China holds national memorial ceremony for Nanjing massacre victims
Beijing, The Gulf Observer: China held a memorial ceremony Tuesday morning to mourn the victims of the Nanjing Massacre. Thousands of people attended the ceremony in Nanjing, east China’s Jiangsu Province, with white flowers pinned to their chests conveying condolences. In front of the crowd, China’s national flag flew at half-mast.
At 10:01 a.m., sirens began to blare and the city came to a halt. Drivers in the downtown area stopped their cars and sounded their horns, while pedestrians paused for a minute of silence in remembrance of the victims.
Teenagers read out a declaration calling for peace. Representatives from all walks of life struck the Bell of Peace. White doves, symbolizing hope for peace, were released to fly over the square of the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders.
The Nanjing Massacre took place when Japanese troops captured the city on December 13, 1937. Over six weeks, they killed more than 300,000 Chinese civilians and unarmed soldiers in one of the most barbaric episodes of World War II.
In 2014, China’s top legislature designated December 13 as the national memorial day for the victims of the Nanjing Massacre to keep the darkest history firmly in mind and cherish the hard-won peace.
Seven survivors of the massacre passed away this year, reducing the total number of registered survivors to 54. The remaining survivors have an average age of over 92.
