China News Service, Nanjing, August 15th, title: 35 years of persistence: "engraving" the truth about the Nanjing Massacre for future generations
China News Agency reporter Shen Ran
August 15, 2020 is the 75th anniversary of Japan's defeat and surrender, and also the 35th anniversary of the establishment of the Memorial Hall for the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders. On the same day, a retrospective exhibition with the theme of “Acting to the Voice of the People” was officially opened to the public, showing the memorial’s journey from “standing to the voice of the people” to becoming an important historical museum in China.
In 1982, the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology altered the cause of the Nanjing Massacre and the history of Japan's aggression against other countries during World War II during the process of reviewing textbooks for high schools and elementary schools. The "textbook incident" aroused the indignation of the Chinese people, who demanded that "the history written in blood be engraved on the land of Nanjing forever", and the voice of the whole people directly contributed to the preparation of the memorial.
At the retrospective on the 15th, there was such a special group of "guests". The gray-haired old people stopped for a long time in front of every old photo. They had already closely linked most of their lives with the memorial.
"Unexpectedly, I was about to retire in 10 years, but I took over a major task that occupied the rest of my life." In November 1984, Duan Yueping and 21 colleagues took a picture of "Nanjing" in Nanjing Zhongshan Mausoleum. The first group photo of the Holocaust Chronicles Group. As the first deputy curator, Duan Yueping experienced every important moment in the early days of the memorial.
In the same old photo, there is also a young researcher who was in his prime at the time, and now a gray-haired expert on the history of the Nanjing Massacre, Sun Zhaiwei, told reporters that for many years, his research has focused on verifying the authenticity of the victims. "I want to leave as conclusive and irrefutable historical evidence as possible for future generations."
This year, 93-year-old Liu Jianzhi and 85-year-old Qi Enzhi once again appeared on the anniversary of the establishment of the museum. “We were here at 7 o'clock in the morning. This is an important day for the memorial. This page is indispensable for records.”
Although the temperature in Nanjing was as high as 38 degrees that day, the two elderly people still carried heavy photographic equipment, like "young people", shuttled inside and outside the memorial hall. This is the 27th year that the old couple insisted on using cameras to record the memorial activities in the memorial hall. The couple gave tens of thousands of precious image materials as gifts to the museum.
Kobe Nanjing Heart-to-Heart Association Yoko Miyauchi, John Maggie’s descendant Chris Maggie, Chinese American Lu Zhaoning, Japanese friend Da Dongren...Due to the new crown pneumonia epidemic, I insisted on visiting the museum for many years. Friends, this year we will send our hearts and minds through the "Gathering Meeting".
"To restore and preserve this period of history, and pass it on to future generations is our commitment to the past and our mission to the future." Duan Yueping touched the old photos and said affectionately. (Finish)