STORY: Exposing the rape of Nanking: Memories of Iris Chang
SHOOTING TIME: Recent footage
DATELINE: Aug. 16, 2024
LENGTH: 00:07:45
LOCATION: NANJING, China
CATEGORY: POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of late Chinese-American writer Iris Chang
2. various of Sun Yat-Sen Mausoleum
3. various of Iris Chang's book "The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II"
4. various of file about the Nanjing Massacre
5. various of the statue of Iris Chang
6. various of video filmed by Iris Chang in 1995
7. various of Yijiangmen Mass Burial Site Monument
8. various of Zhonghuamen Gate
9. various of photos taken by Iris Chang
10. various of video filmed by Iris Chang in 1995
11. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): ZHOU YUYU, Chinese journalist 
12. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): XIA SHUQIN, Survivor of Nanjing Massacre
13. SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): ZHOU YUYU, Chinese journalist
14. SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): XIA SHUQIN, Survivor of Nanjing Massacre
15. various of video filmed by Iris Chang in 1995
16. various of Xia Shuqin
17. SOUNDBITE 5 (Chinese): YANG XIAMING, Researcher at the Institute of National Memory and International Peace
18. SOUNDBITE 6 (Chinese): ZHOU YUYU, Chinese journalist
19. SOUNDBITE 7 (Chinese): YANG XIAMING, Researcher at the Institute of National Memory and International Peace
20. various of the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders
21. SOUNDBITE 8 (Chinese): ZHOU YUYU, Chinese journalist
22. SOUNDBITE 9 (Chinese): YANG XIAMING, Researcher at the Institute of National Memory and International Peace
21. SOUNDBITE 10 (Chinese): ZHOU YUYU, Chinese journalist
22. various of Chang's book
23. SOUNDBITE 11 (Chinese): ZHOU YUYU, Chinese journalist
24. SOUNDBITE 12 (Chinese): YANG XIAMING, Researcher at the Institute of National Memory and International Peace
25. SOUNDBITE 13 (Chinese): ZHOU YUYU, Chinese journalist
26. SOUNDBITE 14 (Chinese): YANG XIAMING, Researcher at the Institute of National Memory and International Peace
27. various of the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders
28. SOUNDBITE 15 (Chinese): YANG XIAMING, Researcher at the Institute of National Memory and International Peace
29. SOUNDBITE 16 (English): RANDY HOPKINS, Consultant to the History Dept., Portland State University, USA, Author of Nanjing Echo
30. SOUNDBITE 17 (Chinese): FLORA MEILING CHONG, Executive Director of ALPHA Education and Asia Pacific Peace Museum, Canada
31. SOUNDBITE 18 (Chinese): LIU JIAWEN, Staff member at the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders, Assistant Researcher at the Institute of National Memory and International Peace

STORYLINE:

Late Chinese-American writer Iris Chang
known for her book on World War II history

Sun Yat-Sen Mausoleum
Nanjing (formerly known as Nanking), China

Chang's best-selling book "The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II" was published in 1997.

With the book, she brought to light the horrifying atrocities, better known as "the Nanjing Massacre," committed by invading Japanese troops in the Chinese city of Nanjing in the late 1930s.

More than 300,000 Chinese died in over 40 days of brutal killing by the Japanese army in the winter from 1937 to 1938.

Exposing the rape of Nanking: Memories of Iris Chang

Yijiangmen Mass Burial Site Monument

Chang published her book on Nanjing Massacre after visiting the Chinese city in 1995 in search of massacre survivors.

This was the first stop of Chang's trip to Nanjing.

Zhonghuamen Gate

From atop the wall at the southern tip of the city, one could see beyond crenellated gray battlements, the dust-gray brick of the working-class districts, the red and blue tile roofs of some of the more affluent homes...   --Iris Chang

Video filmed by Iris Chang in 1995

SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): ZHOU YUYU, Chinese journalist
"Grandma, do you remember? This is one of the videos taken when Iris Chang came to interview you."

SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): XIA SHUQIN, Survivor of Nanjing Massacre
"Yes. It's been over twenty years since Iris Chang interviewed me."

SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): ZHOU YUYU, Chinese journalist
"It's been over twenty years."

SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): XIA SHUQIN, Survivor of Nanjing Massacre
"Back then, I was living at No. 5 Xinlukou Rd. (where Xia's seven family members were slaughtered by invading Japanese troops). I told her everything that occurred here. She cried when she heard my story. She was approachable, and had a kind heart."

SOUNDBITE 5 (Chinese): YANG XIAMING, Researcher at the Institute of National Memory and International Peace
"When Iris Chang came, she was about your age, and my first impression was that she looked like a college student, very young.
At first, we were all a bit skeptical about her, because the subject seemed to be controversial (overseas).
But later we found that she was very meticulous with her research. Before coming, she had already done extensive research.
Simply for writing a book, she traveled all the way to China."

