What I Learned From This Research?

Through this research, I’ve come to understand that justice is not only about trials and verdicts—it’s also about remembrance, acknowledgment, and how we pass down truth. Visiting the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall made it clear that memory can be a form of justice. The words displayed throughout the museum emphasize peace, not hatred. One quote that stood out reads:

“The Nanjing Massacre is a catastrophe for all mankind. It should be remembered by the entire human race to inspire everyone with a kind heart to yearn for and safeguard peace, increase the awareness of building a human community with a shared future, abandon prejudice and discrimination, eliminate hatred and war and promote mutual respect, equality, peaceful development and common prosperity. A better future should be the vision of mankind.”

This message helped me realize that remembering history is not about holding onto anger, but about preventing silence and denial. The phrase “Remember history, but not with hatred” was repeated across survivor quotes and displays. That idea stayed with me. It showed that healing and justice can take many forms, including truth-telling, education, and collective reflection.

I also learned that children’s experiences in wartime are often overlooked, even though they carry deep emotional and historical meaning. Stories of displacement, family separation, and survival challenge us to see war through the eyes of its most vulnerable victims. By focusing on children’s voices, this project gave me a deeper understanding of how war disrupts not just lives, but entire generations, and why preserving these stories matters.

Overall, this research taught me that peace is not passive. It requires ongoing effort—through memory, storytelling, and compassion—to resist forgetting and to imagine a more just and empathetic future. Remembering the Nanjing Massacre is not just about the past. It is a call to action for everyone to protect truth and promote peace.