This afternoon, the 25^th Exchange and Communication Session of Nanjing Purple Grass International Peace School was held in our Memorial. 180 international students from more than 30 countries and regions visited the Memorial Hall, attended lectures on peace studies, and had face-to-face communication with survivors of the Nanjing Massacre.

It is reported that these international students came to participate in the activity of “Tour of Jiangsu for International University Students in Yangtze River Delta” in celebration of the 70^th anniversary of the founding of new China. This is jointly organized by the provincial education departments of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui and Shanghai Municipal Education Commission. The Memorial is an important stop of their trip and the event was supported by the education department of Jiangsu Province.

Liu Cheng, professor at the School of History of Nanjing University and head of the UNESCO Peace Studies Chair, gave a keynote lecture entitled “Peace Building in a Globalized World”.

The international teachers and students also met face-to-face with the Nanjing Massacre survivor Ai Yiying and his son, and listened to Ai recounting his family's ordeal during the massacre.

Then, they visited the Exhibition of Historical Facts of the Nanjing Massacre under the guidance of our English interpreter.

In the memorial field, everyone presented chrysanthemum to the victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese invaders.

Wenji from Nigeria said that it was the first time for her to visit the Memorial, “I feel very sad when I think of how many Chinese people were killed by the Japanese invaders. We have turned a new page in history. We must work hard to create a peaceful and stable environment so that war will not happen again.”

Yaxi from Russia said that the existence of the Memorial is very meaningful, “It speaks to us the history in the past that can't be forgotten. Through the visits and lectures organized by the peaceful school, meeting with survivors and other activities, we were able to see those persons in person and their indelible stories. We as foreign youngsters will need to tell our families and friends everything we learn here. Stay away from war and cherish peace.”

Ling Xi, Deputy Curator of our Memorial issued the Certificate of Completion of Peace Envoys, and a group photo was taken after that under the Statue of Peace in the Peace Park.

She urged the international students to “remember the history, remember the experience of visiting and communicating in the Memorial Hall, and work together to be 'seeds of peace', and to spread the idea of peace around the world.”

Editors | Liu Hongyan, Liu Jingjing, Yu Yuehua

Photographer | Wang Dandan

Cameraman | Yang Shenghui

Proofreaders | Li Ling, Zhao Yi-han

Issuer and Signer | Ling Xi