MACAO, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) government held a memorial ceremony on Saturday to mourn the victims of the Nanjing Massacre.

Chief Executive of the Macao SAR Sam Hou Fai, Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR Zheng Xincong, along with other principal officials, representatives from various sectors of society, and teachers and students, attended the ceremony. Around 450 people were present.

The participants sang China's national anthem. An honor guard laid wreaths at the memorial platform. Sam and other officials stepped forward to adjust the ribbons and bow. This was followed by a moment of silence.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

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

In 2014, China's top legislature designated Dec. 13 as the national memorial day for the massacre victims. Enditem