On the first day of the New Year, the Memorial Hall held a ceremony of raising the national flag, singing the national anthem, and striking the Bell of Peace. Twelve representatives of the earliest arriving attendees struck the Bell of Peace, and the “chimes of the bell from Jiangdong Gate” reverberated over the Public Memorial Square for a long time. Amidst the deep resonance of the bell, everyone wished for the prosperity and stability of the motherland, as well as for peace, happiness, and tranquility of the world.

Avisitor from “The Hometown of Generals”, the city of Lu'an in Anhui Province, tearfully said,“I want to tell the Nanjing Massacre victims that China is now very peaceful. Please rest assured that China will only get better!”