(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-12-13 14:44

NANJING -- From north to south, from east to west, Chinese people gathered on Thursday, mourning the victims in the Nanjing Massacre by Japanese aggressors 70 years ago and wishing for eternal peace in the world.

The bell tolled and Nanjing was in grief as nearly 10,000 people gathered in the eastern China city at 10:00 a.m. to mourn the 300,000 lives lost to the Japanese invaders 70 years ago.

The rally was held in a square in front of the memorial hall for the Chinese victims massacred by Japanese invaders, with the crowd mourning for the dead and presenting wreaths.

The mourners, including Nanjing school children, college students, religious people, survivors of the massacre and international friends, passed a Nanjing peace declaration that calls on "all the peace-loving people to be united in building a peaceful, harmonious and reconciliatory new world".

Japanese aggressors occupied Nanjing, then capital of China, on December 13, 1937, and launched a six-week massacre. More than 300,000 Chinese people, including disarmed soldiers, civilians, women and children were massacred, according to historical documents.