December 13, 2023 is the 10th National Memorial Day.
On December 13, 1937, the invading Japanese army invaded Nanjing, inflicting more than 40 days of tragic slaughter on our compatriots, killing 300,000 people, leaving the darkest page in the history of human civilization. On February 27, 2014, the seventh meeting of the Standing Committee of the Twelfth National People's Congress passed a decision to establish December 13 as the National Memorial Day for the victims of Nanjing in the form of legislation.
The legacy of our ancestors, the inheritance of our generation, the cause of our predecessors, and the people of the present are for it, remembering history and creating the future, this is our best consolation for the compatriots who died. The present memorial is not only the pathos of the nation, but also the admonition of history, telling every Chinese son: do not forget the suffering and glory of yesterday, be worthy of today's mission, and live up to the great dream of tomorrow!
The pain of history will not disappear because of the washing away of time. The national public sacrifice, worship my compatriots, the mountains and rivers are safe, and the living forge ahead, which is the best consolation for the compatriots in distress.
Living in the present era of peace, we have long been far away from the smoke of war, but no matter what era or no matter who it is, forgetting history means betrayal. We must not forget that in the arduous and bloody struggle, countless sons and daughters of the Chinese nation shared the same hatred for the enemy, regarded death as their home, and made heroic sacrifices for national independence. Today, when we remember history, we want to let the common memory of these nations be passed on from generation to generation, and let the banner of patriotism live on this land.
Every year, during the National Memorial Day ceremony, the "Peace Bell" is struck. The sound of the bell is deep and long, symbolizing the deep remembrance of the 300,000 compatriots who died and the hope for peace. The sound of the bell is even more inspiring, inspiring the ambition of the Chinese people to realize their dreams and rejuvenation.
On the occasion of the 10th National Memorial Day, Zhenwu Mountain Garden calls on all citizens to pay tribute to the lives of the victims of the Anti-Japanese War, mourn the land soaked in blood and fire, pay tribute to the compatriots who died in the war, and express their thoughts to them, and pray for world peace.