China held the state memorial ceremony on Thursday to mark the 81st anniversary of the Nanjing Massacre in the square of the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders in the city of Nanjing in eastern Jiangsu Province.
The ancient city of Nanjing was cold in the morning. Early in the morning, 10 survivors of the Nanjing Massacre, the witnesses of the human catastrophe 81 years ago, arrived at the memorial hall with the support of their families for the state ceremony of the National Memorial Day for Nanjing Massacre Victims.
They include the 89-year-old Xia Shuqin, the 90-year-old Ai Yiying, and the 92-year-old Ge Daorong. Although they are all in their late years and are succumbed to immobility, they still insisted on attending the memorial ceremony.
The participants included relatives of international friends who saved countless lives in Nanjing during the massacre, representatives of overseas friendly groups and members of civil society. They crossed the nationality and national boundaries and expressed their hope for peace.
To the rhythms of the low requiem and the whistling air defense siren, the peace pigeons were set off into the sky. This unforgettable commemoration is not only a deep recollection of the 300,000 dead compatriots, but also a spirit of unremitting struggle and the creation for a better future.
