NANJING, Dec. 12 -- A new book on the Nanjing massacre in World War II was released in China's eastern city of Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, on Monday.
The book, called "Human Memory: the Solid Evidence of the Nanjing Massacre," consists of around 200 documents and images from China, Japanand other countries which participated in the post-war trials, said Nanjing University's Zhang Xianwen, editor-in-chief of the book.
"Only when a nation keeps its memory intact can it learn lessons and be inspired," said Zhang.
The research institute on Nanjing Massacre and world peace, a think tank established by Nanjing University and other bodies in March, selected the documents from archives and libraries in China, the United States, Germany, Britain, Franceand Japan.
The province on Monday also granted peace medals to descendants of six foreigners, including John Rabe from Germany, who had helped save civilians during the massacre.
Japanese troops occupied Nanjing on Dec. 13, 1937, and began a six-week massacre. Chinese records show more than 300,000 people -- not only disarmed soldiers but also civilians -- were brutally murdered and thousands of women raped.
Since 2014, China has marked the day as National Memorial Day.
