Plan your Nanjing Tour? Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall is the big draw on your Nanjing trip. The museum’s official name is called the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders (侵华日军南京大屠杀遇难同胞纪念馆).
Nanjing Massacre Museum tells the overwhelming atrocities of raping, killing, burning and looting committed by the Japanese forces of aggression during the six weeks from December 13, 1937 to January, 1938. In the massacre, a total of 300,000 people were killed including 28 mass slaughters and 858 occasional slaughters.
Nanjing Massacre Museum was open to the public on August 15, 1985. It was renovated and revamped in 1995. The museum is constructed on the site of one of the mass graves known as Jiangdongmen Mass Grave where over 10000 corpses of victims were buried.
Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall has a total area of 30,000 square meters with 9 gates. It is mainly composed of four sections: Site Square, Exhibition Area. Mass Grave of 10000 Corpse and Peace Park with a total area of 30,000 square meters.
We are thankful for Iris Chang
We are thankful for Iris Chang ( 张纯如) who has let the people around world better know the massacre. Iris Shun-Ru Chang (March 28, 1968 – November 9, 2004) was an American-born Chinese journalist, best known for her best-selling “The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II” (published in 1997).
Iris Chang, author of “The Rape of Nanking”, ended her life with a pistol on November 9, 2004. She was 36. She had suffered from years of depression and constant sleep deprivation since her bestseller – “The Rape of Nanking”.
In his eulogy, reporter Richard Rongstad said, “Iris Chang lit a flame and passed it to others and we should not allow that flame to be extinguished.” ( Quoted from Who killed ‘Rape of Nanking’ author Iris Chang? by cgtn.com).
How to Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall
Take subway line 2 and get off at the station of Yunjin Lu (云锦路) and exit at Exit 2. When you exit from the subway station, you will see a huge architecture built of grey marble.
This is the Massacre Museum. You should enter Gate 1, first visit the Exhibition Area, then the Site Square, the Mass Grave of 10000 Corpses and finally the Peace Park. You are advised to exit from the Gate 2 and get back to the subway Station of Yunjin Rd (云锦路). But the museum’s official address is No.418, Shuiximen Street.
It is open from Tuesday to Sunday 08:30-17:30 (16:30 for latest entry); closed on Mondays;
Note: It will be normally open on Mondays on statutory holidays.
China Nanjing Yunjin Museum
As you can find from the google map above, upright corner there is a museum known as “China Nanjing Yunjin Museum“.
“Yunjin” literally means “cloud-pattern brocade” in Chinese. It now refers to the famous Nanjing Yunjin tapestry which dates back almost 1,600 years. The traditional Jacquard silk patterns are as various and as beautiful as the clouds in the sky, hence the name “Yunjin”.
If you have extra time, you may put the two museums on a half day combo trip. It is open 8 am-5:30 pm. Its address: 240 Chating East Street, Nanjing.
Virtual Tour of Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall
Follow me to visit the Massacre Museum.
Take subway line 2 and get off at the station of Yunjin Rd (云锦路) and exit at Exit 2.
The museum is a grey marble building with overwhelming statues and sculptures.
People are waiting in line to visit the museum which is free of charge. Try to avoid weekends and holidays and get to there earlier to beat the crowds. Each day there are a huge number of visitors coming to the museum.
When you enter the museum, you are on the site square, open and not so overpowering with people. The most prominent site you will see the stone wall engraved with the time of the massacre and 300,000 victims.
Turn right and walk to the Exhibition Area. In the exhibition hall, exhibits, photos and the memorabilia in the cabinets in English Japanese and Chinese tell their own stories without words. People are looking at the exhibits.
John Rabe is well known in China for his efforts to stop war crimes during the Japanese takeover of Nanjing and he did a lot to protect and help Chinese civilians during the massacre.
After visiting Nanjing Massacre Museum, if you have extra time, you have a 700-m walk to reach China Nanjing Yunjin Museum, where you see how weavers to make Yunjin tapestry with the traditional Jacquard silk patterns.
Tip: Hassle-free Jiangsu Guided Tours
If you don’t want to do a self-guided tour and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours, here are some options for organized tours to Jiangsu Province:
Nanjing Tour
Suzhou Tour
Jiangsu Tour
Further Readings
Top 10 Attractions in Nanjing
How to Visit Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall
How to Visit Nanjing Confucius Temple-The Qinhuai River Scenic Area
How to Visit Zhonghua Gate Nanjing
How to Visit Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge
How to Visit Linggu Temple Scenic Area
Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum Music Stage
How to Visit Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s Mausoleum
How to Visit Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum
How to Visit Nanjing Presidential Palace
Nanjing South Railway Station
Nanjing Taxi: Nanjing Taxi Fares, Tips and Phones
Suzhou Railway Station
Suzhou Taxi: Suzhou Taxi Fares, Tips and Phones
Top 10 Attractions in Suzhou
Suzhou Railway Station
How to Visit Tongli Water Town
How to Visit Zhouzhuang Water Town
How to Visit Pingjiang Road in Suzhou
How to Visit The Garden of the Master of the Nets
How to visit Humble Administrator’s Garden
How to Visit Lion Grove Garden
How to Visit Canglang Pavilion
How to Visit Guanqian Street in Suzhou
4 Amazing Short Trip Ideas from Shanghai
Wuzhen Pictures – Wuzhen Photo Gallery
Zhouzhuang Pictures – Zhouzhuang Photo Gallery
Any questions, just drop a line.
is the Memorial Hall to Victims of Nanjing Massacre opened on the 04th Dec 2018??
Dear Jerry Lee
The museum is open from 08:30 to 16:30 daily except Monday ( Monday is closed ). So it will be open on 04th Dec 2018 ( Tue). Have a nice time!
I just want to say thank you for maintaining the museum. Every year, I think of the victims of Nanjing. Sometimes, the Chinese American author Iris Chang would cross my mind-especially in November. Thank you for remembering these people. 10 years will pass, 100 or 1000 years will pass, but they will never be forgotten because of you.
THANK YOU.
Dear Rosanna,
Thanks for your saying so! Actually, we live with the memory of Nanjing massacre no matter the museum is there or not. We are also thankful for Iris Chang who has let the world better understand the massacre. They are always remembered by us and our kids, on and on.
Take care and best regards,
Daniel Li
Beijing, China
Will Sunday 9 June be a very busy day to come and visit from Hefei?
How do you get there from the the express train station?
Thank you.
Dear Rosemary，
June 9 will be a normal day visiting the museum, not very busy, but still you can expect many visitors as usual.
You can take the high speed train from Hefei South Railway Station to Nanjing South Railway Station, which takes just one hour. Then change for a taxi or subway plus bus taking you to the museum. Have a nice time in Nanjing!