2015年CRI Memorial Ceremonies for Massacre Victims Held in China（在线收听）

On Sunday evening, Nanjing city marked the deaths of the victims of the Nanjing Massacre with a candle-light vigil and prayers.

Candles and flowers were placed around the Memorial Hall for the Nanjing Massacre.

Earlier in the day, a national memorial for the massacre victims was held with sirens being blared at 10 a.m.

Li Jianguo, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, addressed the event

Li said the memorial is not to prolong hatred but to inspire people's will to cherish and safeguard peace while warning against attempts in Japan to beautify aggression.

"We must resolutely oppose any glorification of aggression, and attempt to begin reversing the words and deeds of history in order to avoid historical tragedies."

During the Japanese aggression against China in World War II, Japanese troops captured Nanjing, then China's capital, in 1937 and started a campaign of slaughter lasting over a month. 

Official figures show that more than 300,000 Chinese civilians and soldiers died and over 20,000 women were raped over the six weeks of chaos, mass looting, and arson.

Ge Daorong, a resident in Nanjing and a massacre survivor, said the Japanese government should apologize to China for its atrocities.

"I was just ten years old at that time and saw a number of such atrocities. Abe's government has not admitted the aggression and apologized to us so far. He should make it at last."

An exhibition featuring Nanjing Massacre archives also opened on Sunday at a museum of war in the western suburb of Beijing.

Six pieces from the archives of the Nanjing Massacre are being exhibited along with another 83 items showing the brutality of Japanese aggression in China.

In southern China, a memorial for the Nanjing victims was held at the Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defense.

Hong Kong's chief executive CY Leung laid a wreath, guest representatives presented flowers, and all participants paid tribute together.

In 2014, China's top legislature designated December 13 as the National Memorial Day for Nanjing Massacre Victims to mourn those killed by Japanese troops on that day in 1937.

For CRI, I'm Guo Yan.