College students from Hong Kong observe  a moment of silence to mourn the victims in Nanjing Massacre, Aug 7. [Photo by Yang Bo/VCG]

Forty-seven students from Hong Kong recently embarked on a trip to East China's Jiangsu province, where they remembered the victims of the Nanjing massacre. 

The students were from 11 higher learning institutions, including the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong. 

Aug 7 saw them visiting the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders in Nanjing, the provincial capital. 

The city was invaded by Japanese troops on Dec 13, 1937, and around 300,000 unarmed civilians and soldiers were slaughtered. 

The brutal events brought huge trauma to Chinese people, but also motivated the nation to stand up for revitalization and a determination of building a community of a shared destiny with people from all over the world. 

The students learned about its history and observed a moment of silence to mourn the victims of the massacre 81 year ago. 

Japan announced its surrender on Aug 15, 1945, bringing the hostilities of World War II to a close. 

The students also visited Nantong, a coastal city in Jiangsu, during their trip.