Nanjing Massacre Survivor Who Had The Most Epic Escape From Japanese Soldiers Dies at 94
By Bryan Ke
Li Gaoshan, one of the few survivors of the gruesome Nanjing (Nanking) Massacre that lasted for six weeks in 1937, has died in his home.
News about Li’s passing, who died at the age of 94 years old, was shared on Chinese social media Sina Weibo by the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders, according to China Daily.
Born on February 24, 1925, Li was one of the few survivors that lived to tell the tale of the gruesome massacre that happened in Nanjing, when the Japanese attacked during World War II. He was only 13 when he enlisted to guard the once-capital city against the invading Japanese military.
The occupation, massacre, and rape in Nanjing lasted for six weeks during the Japanese military occupation that began on December 13, 1937. Reports said that around 300,000 people were killed, which included disarmed soldiers and civilians, while thousands of women were raped.
Li was one of the soldiers disarmed by the Japanese outside Yijiangmen. He and other hundreds of captives had their hands tied behind their backs and lined up inside the rooms in the Bazishan Mansion.
The opposing army then opened fire on the helpless victims through the windows using their machine guns. Most of the prisoners perished, but Li was one of the few who survived the initial horrendous punishment.
He immediately tried to escape as the Japanese troops poured gasoline on the mansion’s first floor. Li made his way to the house’s second floor along with six other survivors of the attack, said in the reports.
All survivors managed to save themselves by climbing off a wall and jumping to the next establishment, where they hid on the building’s roof for five days without food or supplies. Unfortunately, the invading Japanese troops still managed to find them.
Soldiers shot five of the survivors to death, but Li was able to escape death’s grip for the third time.
According to reports, at least five survivors of the massacre have died since the year started up to this point, this includes Li. The number of remaining survivors is said to be at around 90.
Featured image via Weibo
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