SOUNDBITE 6 (Chinese): ZHOU YUYU, Chinese journalist
"So that was her first, and last time in Nanjing."

SOUNDBITE 7 (Chinese): YANG XIAMING, Researcher at the Institute of National Memory and International Peace
"Her first and last time in Nanjing. Yes, indeed."

Memorial Hall of the Victims
in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders

SOUNDBITE 8 (Chinese): ZHOU YUYU, Chinese journalist
"Professor Yang, what was it like when Iris Chang came to Nanjing?"

SOUNDBITE 9 (Chinese): YANG XIAMING, Researcher at the Institute of National Memory and International Peace
"At that time, Iris Chang didn't know anyone in Nanjing. She wrote to Wu Tianwei (a Chinese-American expert on the history of Japan's invasion of China). Wu knew Sun Zhaiwei from the Jiangsu Provincial Academy of Social Sciences.
Chang needed to find a translator, so I agreed to help.
She had two specific requests: to interview survivors and to collect some materials in Chinese. We divided the tasks. I accompanied her to interview survivors and visit important sites related to the Nanjing Massacre.
It was in late July (1995) when she stayed at the Xiyuan Hotel. She lived on the top floor. It was relatively more spacious, just like this.
The usual process was that she would ask questions, and I would translate them into Chinese. I often knew what she was going to ask. Her first question always focused on getting the survivors' authorization. She placed great importance on the authorization of documents and the intellectual property rights."

SOUNDBITE 10 (Chinese): ZHOU YUYU, Chinese journalist
"She gave a voice to those who lost their lives in the massacre."

Chang's book "The Rape of Nanking," published in 1997, was the first, full-length English-language narrative of the atrocity to reach a wide audience.

It became a New York Times Notable Book, and was cited by Bookman Review Syndicate as one of the best books of 1997.

SOUNDBITE 11 (Chinese): ZHOU YUYU, Chinese journalist
"Regarding this book, we have also heard some criticism or even negative comments."

SOUNDBITE 12 (Chinese): YANG XIAMING, Researcher at the Institute of National Memory and International Peace
"I was quite nervous while translating it, worried that there might be errors. After translating, I checked every word carefully and even reviewed the original footage. Iris Chang's description of the survivors' oral accounts was flawless and very accurate.
She chose a very good title for her book: The Rape of Nanking, with the subtitle "The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II."

SOUNDBITE 13 (Chinese): ZHOU YUYU, Chinese journalist
"At that time, the Nanjing Massacre was forgotten or even ignored by the international community."

SOUNDBITE 14 (Chinese): YANG XIAMING, Researcher at the Institute of National Memory and International Peace
"Yes.
So, her book addressed two themes: one is the history of the Nanjing Massacre or the atrocities committed in Nanjing, and the other is being forgotten. Why was it forgotten? Therefore, this book is both a historical record and a reflection of the realities back then.
Her book had far-reaching influence after it was published. In Western mainstream media, AOL (vice chairman) conceptualized and funded a documentary 'Nanking,' like Schindler's List."

The documentary "Nanking" was the first to tell the story of the Nanjing Massacre from a Western perspective.

Memorial Hall of the Victims
in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders

At the memorial hall in Nanjing, with the passing of each survivor, a light on the survivor's photo wall dims.

Today, only 32 survivors of the Nanjing Massacre are still alive.

SOUNDBITE 15 (Chinese): YANG XIAMING, Researcher at the Institute of National Memory and International Peace
"After 1995, my academic focus shifted entirely to the massacre. Looking back now, why did this shift happen? It probably started from that summer, from the influence Iris Chang had on me."

SOUNDBITE 16 (English): RANDY HOPKINS, Consultant to the History Dept., Portland State University, USA, Author of Nanjing Echo
"My essay exposes a vilification campaign that was directed against Chang.
It is my hope and plan that the Japanese translation will be published later in the year.
In that way, a truly international audience including English speakers, Chinese speakers and Japanese speakers, can be exposed to what I believe is important information which will help restore Chang's book "The Rape of Nanking" to its true place in historiography.

SOUNDBITE 17 (Chinese): FLORA MEILING CHONG, Executive Director of ALPHA Education and Asia Pacific Peace Museum, Canada
"I was very shocked when I read the book written by Iris Chang on the Nanjing Massacre.
I hope that we can continue to carry forward this historical mission, starting from education, so that young people in every corner of the world can learn the value of peace from the human tragedy of the Nanjing Massacre."

SOUNDBITE 18 (Chinese): LIU JIAWEN, Staff member at the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders, Assistant Researcher at the Institute of National Memory and International Peace
"After learning about her deeds, I was even more touched by her spirit, not only because of her conscientious and meticulous approach to research, but also because she called on the international community to pay attention to the historical event of the Nanjing Massacre.
I feel that as a young person, I have more responsibilities and obligations, not only to continue to tell her story, but also to tell the history of the Nanjing Massacre to the international community."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Nanjing, China.
(XHTV)