On this date 86 years ago, the Japanese troops blew up a section of the railway in Shenyang, a city in northeast China, and used it as a pretext for invasion. It marked the beginning of China's 14-year War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

Every year on September 18, sirens begin to wail at 9:18 a.m. in Shenyang and a number of other cities across the country, to commemorate the incident in 1931, which left an indelible mark on Chinese history.

(Every year on September 18, sirens begin to wail at 9:18 a.m. in a number of cities across China to commemorate the September 18 Incident. /CGTN Photo)

"We remember history well, but I think young people today must not forget such national humiliation," said Wang Qingping, a local retiree.

(Japanese veteran Hongou Eiyo /CGTN Photo)

Although the anniversary is marked annually, it holds more significance this time, as starting from this year, China's textbooks have adopted the phrase "14-year War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, marking a rethink of the previous term of eight years from the Lugou Bridge incident of 1937. The new term of 14 years runs from the September 18 Incident.

History is not forgotten, not just for the Chinese, but also for Japanese visitors in their 80s and 90s who came to China for this year's commemorations. As witnesses of Japan's wartime crimes, they arrived with evidence that was often covered up by the Japanese government.

(Yamabe Yukiko, a Japanese witness of the war, calls on the Japanese government to face up to the wartime crimes. /CGTN Photo)

Yamabe Yukiko said she witnessed the war by herself, but the government chose to ignore her testimony. So she came to China to call on the Japanese government to face up to history.

(A group of Japanese witnesses of the war arrives at Changchun airport. /CGTN Photo)

The memorial ceremony serves as a reminder for the Chinese to keep the darkest days firmly in mind. After 86 years, both China and Japan are influential countries. With that in mind, maintaining peaceful relations benefits not only for the region, but global peace and development.