On March 4, 21 Zijin Cao international volunteers from India, Pakistan, Myanmar and other countries took part in voluntary services at the Memorial Hall. They are all studying in the College of International Students, Southeast University. Some joined the Zijin Cao Volunteer Service several years ago, while others are new entrants.

Issac is an international student from East Timor. He has been in Nanjing for eight years, so for him, Nanjing is like his second hometown. He visited the Memorial Hall soon after he came to Nanjing. “The sight of the previous photographs about the Nanjing Massacre made me very sad. I also learned about the story of Dr Robert Wilson who decided to remain in the war zone during the Nanjing Massacre to treat victims. His story touched me. Immediately after the visit, I decided to sign up as a volunteer at the Memorial Hall.” On March 4, Issac worked at the “Humanitarian Aid” section of the Nanjing Massacre Exhibit and told visitors about the great deeds done by Dr Wilson. As well as volunteering as a guide, Isaac also shares the history of the Nanjing Massacre and what he has learned about at the Memorial Hall on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. He wants more people in the world to learn about the history.

    In the exhibition hall, Jiwon Park from the Republic of Korea (ROK) told visitors about the story of John Rabe. During the massacre, Rabe and a dozen of other foreigners set up the Nanjing Safety Zone, taking in and saving more than 200,000 Chinese. Jiwon Park is currently pursuing a postgraduate degree in Southeast University. She became a Zijin Cao international volunteer in 2022, hoping to promote global awareness about the history of the Nanjing Massacre in this way. “I often share what I saw in Nanjing to my friends in the ROK and from other countries. I hope more people could learn about the history,” she said.

    This volunteer comes from India. Born in 1996, he came to Nanjing over six years ago. He is pursuing a master’s degree in medicine in Southeast University after getting a bachelor’s degree there. In the square of the Memorial Hall, he touched a scar on the bronze statue of Ni Cuiping, a survivor of the Nanjing Massacre. The scar from a gunshot wound by the Japanese soldiers is clearly visible on the statue. “My heart aches for her. I major in surgical medicine and know painful it was. I will learn from Dr Wilson and stay in Nanjing after graduation. I will dedicate myself for the benefit of the people in Nanjing.”

The Memorial Hall established the Zijin Cao Volunteer Service in 1994. Since then, the number of registered volunteers has reached 23,918 and is still increasing every year. In 2022, 127 new volunteers, including 87 international volunteers, joined. So far, nearly 400 international volunteers from 37 countries and regions around the world have taken part in the Zijin Cao international volunteer services at the Memorial Hall. They related history to the world by working as guides, translating archives, and participating in international exchanges, among other forms.