Another survivor of Nanjing Massacre passes away

People take part in a memorial ceremony to mourn the victims of the Nanjing Massacre on the occasion of the eighth National Memorial Day in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, Dec. 13, 2021. (Photo by Fang Dongxu/Xinhua)

NANJING, March 23 (Xinhua) -- Wang Suming, who survived the Nanjing Massacre, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 87.

Wang's death reduced the total number of registered survivors to 58, according to the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders.

The Nanjing Massacre took place when Japanese troops captured the eastern Chinese city on Dec. 13, 1937. Over six weeks, they killed approximately 300,000 Chinese civilians and unarmed soldiers in one of the most barbaric episodes of World War II.

Wang was only two years old when her father was killed in the massacre. She and her three siblings were later adopted by four families as their mother was unable to raise them.

Wang, who lived in Qinhuai District of Nanjing, was an active participant in public service activities. She was also known by her neighbors for her deep affection for cats over the decades.

"Through her, more people can remember the Nanjing Massacre not only by the number of 300,000, but also by the stories of people with painful memories striving to shine," a staff member at the memorial hall said.

Wang is the third Nanjing Massacre survivor to die this year.

The Chinese government has preserved survivors' testimonies, recorded in both written documents and video footage. These records of the massacre were listed by UNESCO on the Memory of the World Register in 2015.