Sirens wailed throughout the Chinese city of Nanjing on Sunday, reminding people of the pain and suffering the city witnessed 83 years ago.

The silver-haired participants of the ceremony are the living testimony of the war crimes committed during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. This year, the number of registered survivors of the Nanjing Massacre was reduced to 73.

Xia Shuqin, 91, is among the survivors who attended the ceremony. She was one of the only two children in her family to have survived the atrocities of the Japanese army in 1937. The other 11 family members were murdered.

"I miss my family so much," Xia said. "The Japanese should acknowledge what they did in Nanjing. It's been 75 years since the victory of our people's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. But they never came here to apologize."

Also in attendance were 83 high-school students who are trying to do their best to keep the memory of the victims alive.

"It makes me feel closer to history. Our nation has been vigilant and strong, just like the poem describes. And seeing our country getting stronger gives me a sense of national pride," said Liu Zuning from Nanjing No.1 Middle School.

Other participants included doctors who were on the COVID-19 frontline. Many were attending the ceremony for the first time.

"At that time, China was poor and weak, plagued by internal and external troubles. A Chinese citizen could not even guarantee his right to life. Now, especially after the COVID-19 outbreak, we can see that our people and our country are doing very well in a difficult situation. I think the Chinese people, united as one, can overcome all difficulties," said Doctor Zhou Luyang from Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital.

Contrary to history, today's Nanjing is a prosperous and wonderful city. The national memorial ceremony holds a clear message: Only when we look back at our painful history can we appreciate the peace that we have now. And only when we acknowledge the past can we move on towards a better future.

(Cover image: Xia Shuqin comes to the "Wailing Wall" to check the names of her relatives killed by the Japanese army in 1937 in Nanjing, China, November 18, 2019. /VCG)