Nanjing Massacre Memorial Day Observed Amid Declining Survivor Numbers
China solemnly commemorates the 88th anniversary of the Nanjing Massacre on December 13, 2025, with only 24 survivors remaining to bear witness to one of history's darkest chapters. The National Memorial Day remembers the more than 300,000 Chinese civilians and disarmed soldiers killed during six weeks of atrocities following the Japanese military's capture of Nanjing in 1937.
This year's observance coincides with the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. Memorial activities at the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall featured siren alarms across the city and a minute of silence observed nationwide.
Historical preservation efforts have intensified as the last direct witnesses fade from living memory. Digital documentation projects have recorded 186 survivor testimonies since 2021, while educational programs reach 2.3 million annual visitors at Nanjing's memorial sites.
