NANJING, Dec. 13 -- Xia Shuqin, an 85-year-old Chinese lady, joined President Xi Jinping and 1.3 billion compatriots on Saturday to remember victims of the Nanjing Massacre.

Xia, who narrowly survived brutal killings by Japanese troops 77 years ago, was invited to unveil a memorial "ding," a type of ancient Chinese cauldron symbolizing state power and prosperity, with Xi and a school boy.

Standing solemnly outside the Memorial Hall for the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders, they and some 10,000 representatives of all walks of life wore white flowers on the lapel, a symbol of condolence in China.

Sirens were blared and pedestrians stood still at 10 a.m. as activities for China's first National Memorial Day to recognize Nanjing Massacre victims proceeded in Nanjing and across the nation.

President Xi said the ceremony was held to commemorate innocent victims in the massacre, compatriots killed by Japanese aggressors, as well as revolutionary martyrs and heroes who devoted their lives to victory in the war against Japanese aggression.

"The purpose of the memorial ceremony for Nanjing Massacre victims is to recall that every good-hearted person yearns for and holds a firm stance of peace, but does not try to prolong hatred," Xi said.

In February 2014, China's top legislature designated Dec. 13 as the National Memorial Day for Nanjing Massacre Victims to mourn those killed by Japanese invaders and expose war crimes committed by the Japanese.

Japanese troops captured Nanjing, then China's capital, on Dec. 13 of 1937 and started a 40-odd-day slaughter. More than 300,000 Chinese soldiers, who had laid down their arms, and civilians were murdered and over 20,000 women were raped.

UNFORGOTTEN MEMORY

For Xia, it was a memory that can hardly be erased.

In the mass murder, rape and looting 77 years ago in Nanjing, seven out of nine members of Xia Shuqin's immediate family were slaughtered.

On Dec. 13, 1937, a team of about 30 Japanese soldiers rushed into her house. Her father kneeled down and begged them not to hurt civilians, but was shot dead.

Her mother and one-year-old sister, who hid beneath a table, were pulled out by the invaders. They dashed the baby to the ground and stabbed her to death. Later, Japanese soldiers raped her mother and killed her.

The atrocities did not end. Several invaders murdered Xia's grandparents and raped her two elder sisters, one 16 and another 14, in another room.

"I hid in the quilt. I didn't dare to cry loudly, but was stabbed three times by Japanese soldiers. I lost consciousness, but woke up from my four-year-old sister's cry. The dead bodies of my family were everywhere. "We yelled, 'Mom, mom,' but nobody responded," Xia recalled.

"I was sleepless last night. The state memorial day is a consolation to the innocent victims. I hope future generations can remember this tragedy and prevent it from happening again," Xia told Xinhua.

Xia's painful memories are shared by Li Gaoshan, 90, who is one of the survivors of the massacre. He participated in the battle to guard Nanjing in 1937. He was left paralyzed by a stroke in February, but insisted on joining the ceremony on Saturday in a wheelchair.

"If our country was strong enough, we certainly could defend the city and protect residents. As long as I'm alive, I'll continue to bear witness to history," he said.

Many foreigners at Saturday's ceremony, including the descendants of those who helped Chinese people in the massacre, felt their pain.

The parents of Iris Shun-Ru Chang, the late Chinese-American writer, were present at the memorial ceremony. Chang is known for her best-selling account of the Nanjing Massacre, The Rape of Nanking, which gave the Western world a glimpse of what happened in China that chilly winter.

Sayoko Yamauchi, who is Japanese, has devoted herself to seeking truth about the Japanese invasion of China as well as the Nanjing Massacre since she first came to the city in 1987.

"All sorts of feelings well up in my mind. In Japan, many people still don't know the truth of that history. Through the memorial day, I hope the message of peace can be delivered to the world from Nanjing," she said.

The memorial ceremony started at 10 a.m. A total of 10,000 people paid silent tribute for one minute to the massacre victims as sirens howled over the city.

Sixteen guards of honor laid eight wreaths in memory of the victims while the national flag flew at half-mast to mourn the victims. Seventy-seven students read the declaration of peace.

After Xi's speech, six representatives struck the Bell of Peace and 3,000 doves signifying peace flew over the memorial hall.

NATIONAL MOURNING

Also on Saturday, Nanjing residents visited 17 mass graves to mourn the victims of the massacre.

At Zhongshan Wharf, located in the west of Nanjing, more than 20 people joined together to pay silent tribute to the victims. "It's the first time for our country to hold a national memorial ceremony for the dead in the massacre and war. That history must be remembered," said a resident surnamed Sun.

Chinese civilians swarmed to the wharf in December 1937, but failed to find boats and were left stranded. Nearly 20,000 of them were murdered at the wharf during the massacre.

More than 200 people gathered at the September 18th Museum in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province, on Saturday morning to mourn the martyrs and victims in the Chinese war against Japanese aggression.

Japan invaded northeast China in September 1931, followed by a full-scale invasion that started on July 7, 1937. Around 35 million Chinese soldiers and civilians were killed or injured during the Japanese occupation, which continued until 1945.

Over 7.8 million people visited China's National Memorial, a website designated to promote the commemoration of the Nanjing Massacre in World War II, to participate in an online memorial ceremony as of 3:45 p.m. on Saturday.

On Sina Weibo, the popular Twitter-like microblogging service, the tag "National Memorial Day" has ranked No. 1 among the hottest topics in the whole day on Saturday, with more than 900 million hits.

CALL FOR PEACE

The national memorial day comes amid recurring denials or rationalizations of war crimes by Japanese nationalist right-wing groups. It also comes one year ahead of the 70th victory anniversary of China's war against the Japanese aggressors and victory in WWII.

"Anyone who tries to deny the massacre will not be allowed by history, the souls of the 300,000 deceased victims, the 1.3 billion Chinese people, and all people who love peace and justice in the world," Xi said on Saturday.

"Only if everyone cherishes and safeguards peace, and only if everyone remembers the bitter lessons of war can there be hope for peace," he said.

Meanwhile, Xi said the Chinese and Japanese people should live in friendship from generation to generation and make joint efforts to contribute to the peace of humanity.

"We should not bear hatred against an entire nation just because a small minority of militarists launched aggressive wars. The responsibility for war crimes lies with a few militarists, but not the people. However, we cannot at any time forget the severe crimes committed by aggressors," he said.

People who love peace and justice must remain highly cautious and firmly oppose words and actions that glorify war, he added.