Posters: China holds national memorial for Nanjing Massacre victims, calling for remembrance of history

NANJING, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- The 12th national memorial day was observed in Nanjing on Saturday to honor about 300,000 victims killed by Japanese troops during the Nanjing Massacre, in a year that marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II (WWII).

The Nanjing Massacre took place when Japanese troops captured the then-Chinese capital on Dec. 13, 1937. Over the course of six weeks, they proceeded to kill approximately 300,000 Chinese civilians and unarmed soldiers in one of the most barbaric episodes of WWII.

The purpose of remembering history is to look to the future and help more people understand the value of peace. The truth about the Nanjing Massacre cannot be altered, and this chapter of history is still awaiting Japan's apology for its wartime atrocities.