Society

Calls for peace mark war commemorations

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-08-15 21:21

Visitors walk past a wall inscripted with the number of victims in the Nanjing Massacre in 11 different languages outside the Memorial Hall of the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu province, August 15, 2010. [Photo/Xinhua]

"It is the universal will to maintain peace.  History should not be allowed to repeat itself," said Zhu.

Since it opened in 1985, the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall has received more than 25 million visitors, including about 2 million from more than 80 other countries.

Other ceremonies were held around China Sunday to commemorate the day.

The Museum of the War of Chinese People's Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in Beijing reopened to the public Sunday after being closed for maintenance work.

The exhibition shows the history of the war, which lasted for eight years. English and Japanese display introductions have been added.

"To remember the history of the Anti-Japanese War is necessary to both Chinese and people worldwide, especially the younger generation, living in peace," said Li Zongyuan, deputy curator of the museum.

A new film, "Changyao Massacre," was released Saturday evening in Changyao Town, Nanxian County, in central China's Hubei Province, where the Japanese invaders committed another massacre that left 30,000 dead in three days in May 1943.

Zhou Zhiyong, a local member of the audience, said it was a timely reminder to cherish peace as well as a commemoration of the victims.