STATEMENT: When Nanjing meets Madrid: a meeting of peaceful visions

BUDAPEST, Nov.

STATEMENT: When Nanjing meets Madrid: a meeting of peaceful visions

BUDAPEST, Nov. 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On October 26 and 30, the Memorial Hall of the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre by the Japanese invaders held the "World Memory, Peaceful Vision - Exhibition on the Historical Facts of the Nanjing massacre" in Madrid, Spain and Budapest, Hungary. This exhibition, which expresses a collective human voice for peace, was made known to the Spanish public.

In the 1930s, the world was gradually enveloped by the shadows of World War II. Both Spain and China had gone through arduous struggles against fascism. That year, Durango and Guernica in Spain suffered devastating attacks by Nazi Germans, while Nanjing in China faced "indiscriminate bombing" by the Japanese military. On December 13, 1937, the Japanese army occupied Nanjing and committed atrocities that included a six-week massacre, looting, sexual violence, and destruction. These actions caused the death of more than 300,000 Chinese. The killing competition carried out by the Japanese army in Nanjing was exposed to the world by the Spanish newspaper "El Diluvio".

On May 16, 1938, the American magazine "Life" featured a famous cover showing an intrepid young Chinese soldier captured by renowned Hungarian photographer Robert Capa in Hankou, China. Robert Capa arrived in China in 1938 and documented the Chinese resistance against the Japanese invasion and the lives of the people in wartime, bringing international attention to the Chinese battlefield.

This exhibition, with the theme "World Memory and Peaceful Vision", consists of three parts: "The Calamity in Nanjing", "Trial of Justice" and "The City of Peace", which narrates the historical facts of the army's atrocities Japanese in Nanjing and the prosecution of Japanese war criminals by the international tribunal. It shows the peaceful development of Nanjing as an "International City of Peace" and conveys the aspirations of the Chinese people to remember history, cherish peace and create a better future for the international community.

Former Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Medgyessy said in his speech: "Such an exhibition allows young people to learn about peace and coexistence. I would like to express my gratitude to the Chinese government and the historical exhibition for coming here and showing it to us."

More than 80 people attended the opening ceremony, including Zhou Feng, director of Memorial Hall; He Yong, Minister Counselor of Cultural Affairs of the Chinese Embassy in Spain; Marcelo Muñoz, Honorary President of the Spanish Confucius Institute; and representatives of various sectors of Spain and the media.

Zhou Feng said, "War is like a mirror that allows people to better understand the value of peace. The theme of this exhibition aims to rekindle people's yearning and commitment to peace through the memory of history." "We hope that this exhibition can help the people of Spain understand the vision of the Chinese people in building a community with a shared future for humanity and connect the historical memories and common future of the people of China and Spain."

Marcelo Muñoz, honorary president and founder of the Chinese Chair, stated in his speech: "China made important sacrifices and contributions to the world's victory against fascism. In commemorating the end of World War II, we have neglected the profound suffering it brought. "This War also in Asia. I hope to do everything possible to eliminate this historical injustice and pay tribute to the millions of Asian victims, especially the victims of the Nanjing massacre."

On October 9, 2015, the Nanjing Massacre Archives were included in UNESCO's Memory of the World. To date, Memorial Hall has organized exhibitions in cities such as Los Angeles in the United States, Moscow in Russia, Florence in Italy, Manila in the Philippines, Chateaubriant in France, Minsk in Belarus, Prague in the Czech Republic, Aarhus in Denmark and more .

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Photo: Former Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Medgyessy gave a speech.

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