The community of surviving witnesses to one of World War II’s most horrific atrocities continues to diminish with the passing of Xu Deming at age 96. The Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders confirmed his death on Friday, reducing the number of officially registered survivors to just 22.
The Nanjing Massacre represents one of the darkest chapters in modern history, occurring after Imperial Japanese forces captured China’s capital on December 13, 1937. During six weeks of systematic violence, approximately 300,000 Chinese civilians and disarmed soldiers were brutally slaughtered in an episode that shocked the world with its sheer barbarity.
Xu Deming’s personal testimony, preserved through historical records, recounted the traumatic events his family endured: ‘Japanese invaders stormed into our home and seized my father. They transported him to Shuiximen and subsequently to the Qingliang Mountain area for mass execution. Although we received information about his whereabouts from a witness, we never recovered his remains.’ The then-54-year-old father’s disappearance left the family struggling for survival in refugee camps with severe food shortages.
This declining population of firsthand witnesses has prompted China to implement extensive preservation efforts. In 2014, the National People’s Congress established December 13 as an official memorial day for the massacre victims. The Chinese government has meticulously documented survivor accounts through written transcripts and video recordings, creating an extensive archival repository. These historically significant materials gained international recognition in 2015 when they were inscribed on UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register, ensuring the atrocities are never forgotten despite the passing of those who witnessed them.