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China remembers dead of Nanjing China remembers dead of Nanjing
(about 5 hours later)
China is preparing to mark the 70th anniversary of the Nanjing massacre, during which 300,000 Chinese people are thought to have died. China has been holding ceremonies to mark the 70th anniversary of the Nanjing massacre, in which Beijing says 300,000 Chinese civilians were killed.
The killings were carried out by Japanese soldiers after the capture of Nanjing on 13 December 1937. Survivors attended the re-opening of a refurbished memorial hall in the city.
A memorial hall that details the atrocities is due to reopen in the city after two years of renovations. The killings were carried out by Japanese soldiers in a six-week wave of violence after the city was captured by its forces on 13 December 1937.
The Nanjing Massacre has come to symbolise imperial Japanese aggression in China. The Nanjing massacre, also known as the Rape of Nanjing, has come to symbolise imperial Japanese aggression in China.
New revelation In the city, air sirens were sounded as people paused in silence to remember the victims.
After capturing what was then the Chinese capital, invading Japanese soldiers went on an orgy of violence. The memorial hall which details the violence has been re-opened after two years of renovations.
They raped, murdered, looted and tortured. class="" href="/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7140357.stm">Nanjing: Never forgotten Xu Zhonglin, a provincial Communist Party chief who delivered the main speech at the re-opening ceremony, was quoted by AFP as saying that purpose of the memorial hall "is to better preserve history. To never forget the past. To treasure peace and open the way to the future".
Although the killings took place seven decades ago, the memory is still fresh in many people's minds. Alongside the officials and thousands of residents attending the ceremony were a number of survivors.
That is partly because in China, history is believed to be a guide to the future. Eighty-year-old Qiu Xiuying told Reuters news agency that her mother had been killed in the massacre and an aunt injured.
But the memory is also kept alive by continuing research into the atrocities. "So every time there is a memorial, my tears will naturally flow," she was quoted as saying.
Chen Fubao, now aged 75, held a photograph of his father, who was killed in the violence.
Denials
In Japan, the anniversary of the assault on Nanjing is not being commemorated officially, but Mr Chen had a message for the country whose forces carried out the slaughter.
"We hope that the Japanese government, especially those in the nationalist factions, will admit the truth in history and learn from the Germans," he told Reuters.
Japan was not officially marking the anniversary "They should not cover up their crimes any more."
Japanese prime ministers have apologised for the country's former militarism, but, according to the BBC's Chris Hogg in Tokyo, there are fringe elements in Japan who get a lot of publicity for their repeated denials that Japan committed atrocities during its military campaigns in Asia.
Some even deny that the events in Nanjing ever took place and, our correspondent says, this frustrates mainstream historians who try to give a more balanced view of what happened during the assault on the city.
New discoveries
Younger Japanese are frustrated, too, that their country is criticised still for events that took place more than half a century ago, he adds. Many know little about what went on in Nanjing and care even less.
But although the killings took place seven decades ago, the memory is still fresh in many Chinese people's minds.
The BBC's Michael Bristow in Nanjing says that is partly because in China, history is believed to be a guide to the future, but also because of continuing research into the atrocities.
A new monument has just been unveiled to mark a previously unknown incident during the massacre in which 1,300 Chinese people died.A new monument has just been unveiled to mark a previously unknown incident during the massacre in which 1,300 Chinese people died.
That story came to light only because a Japanese researcher persuaded former solders to tell their stories. That story came to light only because a Japanese researcher persuaded former soldiers to tell their stories.
It is revelations like this, that ensure the memory is passed on to a new generation in China.