Nanjing Massacre memorial hall sees surge in visitors, plans Hong Kong Exhibitions

The Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders saw its visitor numbers swell to approximately 6 million last year, including a significant number of students and residents from Hong Kong, as the institution plans to bring exhibitions to the city on significant dates in the future.

The memorial hall, which commemorates the 1937 massacre, recorded an increase of about 600,000 visitors compared to the previous year.

Among those who attended in 2023, over 14,200 were Hong Kong citizens who had made reservations to visit.

Wang Min, the director of the Education Services Department at the memorial, noted a strong interest from Hong Kong's youth.

Last year, the hall hosted more than 50 student and youth delegations from the city, totaling over 2,000 individuals.

So far this year, about three student groups from Hong Kong, comprising more than 100 people, have visited, with more expected during the upcoming Ching Ming Festival and summer holidays.

Looking ahead, Wang revealed that the memorial plans to hold special exhibitions in Hong Kong on historically significant dates.

He emphasized that the hall's presentation of history remains steadfast and will not change regardless of shifts in Sino-Japanese relations.

He also mentioned that recent controversial remarks from Japanese leaders have not had any impact on visitor numbers.

Wang also highlighted a demographic trend among mainland visitors, noting that over 70 percent are under the age of 35.

In recent years, there has also been a growing number of visits from school groups and research institutions undertaking in-depth studies of the historical event.