🕊️ Two survivors of the tragic Nanjing Massacre have passed away, reducing the number of living witnesses to just 28, according to the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders.
Yi Lanying, aged 99, endured unimaginable horrors during the massacre. A Japanese officer knocked out her front tooth, and she witnessed the brutal stabbing of a young man by a soldier's bayonet. Yi also saw groups of Japanese soldiers invading homes and abducting over 70 young men. These traumatic experiences left her battling panic attacks, heart palpitations, and tinnitus throughout her life. She hoped that future generations would never forget the innocent lives lost during those dark days.
Tao Chengyi, who was 89, also suffered deeply. He lost his father, uncle, and cousin to the Japanese invaders. Reflecting on his past, Tao shared, \"After my father was killed, my mother struggled to make a living by running a small business with us children. The war destroyed my childhood.\"
The Nanjing Massacre began on December 13, 1937, when Japanese troops captured the then Chinese capital. Over six weeks, approximately 300,000 Chinese civilians and unarmed soldiers were killed in one of World War II's most brutal episodes.
In remembrance, China's top legislature designated December 13 as a national memorial day for the victims of the Nanjing Massacre in 2014.
