2023-12-03 11:28:45
Xinhua News Agency, Nanjing, December 3Question: Nanjing holds family memorial service for the victims of the massacre, leaving only 38 survivors
Xinhua News Agency reporters Qiu Bingqing and Jiang Fang
“I’m here to see you once more. I’m getting older. I don’t know if I can come and give you flowers in the future…” said 94-year-old survivor Xia Shuqin in front of the “Wailing Wall” of the Memorial Hall of the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre by the Japanese Invaders. In memory of loved ones.
Before the arrival of the 10th National Memorial Day, the family memorial service for the victims of the Nanjing Massacre was officially launched on December 3.Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Qiu Bingqing
Before the arrival of the 10th National Memorial Day, the family memorial service for the victims of the Nanjing Massacre was officially launched on December 3. Early in the morning, survivors Xia Shuqin, Liu Minsheng, and Ai Yiying rushed to the memorial hall with their families. Facing the “Wailing Wall”, they bowed, laid flowers, and observed silence to pay homage to their relatives and compatriots who died 86 years ago.
The “Wailing Wall” is located in the corner of the Memorial Hall of the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre by the Japanese Invaders. When it was first established in 1995, it was 43 meters long and 3.5 meters high. It was engraved with the names of 3,000 victims of the Nanjing Massacre. Over the past 28 years, the “Wailing Wall” has undergone several engravings, with the number of names increased to 10,665, and the length also approximately doubled.
The “Wailing Wall” (part) located at the Memorial Hall of the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre by the Japanese Invaders.Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Qiu Bingqing
This wall is the common tombstone of 300,000 compatriots who died, and the 10,665 names are their common inscriptions.
“Wang Chengjia, 24 years old, was shot dead by the Japanese army in the Dafang Lane refugee area; Wang Youzhong, 39 years old, was assassinated by the Japanese army in Andemen…” Beside the “Wailing Wall”, two student representatives read out the names and ages of some of the compatriots who died. , place and manner of death.
One of the reading representatives, Yan Zihao, a student from Nanjing University of Communication, also served as a volunteer commentator at the memorial hall. He said: “When reading these contents, I think of the historical photos in the exhibition hall of the memorial hall, and I can deeply feel the pain of this history. 86 years ago, they were also living lives. I hope that through my own strength , let more people know this history.”
Survivor Xia Shuqin quickly found the names of the seven family members on the “Wailing Wall”. Although the old man is illiterate, he can remember the names of his family members stroke by stroke. On December 13, 1937, seven of the nine members of Xia Shuqin’s family were brutally murdered by the Japanese army. The then 8-year-old Xia Shuqin was stabbed three times and survived because she fainted.
On the day of the family memorial ceremony, granddaughter Xia Yuan took the place of Xia Shuqin and used a black pen to “repaint” the names of her family members on the “Wailing Wall”. “For the whole family, the ‘Wailing Wall’ is the only place to pay homage to the relatives who died in that war, and the ‘Painting’ reminds us not to forget this period of history,” Xia Yuan said.
Xia Yuan, the granddaughter of Xia Shuqin, a survivor of the Nanjing Massacre, “painted” the names of her family members on the “Wailing Wall.”Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Qiu Bingqing
“The sufferings of history cannot be forgotten. On this wall, the rows and rows of lists of the victims of compatriots are always reminding us. Nanjing will never forget the tragic history 86 years ago.” Deputy Minister of the Propaganda Department of the Nanjing Municipal Party Committee and the Invaders of China Zhou Feng, director of the Memorial Hall for the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre by the Japanese Army, said.
86 years later, the smoke of war has faded away, and the witnesses of time are withering with the passage of time. As of now, there are only 38 living survivors of the Nanjing Massacre registered by the Nanjing Assistance Association for the Victims of the Japanese Invaders.
People lay flowers towards the “Wailing Wall”.Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Qiu Bingqing
Efforts to safeguard historical truth and pass on historical memories are still ongoing, and the inheritance of family memories is being regarded as an important way. On August 15, 2022, the first batch of 13 inheritors of the historical memory of the Nanjing Massacre took office. On August 15, 2023, the second batch of 10 inheritors of the historical memory of the Nanjing Massacre took office.
Ge Fengjin is the son of the late Nanjing Massacre survivor Ge Daorong and one of the inheritors of the historical memory of the Nanjing Massacre. Since the 1980s, he has been committed to telling and disseminating this historical fact. He has also gone to Japan to participate in peace-themed forums as a representative of descendants of survivors.
“Today we go to the ‘Wailing Wall’ not only to mourn for my father’s ancestors who were unfortunately killed at home, but also to pay tribute to thousands of compatriots. As descendants of survivors and inheritors of the historical memory of the Nanjing Massacre, we are responsible for passing on the historical truth. mission and responsibility. And remembering history is to look forward to the future and let more people understand the value of peace.” Ge Fengjin said.
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