Nanjing Massacre Memorial
My life as a committed traveller isn’t always about climbing mountains, cruising down rivers and gorging on delicious new foods. Sometimes you’ve gotta deal with the difficult things too. Go face to face with stuff you’d rather turn a blind eye to.
This was definitely the case with Nanjing Massacre Memorial in China. Sometimes, in order to truly understand a place and its people, it’s necessary to delve deep into the depths of history’s darkest moments.
Peace Square in the Massacre Memorial.
I couldn’t image going to Krakow and not seeing Auschwitz & Birkenau. Nor could I have travelled Cambodia while ignoring sites like The Killing Fields and Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum.
Similarly, it would’ve been impossible to get a true feel for the identity of modern Vietnam without visiting the war memorials of Hanoi or confronting the harrowing exhibitions at Ho Chi Minh’s War Remnants Museum.
At The Massacre Memorial.
The Nanjing Massacre, which took place throughout December and January of 1937, is considered the worst atrocity ever carried out against the Chinese people. The city’s incredible memorial museum and sculpture park is an essential component of a visit to Nanjing.
So off I went to join the Golden Week throngs, pay my respects and continue this never-ending quest to learn more about myself and the world I live in. However, I certainly didn’t bank on an almighty battle just to get myself through the front door!
For the full story, have a look at my articles on:
How to get into the memorial during Golden Week part I
How to get into the memorial during Golden Week part II
Nanjing Massacre Memorial Part I
Nanjing Massacre Memorial Part II
