Three hundred thousand people were killed in China on December 13, 1937 after Japanese soldiers began their assault, murder, rape and destruction in the former capital of Republic of China, Nanjing.
To commemorate the 80th anniversary of the tragic incident, a state memorial ceremony was held in Nanjing with President Xi Jinping and other Chinese officials.
Yu Zhengsheng, head of the CPPCC, called for continued peace between Japan and China.
"War is like a mirror. It keeps reminding us the preciousness of peace," Yu said in comments broadcast live on state television. "Only by remembering the history can we build a better future."
Elsewhere in Nanjing today, residents also observed a minute of silence for the victims of the massacre with matching horns blaring in the street.
According to a report, there are now fewer than 100 survivors of the massacre left alive, The oldest one named Guan Guangjing reportedly passed away at the age of 100 just three days before the anniversary of Nanjing massacre.
80 years after their loved ones were cruelly taken from them, survivors of the Nanjing Massacre mourn the victims. pic.twitter.com/M1GLvb2d4v
— SCMP News (@SCMP_News) December 13, 2017