The World Memory and Peace Vision - Nanjing Massacre Historical Facts Exhibition opened on October 26th at the Urban Exhibition Center in Madrid, marking the first-time exhibition of the Nanjing Massacre Historical Facts in Spain. He Yong, Culture Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Spain, Marcelo Muñoz, Chairman of Cátedra China, a thinktank in Spain and Zhou Feng, Curator of the Memorial Hall for the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders, attended the opening ceremony.
The exhibition, with the theme of "World Memory and Peace Vision", consists of three parts: the Nanjing Massacre, the Just Trial, and the City of Peace. With over 100 historical images, 10 physical exhibits, and 9 replicas, it tells the story of the atrocities committed by the invading Japanese army in Nanjing in the six weeks after the fall of Nanjing in December 1937 and the trial of Japanese war criminals by the International Tribunal for the Far East.
The exhibition showcases the peaceful practices of Nanjing as an "International Peace City", conveying to the international community the Chinese people's desire to remember history, cherish peace, firmly follow the path of peaceful development, and promote the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind.
Narrating from a third-party perspective, the exhibition extensively cites reports from Western media such as the Spanish newspaper El Diluvio, as well as diaries and letters from Westerners who remained behind in the Nanjing Safety Zone to shelter the civilians. In the meantime, the exhibition explores the connection between Spain and the anti-fascist battlefield in Asia in World War II in a bid to achieve empathy with Spanish visitors.
Marcelo Muñoz, chairman of Cátedra China, said in his speech that, China has made significant sacrifices and contributions to the victory of the World Anti Fascist War. While commemorating the end of World War II, we have neglected that this war has also brought profound suffering to Asia. I hope to do my best to eliminate this historical injustice and pay tribute to the millions of Asian victims, especially those of the Nanjing Massacre. As I have felt many times in China, China advocates for peace and justice to remember history, to ensure that the crimes committed are not forgotten, and to prevent such atrocities from happening again.
Marcelo Muñoz was the first ever Spaniard to open a business in China after the country's reform and opening-up. He experienced from within China the country's transformation in the last 45 years. After retirement, he created the think-tank "Cátedra China," aiming to bring together Chinese and Spanish people and open a door for dialogue.
Rafael Cascales Sisnega, President of the Spanish Tourism Association in China, said: "I know the Nanjing Massacre, which is a tragic history that occurred in Nanjing. I believe this is an event that both the Chinese and Spanish people must remember. We should not forget this history, in order to prevent such a tragedy from happening again”.
According to Huang Xiaozhong, Honorary President of the Spanish Association for China-Spain Exchange and Development, many Europeans visiting the exhibition feel very surprised to find out that China and other Asian countries also suffered such great losses, and the Chinese people contributed such great strength in the Second World War, and that people of the world should bear in mind the cruelty of war, and let the concept and love for peace take root in their hearts!
Noting that Madrid enjoys the reputation of being the Gate of Europe,he hoped that this exhibition can help Spain understand the vision of the Chinese people to build a community with a shared future for mankind through this door. It can also connect the historical memories and common future of the Chinese and Western peoples through this door.
On October 9, 2015, the Documents of the Nanjing Massacre from China, are inscribed on the Memory of the World Register by the International Advisory Committee of UNESCO's Memory of the World Programme, making the history of the Nanjing Massacre a world memory.
As of now, the Memorial Hall for the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders has held exhibitions in Los Angeles in the United States, Moscow in Russia, Florence in Italy, Manila in the Philippines, Caen in France, Minsk in Belarus, Prague in the Czech Republic, and Aarhus in Denmark.
