The passing of two survivors of the Nanjing Massacre this weekend has left only 28 living registered witnesses to one of history's darkest chapters. Yi Lanying, 99, and Tao Chengyi, 89, carried vivid memories of the 1937 atrocities until their deaths—stories that now fall to new generations to preserve.
Yi survived having her tooth knocked out by a Japanese officer and witnessed soldiers bayoneting a young man during breakfast. 'They took over 70 men from our neighborhood. I never stopped fearing their return,' she once recalled. Her trauma manifested in panic attacks and lifelong health struggles.
Tao’s childhood was shattered when Japanese invaders killed his father, uncle, and cousin. 'After my father died, we sold matches on the street just to eat,' he shared in past interviews, highlighting war’s enduring scars.
Over six weeks in 1937, approximately 300,000 Chinese civilians and soldiers were killed after Japanese troops captured Nanjing. China declared December 13 a national memorial day in 2014, with survivors like Yi and Tao urging: 'Never forget the innocent.'
As the number of living witnesses dwindles, their testimonies—archived in museums and oral histories—remain crucial to honoring victims and educating future generations. 🕊️
