At 18:30, the trumpet player sounded Nanjing Memory in the Memorial Hall. In front of the wall of the list of victims, rows of victims’ names changed from dark to bright and to dark again. Twenty students held candles in their hands, walked to the candles that were put in the form of "85", and placed their candles in turn around the "85" candles. This year marked the 85th commemoration of the Nanjing Massacre. The "85" candles were designed to remember the painful history 85 years ago.

Representatives of descendants of Nanjing Massacre survivors, teachers, medical staff, grassroots party members, members from Children's Voice Choir of Zijin Grass Art Troupe, Zijin Grass volunteers, overseas Chinese and religious people came to the scene. Zhou Feng, the director of the Memorial Hall, delivered a speech. He said: "A solemn commemoration is a wake-up of memory. Tonight, we held a candle light to light not only the warmth of our hearts, but also the spiritual torch to protect the truth of history, safeguard justice and peace, and illuminate the path of peaceful development and common prosperity in the world."

Eighty five years ago, in the darkest days of Nanjing, John Magee, an international friend, stayed in Nanjing regardless of his personal safety and participated in the rescue of more than 200000 Chinese refugees. He secretly filmed the Japanese atrocities with a 16 mm camera, which became a solid evidence of the Japanese army's massacre in Nanjing. On the memorial night, Chris Magee, the grandson of John Magee, appeared on the big screen to express his memory of the victims of the Nanjing Massacre online.

In order to promote China-Japan friendship, Miyauchi Yoko, representative of Kobe-Nanjing Heart-to-Heart Association in Japan, had participated with her members in various activities held by the Memorial Hall for more than 20 years. This year, she participated in the candlelight vigil online.

In February 1938, in the devastated Nanjing City, Richard Brady, a doctor from the United States, actively participated in the treatment of injured refugees in the Drum Tower Hospital. Many years later, his great granddaughter Megan Brady was inspired by his great grandfather's deeds and wrote the song Mercy. On the memorial night, Megan Brady attended the candlelight vigil online. She said that her heart would always be with the people of Nanjing.

Twenty five years ago, Iris Chang, an American-Chinese writer, wrote the The Rape of Nanking: the Forgotten Holocaust of World War IIduring hershort life, revealing the atrocities committed by Japanese invaders in Nanjing during World War II, which aroused strong repercussions in the western world. After Iris Chang's death, her parents continued her daughter's unfinished deeds. Last night, Ms.Yingying Chang, mother of Iris, who was now in the United States, participated in the candlelight vigil online.

30 children from Children's Voice Choir of Zijin Grass Art Troupe held candles to sing a memorial and soothing chorus Song of Broad Bean. This song, also known as Nanjing Nan Min(Refugee) Chorus, was composed by the American pastor McCallum. The melody of the song is soothing, but it conveys the warmth of the world and brings courage and strength of living to people.

At the candlelight vigil, twin sisters He Ruojin and He Ruoyu,two Zijin Grass girls walked to the stage with the seeds of Zijin Grass in their hands. Together they sow seeds on the ground. The ground suddenly turned into growing and blooming flowers, which gathered into a sea of Zijin Grass. Together with the candlelight, they formed a huge "平(Peace)", conveying the peace loving voice of Nanjing people to the world.

Tens of thousands of netizens from all over the world lit up the warm candles through H5 pages. Some Chinese student groups in the Middle East, Europe and America held candlelight vigils simultaneously. More than 160 overseas Chinese associations in more than 70 countries and regions and local people jointly held candlelight vigils in their countries, and held the historical fact exhibition of "The Holocaust of Human Beings — 1937 Nanjing Massacre". In this special way, Chinese and foreign people jointly mourned the victims of the Nanjing Massacre and all those who suffered from the war, and jointly prayed for world peace.