Nanjing Massacre survivor passes away, only 34 still alive

      NANJING -- Gao Ruqin, who survived the Nanjing Massacre, passed away on Thursday at the age of 90, bringing the number of living registered survivors to 34, according to the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders on Thursday.

      The Nanjing Massacre occurred when Japanese troops captured the then Chinese capital on Dec. 13, 1937. Over six weeks, they killed approximately 300,000 Chinese civilians and unarmed soldiers in one of the most barbaric episodes of World War II.

      Gao had spoken of the memory of her grandmother and mother helping her escape the pursuing Japanese invaders during the massacre.

      "The first shot from the Japanese invaders hit my mother's leg, piercing through it. The second shot hit my grandmother in the chest and she fell to the ground on the spot. Later, my father took us to a refugee shelter, where we survived on the porridge provided as relief," she had recalled.

      Prior to her passing, Gao expressed her thankfulness to those who showed concern for the survivors of the massacre, as well as her wish for world peace.