Tonight, the "Candlelight Vigil · International Peace Assembly" was held at the Peace Square of the Memorial Hall. In the square, candles were gradually lit along both sides of the reflective body of water, forming the word “peace” in harmony with the water.

A trumpeter played Nanjing Memories. Representatives from the historical memory inheritors of the Nanjing Massacre, descendants of international friends, overseas Chinese representatives, students, domestic and international volunteers from Zijin Grass, as well as peace-loving individuals from all walks of life at home and abroad, held candles to commemorate the deceased, look forward the future, and send out a voice of peace from Nanjing to the world.

Descendants of Dr. Wilson: “Light the candles and feel the weight of history”

During the Nanjing Massacre, Dr. Robert Wilson, a 31-year-old American doctor at Drum Tower Hospital, was the only surgeon to stay in the city. In the absence of water and electricity, he worked tirelessly day and night to save Chinese refugees like Li Xiuying, who had been shot, stabbed, or raped by the Japanese army, performing up to ten or more surgeries a day. To maintain his strength and save more lives, he injected hormones into his own body. In 1946, Dr. Wilson testified at the Far East International Military Tribunal regarding the Nanjing Massacre.

Dr. Robert Wilson

Mark, a Zijin Grass International Volunteer, read in English from Dr. Robert Wilson's diary dated December 3, 1937: "Japanese planes dropped heavy bombs near the hospital. I managed to save four injured individuals. One had his leg mutilated, and I had no choice but to amputate it ......”

Mark

Dr. Wilson's great-granddaughter, Ashley Jacobson, was present at the event to express her deep respect and longing for her great-grandfather. She said, "These past few days in Nanjing, I walked the same streets my great-grandfather once walked, and I couldn't help but feel immense emotion thinking about how he helped so many people here in Nanjing. Tonight, as we light these candles, I not only feel the weight of history but also a warmth in my heart—this is the bond that has been passed down through generations between my family and the people of Nanjing."

Ashley Jacobson

Zijin Grass Children's Choir: Conveying peaceful wishes through songs

"We will continue to light the spark of peace. Just as the morning star dispels the shadows of darkness, dawn will come, bringing a warm glimmer of light, uniting our shared wishes into an immortal force..." On both sides of the stage, the children of the Zijin Grass Art Troupe's Children's Choir held candles in their hands, presenting for the first time their specially composed original song Peace Blowing Over Zijin Grass, using music to memorialize and soothe the hearts of the people, and conveying the prayers for peace.

One of the members of the Zijin Grass Children's Choir, Xu Ruiyan, a third grade (Class 8) student from Youfu West Street Primary School in Nanjing, said, "I feel very fortunate to live in a time of peace. As a child from Nanjing, I hope to convey our love for peace to the world through our songs." In February 1938, in the devastated city of Nanjing, American doctor Richard Brady worked tirelessly at the Drum Tower Hospital to treat refugees. Many years later, his great-granddaughter Megan Brady was inspired by her great-grandfather's deeds and composed the song, Mercy. Tonight, students from Experimental Primary School attached to Jinling High School performed the song live: "Please believe this is a path worth walking, so keep going, for the light lies ahead..."

Four petals unite: The “Flower of Peace” blooms

Accompanied by the children's singing, Ma Wenqian, representative of the historical memory inheritors of the Nanjing Massacre, Gaza Nyima, representative of the Zijin grass volunteers, Wang Jinglin, the representative of the medical staff from Drum Tower Hospital, and He Xu, the doctoral student representative from Nanjing University, set off one by one from under the Statue of the Goddess of Peace, slowly walking towards the location of the Zijin grass girl. The Zijin grass girl received the Zijin grass petal glowing props and placed them on the ground, until the final four glowing petals formed a large luminous pattern of Zijin grass, symbolizing how each small light will eventually merge into a dazzling galaxy. The Flower of Peace will bloom vigorously under the guardianship of collective efforts.

As a descendant of survivors and a historical memory inheritor, as well as a Zijin grass volunteer at the Memorial Hall, Ma Wenqian shared her sense of responsibility: "I will actively participate in activities organized by the Memorial to spread my family's memories of the Nanjing Massacre, using my photography expertise to document the stories of survivors, memory bearers, and volunteers from my perspective, creating impactful visual records." Additionally, she calls on her peers to jointly safeguard historical memory, spreading the history of the Nanjing Massacre and the ideals of peace cherished by the people of Nanjing even further. He Xu, a doctoral representative from Nanjing University, expressed that as university students in Nanjing, they should harness the power of youth, convey positive energy, and become advocates and practitioners of peace. At the closing of the assembly, everyone placed their candles in front of the Peace Goddess statue, arranging them to form the shape of a "peace dove."

Seven universities outside the venue held a simultaneous candlelight vigil: Joining hands to build peace

Outside the venue, representatives from seven universities in Nanjing—Nanjing University, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing University of Finance and Economics, Nanjing Xiaozhuang College, Jinling Institute of Technology, and Nanjing University of Media and Communication—spontaneously lit candles on their campuses to express their sorrow. Through a live broadcast, their synchronized candlelight memorials appeared on the large screen, collectively remembering the deceased and praying for peace.

Zhou Feng, Deputy Director of the Nanjing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Director of the Memorial Hall, stated: “Peace is warm, like the candlelight tonight, watching over the long night of history and illuminating the direction of the future. All peace-loving people should take active action to transform the historical pain of the Nanjing Massacre into a civilizational force for peaceful development, to be practitioners of the concept of peace, tellers of the story of peace, and disseminators of the seeds of peace, and to work together to create a beautiful future of happiness and tranquility.”

Director Zhou Feng