Ma Ying-jeou mourns victims of Nanjing Massacre

Ma Ying-jeou, former chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang party, visits the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders and expresses deep condolence for the compatriots who lost their lives in the massacre in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, March 29, 2023. (Xinhua/Cai Yang)

NANJING, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Ma Ying-jeou, former chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang party, on Wednesday visited the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders, and expressed deep condolence for the compatriots who lost their lives in the massacre.

The history shall never be forgotten, Ma said during a visit to Nanjing, the capital of east China's Jiangsu Province.

The Nanjing Massacre took place when Japanese troops captured the then-Chinese capital on Dec. 13, 1937. Over six weeks, they killed approximately 300,000 Chinese civilians and unarmed soldiers in one of the most barbaric episodes of World War II.

After paying silent tribute to the victims, the former Taiwan leader and a delegation led by him visited the exhibition in the memorial hall.

As Chinese, no matter from which side of the Taiwan Strait, we should be independent and self-reliant, and should fight back with courage when bullied and humiliated by foreign powers, Ma said in an interview.

The Memorial Hall was inaugurated in 1985. Its collection comprises nearly 4,000 photographs, almost 10,000 artifacts, and over 260 pieces of footage, all of which present indisputable facts about the massacre.

Ma arrived in Shanghai on Monday. His mainland trip itinerary includes Nanjing, Wuhan, Changsha, Chongqing and Shanghai.

Ma Ying-jeou, former chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang party, visits the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders and expresses deep condolence for the compatriots who lost their lives in the massacre in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, March 29, 2023. (Xinhua/Cai Yang)