BEIJING, December 14 (Xinhuanet) -- Today marks China's first ever national memorial day for the victims of the infamous Nanjing Massacre in 1937. The massacre has become a key event in Chinese history and still casts a shadow over the modern-day relationship between China and Japan. 77 years ago, over 300,000 Chinese people were murdered in cold blood in the eastern city of Nanjing by Japanese troops. This morning, a top-level remembrance ceremony was held at the Victims' Memorial Hall in Nanjing.
China’s very first national memorial day for the victims of the Nanjing Massacre. Addressing the gathering in Nanjing, Chinese president Xi Jinping said the world must never forget the tragic events of 1937.
"To forget such history would be a betrayal. To deny such crimes would compound those crimes," Xi said.
The morning began with the Chinese national flag being lowered to half-mast. One minute’s silence was observed and then Chinese honor guards laid wreaths to pay tribute to the victims.
77 student representatives read out a peace declaration, written specifically for the occasion.
It was written in the ancient language of China’s oldest existing collection of poetry.
Its author, 73-year-old Feng Yitong, condemned the Japanese government’s denial of history. Something that was echoed by President Xi.
"Any attempt to ignore history, or any rhetoric that glorifies the nature of such aggression, no matter how many times it’s repeated, or how self-righteous it is, jeopardizes the peace and justice of the human race. All people who want peace and justice must be alert to such rhetoric and such actions, and oppose them with firmness," Xi said.
President Xi was later joined by 85-year-old Xia Shuqin, a survivor of the Nanjing Massacre. Together, they unveiled a sacrificial vessel dedicated to the victims who perished 77 years ago.
(Source: CNTV.com)
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