周日,南京大屠杀幸存者史秀英在江苏南京参加纪念活动。[照片/图片]南京——史秀英站在日本侵略者南京大屠杀遇难者纪念馆前,抽泣着,读了一封信,献给她在暴行中失去的亲人。”亲爱的爸爸,兄弟,我们分开已经81年了,但我一直在心里和你说话,你能听见吗?”史读。从星期一开始,遇难者家属开始了一系列的纪念活动,如在中国东部江苏省省会南京市的纪念堂墙壁前献花、烧香、读信等。现年92岁的施说,她父亲81年前被日本侵略者杀害。另一名幸存者,91岁的余长祥说,他的父亲被杀了,但他的尸体从未被发现。”墙上的名字是我们哀悼他的唯一方法。“我父亲总是说,我们应该把南京大屠杀的历史告诉年轻人,这样我们才能记住过去,珍惜现在的生活,”余长祥的女儿余慧如说。在南京大屠杀中,很多人失去了生命、亲人和家人。我们必须铭记中国人民遭受的创伤,珍惜来之不易的和平,”南京小庄大学第一小学的学生陆景汉说。南京大屠杀发生在1937年12月13日日军占领南京时。六周多来,他们杀害了30万中国平民和手无寸铁的士兵。2014年2月,中国最高立法机关将12月13日定为南京大屠杀遇难者的全国纪念日。同年12月,遇难者家属也开始在纪念馆举行纪念活动。
Shi Xiuying, a survivor of the Nanjing Massacre, attends a commemoration activity in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, on Sunday. [Photo/IC]

NANJING -- Standing in front of the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders, Shi Xiuying sobbed and read a letter dedicated to the family members she lost in the atrocity.

"Dear dad, brother, it's been 81 years since we've been apart, but I have been talking to you in my heart, can you hear me?" Shi read.

Starting Monday, family members of the victims of the massacre began a series of commemoration activities such as laying flowers, burning incense and reading letters before the memorial hall wall where the victims' names are engraved in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province.

Shi, 92, said her father was killed by Japanese invaders 81 years ago.

Another survivor, Yu Changxiang, 91, said his father was killed, but his body was never found.

"The name on the wall is the only way we can mourn him," Yu said.

"My father always says we should tell the history of the Nanjing Massacre to young people so we will remember the past and cherish our present life," said Yu Huiru, daughter of Yu Changxiang.

"So many people lost their lives, relatives, and families in the Nanjing Massacre. We must remember the trauma the Chinese people suffered, and cherish the hard-won peace," said Lu Jinghan, a student from No.1 primary school affiliated to Nanjing Xiaozhuang University.

The Nanjing Massacre took place when Japanese troops captured the city on Dec 13, 1937. Over six weeks, they killed 300,000 Chinese civilians and unarmed soldiers.

In February 2014, China's top legislature designated December 13 as the national memorial day for victims of the Nanjing Massacre. Family members of the victims also started to hold commemoration activities at the memorial hall in December the same year.