I attended a memorial service last month for victims of the Nanking massacre, held at the Hong Kong government offices in Admiralty.

Such occasions are solemn reminders of history’s darkest moments, forcing us to pause and reflect on the scale of the tragedy that unfolded after the city was seized on December 13, 1937, and the broader suffering inflicted on China during World War II. Government figures estimate that military and civilian casualties exceeded 35 million, with 21 million lives lost, leaving an enduring scar on the nation.

For many people in Hong Kong, and indeed across the country, recalling these atrocities is not merely an act of historical remembrance. It is an expression of empathy for a generation that endured unspeakable pain and suffering, a collective memory that must not fade.