The Nanjing Massacre: 88 years on, remembering history and praying for peace

On December 13, 1937, Japanese invading forces captured Nanjing and carried out a massacre that lasted more than forty days, an atrocity that shocked the world then, and still does to this very day.

Over 300,000 Chinese civilians were killed, whereby women were subjected to brutal violence, children were murdered, homes were destroyed, and widespread looting left the city in ruins.

This tragedy is not only a wound that can never fully heal for the Chinese nation; it stands as one of the darkest chapters in the history of human civilisation. In October 2015, the Documents of the Nanjing Massacre were inscribed on UNESCO's Memory of the World Register, affirming that this painful history belongs to the shared memory of all humankind.

Engraved on the National Memorial Tripod for the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre are the words: "Remembering history, praying for peace." Preventing such a tragedy from ever happening again is the greatest tribute to the victims—and the most solemn responsibility we bear toward the future.

Through unyielding resistance, the Chinese people made immense sacrifices and contributions to the global struggle against fascism. Today, as a responsible major country, China remains firmly committed to safeguarding peace.

Militarism must never be allowed to resurface. The tragedies of history must never be repeated.