Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre

The Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre, at 418 Shuiximen Street in Jianye District, Nanjing, Jiangsu, commemorates the killing of Chinese civilians and disarmed soldiers by Japanese forces after they captured Nanjing on 13 December 1937 and during the weeks that followed. It opened in 1985 on the site of one of the mass burial locations near Jiangdongmen, and was expanded significantly in 1995 and again in 2007. The complex mixes outdoor memorial sculpture, archaeological remains and museum galleries. An excavated pit, known as the Ten-Thousand-Corpse Ditch, preserves skeletal remains visible under a protective structure. Outdoor spaces include a sculpture court, a memorial wall carrying names of identified victims and a symbolic monument marking the scale of loss. The main exhibition hall follows a broadly chronological structure, from the Japanese advance on Nanjing through the events of December 1937 to postwar trials, with photographs, documents, personal belongings and survivor testimony. Another section presents the international Safety Zone established by foreign residents, including John Rabe, to shelter civilians. The architecture is deliberately austere, using grey stone, dark tones and open spaces to shape a solemn atmosphere. The hall is state-run and remains a significant site for national remembrance, with a strong emphasis on Chinese wartime suffering and historical memory. It has been renovated and updated over time, with additions of newly identified names and documentary materials. Photography and behaviour rules apply, and visitors are expected to maintain quiet and respect. Because of the material's graphic and emotionally heavy nature, a visit is best approached with care and time for reflection. Allow two to three hours for the exhibition and grounds. Entry is free but requires advance reservation, with foreign visitors using a passport.