On the afternoon of March 21, the Memorial Hall hosted a themed volunteer showcase titled “Flower of Peace” at the Peace Square. About one Hundred Chinese and international volunteers from multiple countries and regions gathered amid fields of blooming Zijin Cao, joining together in the name of youth to reaffirm their shared commitment to peace.

The event opened with a performance of Zijin Cao Grows Toward the Sun by the Zijin Cao Children’s Choir. With an average age of just ten, the young performers expressed, through their pure and heartfelt voices, a childlike yearning for peace.

To date, a total of 779 international students from 57 countries and regions studying in Nanjing have joined the Memorial Hall’s Zijin Cao Volunteer Team. Ali Fathy, a student from Egypt, shared that he has served as a Zijin Cao volunteer at the Memorial Hall for more than two years. Each visit, he said, inevitably brings a sense of heaviness. “Every time I come here, I feel I am drawing closer to the deeper truths of the history of the Nanjing Massacre. In particular, meeting survivors in person is far more shocking than anything I have read in books.” Standing amid the blooming Zijin Cao, feeling the spring breeze and gazing at the delicate flowers, Fathy said, “a sense of peace rises naturally within me. I have taken many photos and hope to share this feeling with more people through Moments, so they may understand the horrific history Nanjing once endured, and also see the city’s enduring commitment to and love for peace.”

International Youth have injected fresh vitality into international communication