Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) leaders joined veterans and community representatives on December 13, 2025, to commemorate the 88th anniversary of the Nanjing Massacre. The ceremony at Hong Kong City Hall marked one of the darkest chapters in modern Chinese history, with Chief Executive John Lee emphasizing the importance of “remembering history while upholding peace.”
Attendees including Liaison Office Director Zhou Ji observed a moment of silence after singing China’s national anthem. Lee laid a memorial wreath honoring the 300,000 Chinese civilians and soldiers killed during the 1937 atrocity committed by Japanese invaders.
The HKSAR government has organized annual memorials since China’s national legislature established December 13 as a day of remembrance in 2014. This year’s event saw participation from National People’s Congress deputies, political advisors, and surviving members of Hong Kong’s WWII resistance forces.
Historical records show the massacre unfolded over six weeks after Japanese troops captured Nanjing, with systematic killings and widespread atrocities shocking the world. The commemoration reinforces China’s official stance on preserving historical memory while promoting reconciliation.
