On Saturday, China observed the 12th National Memorial Day to honor the 300,000 victims killed by Japanese troops during the Nanjing Massacre, as this year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. The national flag flew at half-staff in front of survivors, students, and international guests. The massacre began on December 13, 1937, when Japanese forces captured the then-capital, unleashing six weeks of atrocities that claimed hundreds of thousands of civilian and unarmed soldier lives. In 2014, China’s legislature designated December 13 as National Memorial Day to preserve historical memory and pay tribute to the victims.