Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders

The Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders is at 418 Shuiximen Street in Jianye District, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, on a site linked to mass burials near the Jiangdongmen area. The Japanese army captured Nanjing on 13 December 1937 and, over about six weeks, killed large numbers of civilians and disarmed soldiers. Chinese tribunals after the war put the toll at more than 300,000, a figure inscribed on the memorial, while other estimates given by historians differ. The hall was first opened in 1985 and expanded in 1995 and again in 2007, when it was enlarged to its present scale.

The complex combines outdoor memorial sculpture, an archaeological display and a historical exhibition. Outdoors, a wall inscribed with the number of victims, symbolic sculptures and a peace park set a solemn tone. The archaeological hall exposes human remains from a mass grave in a preserved excavation, while the main exhibition follows the sequence of the battle for Nanjing, the killings, the Safety Zone established by foreign residents, and the post-war trials. Displays include photographs, diaries, court records, artefacts and survivor testimony. The architecture uses dark stone and angular forms to create an austere, quiet atmosphere.

The curatorial approach is chronological and documentary, with a final section on reconciliation and peace. The site has been renovated and extended several times as new material and survivors' accounts have emerged, and since 2014 China has observed 13 December as the National Memorial Day for Nanjing Massacre Victims, when official ceremonies are held here. Admission is free, but visitors must show a passport, and closing day is Monday except on national holidays. Visitors are expected to dress modestly and keep quiet, and some material is graphic and can be distressing. The memorial is close to the Nanjing Yangtze River area and is reached by metro on Line 2.