims, to remember the victims of the Nanjing Massacre, to remember all the deceased compatriots who were killed by the Japanese aggressors, and to remember the revolutionary martyrs and national heroes who sacrificed their lives for the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.
We will also remember the international warriors and peace activists who joined hands with the Chinese people to fight against the Japanese militarism by risking their lives, he said.
We gathered here to remember history, not forget the past, cherish peace and create a firm future, and express the Chinese people’s unwavering commitment to peaceful development, Wang said.
Wang said the commemoration was meant to proclaim the Chinese people's firm stance on remembering history and cherishing peace while looking into the future, and their noble aspiration for adhering to the path of peaceful development.
Noting that 10 Nanjing Massacre survivors attended the ceremony, Wang described Nanjing Massacre as a dark page in the history of human civilization.
Foreign friends who offered humanitarian assistance during Nanjing Massacre and war, will be forever remembered by Chinese people, he added.
He said the Chinese people will rally more closely around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core, take Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as the guide, and unremittingly strive for a decisive victory in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and the realization of the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation.
Following the speech, 81 teenagers read out a declaration of peace. Six citizen representatives struck the Bell of Peace. A total of 3,000 white doves were released to fly over the memorial square.
On Dec. 13, 1937, Japanese troops captured Nanjing, then China's capital, and began more than 40 days of slaughter. About 300,000 civilians and unarmed Chinese soldiers were brutally murdered, and over 20,000 women were raped.
The date, December 13, was designated as the "National Memorial Day for Nanjing Massacre Victims" in February 2014.
