As of December 11, six Nanjing Massacre survivors have been turned into stars in the sky this year. The testimony of each survivor is a scar on their heart that remains unhealed for a lifetime, and a memory that must never be forgotten......

Cheng Fubao

(May 3, 1933 - January 30, 2024)

Testimony: When the Japanese army invaded Nanjing in 1937, my father fled with the whole family to the north bank of the Yangtze River and took shelter in a commoner's house. One day, while walking down the street, my father was approached by Japanese soldiers who tried to capture him. He refused, and they shot him in the chest, killing him instantly. After my father was killed, our family was left without any means of survival. My mother, who was pregnant at the time, was so grief-stricken that she wanted to commit suicide by jumping into the river. Relatives and neighbors came to persuade her to live strong for the sake of her children and the unborn child. To make ends meet, my mother washed clothes for others, and sometimes sold cigarettes and matches, doing small businesses to survive. My grandfather worked as a porter for Japanese soldiers at Zhongshan Dock. The Japanese soldiers, annoyed by his slow pace, kicked him into the river, where he tragically drowned.

Chen Guixiang

(January 11, 1925 - March 5, 2024)

Testimony: My parents were both passed away, and my grandmother raised me with great hardship. One day, when the Japanese soldiers came, I ran and shouted, "Grandma, the Japanese are going to catch me!" I hid in the latrine, but the Japanese soldier followed me, grabbed me by the hair, and pulled me out.

My grandmother came after me, and I cried, "Grandma, save me!" The Japanese soldier slapped me in the face twice, causing me to lose my hearing. Grandma begged for mercy on her knees, but the Japanese soldier first struck her with the butt of his rifle and then shot her dead with a gunshot.

Later, the Japanese soldier dragged me towards the house, but as he crossed the threshold, he tripped, giving me the opportunity to escape. I fled to the river and collapsed on the beach, where I was rescued by an elderly ferryman.

Liu Suzhen

(November 13, 1931 - April 21, 2024)

Testimony: When I was 3 years old, my father passed away and I grew up with my grandparents on Tongren Street, Jizhaoying, Zhujiang Road, Nanjing. At the time of the Nanjing Massacre in 1937, I was only six years old and was scalded by Japanese soldiers with boiling water on my right arm. We dug a hole in the high slope of Shanghai Road with mud and hid in it. The sound of bombings from above was deafening, and both adults and children were too scared to venture out. It was a dreadful experience, and life was extremely difficult.

Gao Ruqin

(January 22, 1934 - May 23, 2024)

Testimony: When the Japanese army entered the city in 1937, our family of seven moved to live at my grandmother's house at No. 39, Tangfang Corridor, Zhonghua Gate. That was a tough time for us, and we relied solely on my father to make ends meet.

During the Nanjing Massacre, my grandmother and mother dragged me along Zhonghua Gate and the Qinhuai River to run for our life, dodging the pursuit of the Japanese army all the way. The first shot by the Japanese army struck my mother in the leg and pierced it. The second shot hit my grandmother in the chest. She let go of my hand with a cry of “yelp"and collapsed on the spot. Witnessing my grandmother’s death was heartbreaking, and I will never forget the sound of her last breath. 

Later, my father took us to a refugee camp, where we survived on the daily rations of watery porridge.

Shi Xiuying

(October 26, 1926 - July 12, 2024)

Testimony: On December 16, 1937, my father went to visit my sister at my aunt’s house. In the evening, I went to my aunt's house to look for him, and my cousin told me that my father had been captured. My cousin had been hiding in an alley in Shuiximen and witnessed Japanese soldiers stabbing him to death as he knelt to tie his shoelaces.

On December 24, my older brother took my younger brother to dig up some vegetables to sell to fill the family's livelihood. After walking a short distance, Japanese soldiers drove a car, captured my brother and took him away, while my younger brother was spared due to his age.

My mother, like a madwoman, searched for my brother every day by the pond, overturning dead bodies with a bamboo pole, crying and calling for him.

To make ends meet, my mother took me to empty toilets and wash clothes for others, earning a small amount of money.

Zhou Zhilin

(December 23, 1925 - July 20, 2024)

Testimony: After the fall of Nanjing, one day the Japanese army found us and gave chase. My uncle ran into a pond about a dozen meters away from me. The soldiers got out of their car, and after a brief moment, they stabbed him to death. I lay on the ground, pretending to be dead. The Japanese soldiers also went to the village to kill people. My father took the rest of the family to a refugee camp at Qixia Temple, leaving me behind to guard the house. One day, when I went out to fetch water, I encountered Japanese soldiers and was captured along with seven or eight other villagers. The soldiers made us kneel and prepared to kill us, but suddenly a pig ran out, causing the soldiers to chase it. Seizing the opportunity, we all fled.

These elderly survivors may fade, but their memories will last forever in the world and will never be forgotten.