December 13, 1937, marks the start of one of the darkest chapters in human history as Japanese invaders occupied Nanjing.
In the following six weeks, they committed atrocities on an appalling scale, brutally killing more than 300,000 Chinese civilians and unarmed soldiers.
The Nanjing Massacre remains an indelible scar on human civilization and a solemn reminder of the need to cherish peace. Survivors of the atrocity have carried their memories for decades, ensuring that the crimes committed by the Japanese invaders are never forgotten.
On Dec. 13, 1937, Japanese troops stormed into Nanjing. The massacre that ensued turned the city into a place of horror and devastation.
According to records of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, Japanese troops committed murder, torture, sexual violence, looting and arson during the period.
Survivor Xia Shuqin recalled the nightmarish ordeal.
"On December 13, 1937, a large group of Japanese soldiers, nearly 20, burst in. My father was shot dead when he opened the door. My grandparents took my three sisters and me into their room. /The four of us hid under a quilt. My eldest sister was 15, my second eldest sister 13, I was eight years old at that time, and there was also our 4-year-old sister. I was holding onto one of my sister's legs, and a Japanese soldier stabbed me three times. I fainted and almost died at that time," said Nanjing Massacre survivor Xia Shuqin.
When she regained consciousness, Xia found herself soaked in blood. Of her family of nine, only she and her younger sister had survived.
The atrocities unfolded on a daily basis.
"Heavy machine guns were mounted on this slightly higher spot. There was a 'crack-crack-crack' sound, mingled with screams and cries. Many people were hit by bullets from the machine guns. I saw corpses piled up like mountains, including the elderly, women and children, who were killed indiscriminately. The piled-up corpses were about as tall as me," recalled Sho Mitani, a former Japanese navy sailor who witnessed the massacre and later dedicated himself to telling the truth to younger generations in order to safeguard peace.
The investigation by the Nanjing War Crimes Tribunal revealed that Japanese troops had committed 28 mass slaughters, killing 190,000 people, and 858 scattered massacres, killing over 150,000. In total, over 300,000 Chinese were indiscriminately murdered within weeks.
Only 20 days before the massacre began, the Nanjing municipal government recorded the city's population at slightly over 500,000. The killing of more than 300,000 people - including civilians and captured soldiers - meant that over half of the city's residents perished, leaving behind a ghost city.
At the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders, an installation drops a bead of water every 12 seconds, symbolizing the frequency of deaths during the six-week atrocity.
While hundreds of thousands were killed, survivors lived on. For nearly eight decades, they have carried the wounds of the massacre, testifying to the crimes of the Japanese invaders. Yet, their numbers continue to dwindle, with fewer than 30 still alive by mid-2025.
By keeping alive the memories of the Nanjing Massacre, survivors and witnesses remind the world of the importance of remembering history and cherishing peace.
Survivor of Nanjing Massacre recalls Japanese soldiers' atrocity against Chinese
