July 7 is the anniversary of the Marco Polo Bridge Incident 68 years ago, which marked the outbreak of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression.
This year is also the 60th anniversary of the defeat of Japan and the end of World War II.
Hundreds of people, including soldiers of the anti-Japanese War and their families opened an exhibition on Thursday, commemorating that bloody war.
The exhibition asks people not to forget the past when building the future.
A minute silence marked the lives of Chinese who died in the anti-Japanese war.
3,000 doves were also released to express the world's desire for peace.
After months of preparations, the Anti-Japan War Museum has reopened to the public.
In his opening address, Liu Yunshan, director of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party called on the Chinese, esp. the younger generation not to ignore the grave past, and value the peacetime.
"This exhibition, through a multiplicity of historical materials, exposes the war crimes of Japanese militarism in China and highlights the Chinese people's heroism in fighting against such atrocities. The victory in this war was a victory of the people, of justise and of peace. Let us remember the past, cherish the peace and build the future together."
Divided into eight parts, the exhibition shows the united efforts by the Chinese military and civilians to safeguarding China against Japan.
Over 800 objects and 600 photos are on display which showcases the history of the Japanese invasion, including the Nanjing Massacre and bio-chemical warfare used against Chinese civilians and the Chinese army.
In addition, famous battles are re-enacted in multimedia displays
Visitors, especially students, expressed the view that the exhibition provided a good opportunity for them to learn about and remember the past.
"It is a very good opportunity to learn about that period of history. Usually we only learn about it from textbook. Here we can see the actual exhibits, it's just like we are experiencing the history on our own."
"I think that war-torn period is not really so far from us. History can make us face reality with a cool mind. We should not forget the past, especially the defeats."
The Marco Polo Bridge Incident began with a telegraph from the Japanese army in 1937, demanding to search for a missing soldier in what is today Lugouqiao Township, southwest of China's capital city Beijing.
After the Chinese refused, the Japanese army artillery starting shelling the town and sent in infantry, triggering the eight-year-long war.
Over 35 million Chinese people were killed or injured in the eight-year-long war.
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Producer:
Xie Qiao 
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