October 25, 2003

October 25, 2003: Laura is pointing at the sculpture at the entrance of the Jiang Dong Meng Memorial in Nanjing City. The three pillars represent the number 300,000 for those slaughtered and the five circles at the top and the beam under the circles represent Chinese character for people.

The Cross-Shaped Tablet won first place in 1990s for its architectural design. Standing about 20.13 meters high it depicts the arrival of Japanese invaders on December 13, 1937 who killed 300,000 Chinese citizens within a six week period to January 1938.

The Tablet, on the top part of which the time of the massacre was inscribed was (pit) put up in a square covered with cobblestones symbolizing the countless white bones of the victims of the massacre, which implies the museum in memory of the victims of the Nanjing massacre by Japanese troops was built on a mass grave at Jiangdongmen.

Laura Wong stands next to a sculpture of an arm situated at the back of the Memorial. Many victims slaughtered in Nanjing were disfigured by Japanese soldiers.

A sculptured head lies on gravel up against a replica of Nanjing's wall used to protect the city from attack. The sculpture depicts the many instances of decapitated Chinese by Japanese soldiers. In order to penetrate the city Japanese soldiers entered at all four points of the wall.

A sculptured Chinese woman and man with cane stand next to a gray lane of footprints cemented into the tiles that line a segment of the Jiang Dong Meng Memorial site in Nanjing, complete with the survivor's name, age and date of birth.

This is a facing view of the lane of survivor footprints at the Jiang Dong Meng Memorial in Nanjing City, China.

This is a close up shot of one of the many survivor footprints that line a gray tile section at the Jiang Dong Meng Memorial in Nanjing City.

This picture depicts a one-footed survivor.

Nanjing's Nazi Hero John Babe's photo and diaries are displayed on the wall of the Memorial. Babe was chairman of the International Committee for the Nanking Safety Zone. Babe's photo as seen on the wall was taken by Ursula Reinhardt.

Laura Wong points to photos of survivors at the Memorial.

A closer shot of photos of survivors are displayed at the Memorial.

Toshiaki & Takeshi' photo appeared in the Japan Advertiser with an accompanying article that described how the soldiers competed in a killing contest. The soldiers went on seperate beheading sprees in to see who could kill one hundred men first. The headline in the Advertiser read: "Contest to Kill First 100 Chinese with Sword Extended When Both Fighters Exceed Mark - Mukai Scores 106 and Noda 105"

This plaque forewarns visitors of the expectation of a mass grave up ahead as they continue through the Memorial.

This is an approach shot of the Mass Grave on the Memorial Site.

This is a close up view of the mass grave.

The plaque indicates what is inside the underground skeletal display.

Hundreds of skeletal remains are in a glass case in this shrine in the Memorial.

In a show of sorry many leis made by Japanese visitors hang as displayed offerings at the entrance and exit of the underground skeletal segment at the Memorial.

A statue of a distressed woman sits at the corner of the cobblestone park in the Memorial. The woman is depicted as anguished over the loss of her child/children or family.

Tour Guide Laura Wong gives closing statements on the characteristics of the Memorial.