People in Nanjing on Tuesday observed a minute of silence, as the nation held its ninth memorial ceremony to mark the 300,000 victims of the Nanjing Massacre.

Thousands of people attended the ceremony in the city, despite the cold. White flowers were pinned to their chests as the national flag flew at half-mast.

At 10:01am, sirens rang out and the city came to a halt. Drivers in the downtown area stopped their cars and sounded their horns, while pedestrians paused for a minute of silence in remembrance of the victims.

Others read out a declaration of peace, and white doves were released over the square of the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders.

When Japanese troops captured the city on December 13, 1937, they killed more than 300,000 Chinese civilians and unarmed soldiers in one of the most barbaric episodes of the Second World War.

In 2014, the top legislature designated December 13 as the national memorial day for the victims of the massacre.

Seven survivors of the massacre passed away this year, and the total number of registered survivors number 54. (Xinhua)