The oldest living individual who survived the Nanjing Massacre passed away on Sunday, leaving less than 100 survivors, as announced by the Memorial Hall of the Victims in the Nanjing Massacre on Monday.

National leaders have planned to be present at the public memorial ceremony taking place at the Memorial Hall of the Victims in the Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders on Wednesday.

Guan Guangjing, who lived to be 100, sadly passed away three days before the National Memorial Day for Nanjing Massacre Victims. In his last months, he was bedridden due to heart disease and passed away at home from multiple organ failure, as reported by his son-in-law, Liu, over a phone call.

Guan shared his verbal testimony in a book called “Irrefutable Evidences, A Memoir of the Lishui Bombing Caused by Japanese Invaders,” published in November 2016 by Nanjing Press. This book captured the experiences of 31 survivors of the bombing that took place in Nanjing’s Lishui county on Nov 29, 1937, claiming over 1,200 lives.

In the book, Guan recounts hiding under a large rock during the bombing and witnessing the demise of his neighbors, including four generations of a family named Sun.

Guan was able to survive the massacre, where over 300,000 Chinese were killed by Japanese invaders, by constantly hiding. This was during the time when Nanjing, which was China’s capital, was under occupation in December 1937.

Officials from the memorial hall have shared Guan’s accounts of witnessing the Japanese invaders ruthlessly killing people multiple times.

The National Memorial Day is observed on Dec 13, and this year marks the 80th anniversary of the Nanjing Massacre.

“Guan had no family before 1937, being an orphan. His spouse passed away five years ago at the age of 84,” Liu added.

Online users expressed their condolences for Guan following the announcement of his death on Sina Weibo on Sunday.

As per the Weibo post, Guan was a barrel maker in Lishui county and led a modest life. He was always ready to lend a helping hand and was highly respected in his local community.

The post also mentioned that his family donated some of his personal belongings to the memorial hall, including a paper fan, a watch, and a teapot.

Zhang Sheng, a history professor at Nanjing University, shared that only about half of the remaining survivors, most of whom are over 85, can express themselves clearly.

Wu Lisong, a history lecturer at Nanjing University, shared that people used to believe that the pain of the survivors would fade over time, but it’s now understood that it lasts a lifetime.

“Some of them get scared when they see people in Japanese military uniforms on TV, and some become irritable whenever the tragic years are brought up,” said Wu, who has been leading a project since September 2016 to collect oral accounts from survivors.

“While no apology or compensation can erase the traumas experienced by the victims and survivors, it’s still essential to acknowledge the historical truth, which could be a step towards reconciliation,” he added.

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