Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall
Encyclopedia
The Memorial for compatriots killed in the Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Forces of Aggression is the Memorial Hall
for the people killed in the Nanjing Massacre
by the Japanese army in and around the then capital of China
, Nanjing
, after it fell to the Imperial Japanese Army
on December 13, 1937. It is located in the southwestern corner of Nanjing
known as Jiangdongmen, near a site where thousands of bodies were buried, called a "pit of ten thousand corpses" .
, especially in Japan where a minor group of negationists even go so far as to claim that the massacre never happened.
The Chinese government insists that an estimated 300,000 civilians and unarmed Chinese soldiers were brutally slaughtered. This estimate of "more than 300,000 dead" was made from burial records and eyewitness accounts by the Nanjing War Crimes Tribunal
and included in the verdict for Hisao Tani
.
Corpses littered the streets and were seen afloat in rivers for weeks, and many structures in the city were burned down. Countless shops, stores, and residences were looted and sacked.
Japanese soldiers were also reported to have conducted killing competitions and bayonet practice using live Chinese prisoners. Approximately 20,000 cases of rape occurred within the city during the first month of the occupation, according to the "Judgement of the International Military Tribunal". Even children, the elderly, and nuns are reported to have suffered at the hands of the Imperial Japanese army.
The memorial consists of three major parts: outdoor exhibits, sheltered skeletal remains of victims, and an exhibition hall of historical documents.
The skeletal remains of massacre victims, now exhibited in a coffin-shaped display hall, were excavated from Jiangdongmen in 1985; 208 more were uncovered in 1998.
Memorial Hall
Memorial Hall may refer to:in the United Kingdom* Memorial Hall is part of Workingman's Institute and Memorial Hall also called "Memo"* Memorial Hall, Manchesterin the United States...
for the people killed in the Nanjing Massacre
Nanking Massacre
The Nanking Massacre or Nanjing Massacre, also known as the Rape of Nanking, was a mass murder, genocide and war rape that occurred during the six-week period following the Japanese capture of the city of Nanjing , the former capital of the Republic of China, on December 13, 1937 during the Second...
by the Japanese army in and around the then capital of China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Nanjing
Nanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
, after it fell to the Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
on December 13, 1937. It is located in the southwestern corner of Nanjing
Nanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
known as Jiangdongmen, near a site where thousands of bodies were buried, called a "pit of ten thousand corpses" .
Nanjing Massacre
On December 13, 1937, the Japanese army occupied Nanjing (also referred to as Nanking). It is widely accepted that during the first six to eight weeks of their occupation, the Japanese army committed numerous atrocities, including rape, arson, and mass executions. There is, however, controversy over the scale of the massacreMassacre
A massacre is an event with a heavy death toll.Massacre may also refer to:-Entertainment:*Massacre , a DC Comics villain*Massacre , a 1932 drama film starring Richard Barthelmess*Massacre, a 1956 Western starring Dane Clark...
, especially in Japan where a minor group of negationists even go so far as to claim that the massacre never happened.
The Chinese government insists that an estimated 300,000 civilians and unarmed Chinese soldiers were brutally slaughtered. This estimate of "more than 300,000 dead" was made from burial records and eyewitness accounts by the Nanjing War Crimes Tribunal
Nanjing War Crimes Tribunal
The Nanjing War Crimes Tribunal was established in 1946 by the government of Chiang Kai-Shek to judge four Japanese Imperial Army officers accused of crimes committed during the Second Sino-Japanese War...
and included in the verdict for Hisao Tani
Hisao Tani
- Notes :...
.
Corpses littered the streets and were seen afloat in rivers for weeks, and many structures in the city were burned down. Countless shops, stores, and residences were looted and sacked.
Japanese soldiers were also reported to have conducted killing competitions and bayonet practice using live Chinese prisoners. Approximately 20,000 cases of rape occurred within the city during the first month of the occupation, according to the "Judgement of the International Military Tribunal". Even children, the elderly, and nuns are reported to have suffered at the hands of the Imperial Japanese army.
The Memorial Hall
The Nanjing Memorial Hall was built in 1985 by the Nanjing Municipal Government in memory of the 300,000 victims who lost their lives during the Nanjing Massacre. In 1995, it was enlarged and renovated. The memorial exhibits historical records and objects, and uses architecture, sculptures, and videos to illustrate what happened during the Nanjing Massacre. It occupies a total area of approximately 28000 square meters, including about 3000 square meters of building floor space.The memorial consists of three major parts: outdoor exhibits, sheltered skeletal remains of victims, and an exhibition hall of historical documents.
Outdoor exhibits
The outdoor exhibit include statues, sculptures, relief carvings, tablets, and a large wall listing the names of victims, as well as an atonement tablet and memorial walkway. The memorial walkway displays footprints of survivors, some of which were impressed as recently as 2002.Skeletal remains