The number of registered survivors of the Nanjing Massacre who are still alive is only 133, among which the oldest is aged over 100, according to the Nanjing Massacre Survivors Aid Association in China.

The Nanjing Massacre occurred in the period from Dec. 13, 1937 to January 1938, meaning survivors are at least 78 years old. During the 1980s and 1990s, the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall carried out a wide range of investigations in China. More than 1,000 survivors have been registered as witnesses (those who have memories of the events) or who suffered personally during the Nanjing Massacre.

Nanjing Massacre survivors are the "living witnesses" of the war crime committed by Japanese invaders. Their accounts are the best testimony of history, and also the most powerful rebuttal against the Japanese right-wing which attempts to deny the history. Over the years, Nanjing Massacre survivors have suffered huge pain brought by the war, have told the world about the atrocities committed by the Japanese invaders, and struggled continually with those who attempt to distort history.

The representative from the Nanjing Massacre Survivors Aid Association says that as the years go by, more and more survivors have passed away in recent years. In the last year alone, more than 40 survivors died. Currently, the number of living registered survivors of the Nanjing Massacre is only 133, of which several have been out of contact for a long time. 

Facing the situation, the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall will launch a new round of testimony collection activities to save more evidence through ways of text and video.