December 13 marks the third official Day of R


Behind their kind, weathered eyes, the survivors of the Nanjing Massacre have witnessed unspeakable tragedy that has left them shaken but astoundingly resilient.

Portraits of survivors of the Nanjing Massacre were unveiled in honour of China's third official Day of Remembrance which acknowledges the horrific six weeks that began December 13, 1937.

This year marks the 79th anniversary of the tragedy that killed 300,000 people and left tens of thousands of women sexually assaulted by Imperial Japanese soldiers.

These are some of the faces of the 108 remaining survivors of the Nanjing Massacre where 300,000 people were killed

When Zhang Fuzhi, 89, passed away on Nov. 26, 2016. The photos of him were taken 10 days before he died

Zhang Fuzhi eats a fried cake in his home. Injuries from being beaten up during the Nanjing Massacre left him blind

Born in 1927, Zhang Fuzhi was just a boy when he was beaten up by Japanese soldiers during the Nanjing Massacre

The faces of the survivors are a powerful reminder to never forget the slaughter in 1937. They watched Chinese soldiers and their families mercilessly killed in World War II.

Chinese state media Xinhua News Agency published the astounding photos on Monday showing 30 of the 108 remaining survivors. They were shared on multiple other Chinese media sites.

Tomorrow will be China's third National Memorial Day for Nanjing Massacre victims. The National People's Congress made the anniversary an official day of remembrance in 2014. State media reported 10,000 people attended the first memorial ceremony which is held at the Memorial Hall for the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre.

The Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall was built in 1985 and expanded in 1995 at one of the group execution and burial sites.

Photos were released to honour the few survivors of the Nanjing Massacre that killed 300,000

Nanjing, the former capital of Nationalist China, was invaded during the Second World War. For six weeks the city was ransacked as soldiers and civilians were slaughtered and women were taken as 'comfort women' for the Japanese soldiers.

These photos show the emotional toll of war and reveal the trauma suffered by the survivors of the Nanjing Massacre. For example: Zhang Fuzhi is not able to recognise his family or tell directions.

He was beaten by Japanese soldiers and went blind in his right eye. He died in November just 10 days after this portrait was taken.

Yi Cuilan hid in refugee camps after escaping Nanjing. She currently rents a home in the former capital of Nationalist China

Yi Cuilan, 93, still suffers pain from the assaults by soldiers from 79 years ago

HOW DID THE NANJING MASSACRE HAPPEN? Bodies litter the street during the Nanjing Massacre On December 13, 1937 Imperial Japanese troops invaded the capital city of Nanjing where they ransacked, pillaged and slaughtered civilians for six weeks. The city was essentially abandoned by Chinese Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-Shek who called for the removal of most official troops following a brutal loss in Shanghai. He forbade official evacuation of civilians and ordered the untrained troops left to defend the city at any cost. The soldiers who remained were tracked down by the Japanese and killed. They were lumped into mass graves along with civilians who happened to be in the way. They even had killing contests to see who could get the highest body count. Decaying bodies filled the streets and the safety zone which was established for the protection of civilians was ignored. According to History.com, the safety zone was about the size of Central Park. In addition to the slaughtering of 300,000 people in six weeks, women were raped in the thousands. There were 40 military brothels in the city alone where Japanese soldiers would rape women as young as 12 years old. They were referred to as 'comfort women'. Advertisement

Many told the story of how they survived the horrors of 1937. Yi Cuilan, 93, hid from the soldiers by pretending to be a boy.

Several of the survivors posed with their certificate indicating their were survivors of the massacre. They talked about how exactly they managed to escape such a slaughtering that killed so many.

Sometimes the Nanjing Massacre is referred to as the Rape of Nanjing because of the thousands of women who were raped by Japanese soldiers.

Some of the survivors escaped the slaughtering by running away to refugee camps. The horrific experience robbed them of their childhood.

People posed with their certificates that indicated they are survivors of the Nanjing Massacre

Zhu Sizi relaxes on her porch. She survived the massacre by hiding in a burrow with her family

The unspeakable horrors suffered by these survivors are clear once one looks into their eyes where you can witness their pain and exhaustion.

This is especially clear in the photo of Zhu Sizi as she sits outside of her home. She recalled her family hiding in a burrow behind her house to hide from the troops. The soldiers burned childhood down her home.

Every year the number of survivors shrinks which is what makes these portraits special. Most were just children when the soldiers invaded their city.

Zhu Sizi's home was burned when she was 17 and Japanese soldiers invaded Nanjing

Ma Xiuying escaped the horrors of the Nanjing Massacre by escaping to a refugee camp with his mother

Zhang Fuzhi died on November 26 and was one of the last 109 survivors. His death brought the number down to 108

These photos show people living normal lives 79 years after the terror. Zhu Sizi sits in her bedroom with colourful posters lining the wall.

Ma Xiuying calmly plays cards decades after escaping to a refugee zone with his mother. Zhang Fuzhi walks down the stairs with his daughter.

The horrors they witnessed have often been brushed off by the Japanese government. In 1994 justice minister Shigeto Nagato even said the massacre was fabricated. There has not yet been a formal apology for the Nanjing Massacre.