December 13, 2025 marks the 12th National Memorial Day for Nanjing Massacre Victims. On the morning of the same day, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region held a commemoration ceremony at the SAR Government Headquarters in memory of the victims of the Nanjing Massacre.
December 13 is designated as the National Memorial Day for Nanjing Massacre Victims. The Hong Kong SAR Government held a commemorative ceremony at the SAR Government Headquarters on the morning of that day to mourn the victims of the Nanjing Massacre. The picture shows people from all walks of life bowing in sorrow at the ceremony. (Photo by Hou Yu, China News Service)
John Lee Ka-chiu, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR, Zhou Ji, Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong SAR, as well as key officials of the SAR Government, members of the Executive Council, deputies to the National People’s Congress and members of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference from Hong Kong, chairpersons of District Councils, veteran guerrillas from the former Hong Kong-Kowloon Independent Brigade of the Dongjiang Column, and representatives of veteran organizations attended the ceremony.
The ceremony started at around 10 o’clock. All participants stood in solemn silence and sang the national anthem, followed by a two-minute silence in mourning. After the silence, John Lee Ka-chiu laid a wreath and led all attendees in bowing to pay tribute. Subsequently, John Lee Ka-chiu and representatives from various sectors present at the ceremony signed the memorial book one after another.
On December 13, 1937, the Japanese invaders occupied Nanjing and launched an inhumane massacre that lasted for more than 40 days, which left one of the darkest pages in the history of human civilization. Since the state established December 13 as the National Memorial Day for Nanjing Massacre Victims in 2014, the Hong Kong SAR Government and civil organizations have held commemorative ceremonies and activities every year.
