Najing (TDI) China on Saturday observed its National Memorial Day to honour the victims of the 1937 Nanjing massacre, with solemn ceremonies held in the eastern city of Nanjing.
1/2 December 13th is China’s National Memorial Day for the victims of the Nanjing Massacre. On this day in 1937, Japanese invasion troops captured Nanjing, and began six weeks of slaughter that claimed the lives of over 300,000 Chinese civilians and unarmed soldiers. pic.twitter.com/3CJzgtLPVB
— Chinese Emb Pakistan (@CathayPak) December 13, 2025
According to Chinese state media, thousands of people gathered at the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre, many dressed in dark clothing as a mark of mourning. The city, capital of Jiangsu province, served as the focal point of nationwide commemorations marking the 12th observance of the memorial day.
At 10:01am local time, air raid sirens rang out across the city, bringing daily activity to a standstill.
Vehicles on major roads halted as drivers sounded their horns in unison, while pedestrians paused to observe a moment of silence in memory of those killed.
The national flag was lowered to half mast at the memorial site as survivors, officials, students and members of the public stood quietly in reflection.
2/2 We must remember history, cherish peace, remain vigilant against any resurgence of militarism, and resolutely defend the outcomes of the World War II victory as well as international fairness and justice. pic.twitter.com/xMcrxx4G31
— Chinese Emb Pakistan (@CathayPak) December 13, 2025
The ceremony underscored the historical significance China attaches to the events of December 1937, when Japanese troops captured Nanjing, then the capital of the Republic of China, during the Second Sino Japanese War. Chinese authorities state that more than 300,000 civilians and disarmed soldiers were killed during the occupation, a figure that remains central to China’s official historical narrative.
The massacre continues to cast a long shadow over China Japan relations. While China and much of the international scholarly community recognise the killings as one of the gravest atrocities of the Second World War in Asia, successive Japanese governments have disputed the scale of the violence, leading to recurring diplomatic and historical disputes.
In 2015, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization included Chinese archival material related to the Nanjing massacre in its Memory of the World Register.
The decision was welcomed by Beijing as international recognition of the suffering endured by the victims, but drew strong objections from Tokyo, which questioned both the documentation and the process.
China designated December 13 as National Memorial Day in 2014, institutionalising annual commemorations as part of its broader effort to preserve historical memory and reinforce narratives of wartime suffering and national resilience.
Similar remembrance events were reported across the country on Saturday, including school activities, museum programmes and media broadcasts dedicated to the anniversary.
Officials reiterated calls for remembrance to serve as a warning against war and a reminder of the need to safeguard peace, a theme that has become increasingly prominent in China’s public messaging amid regional tensions and global uncertainty.
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