Policemen carry wreaths during a Nanjing Massacre memorial rehearsal ahead of the 69th anniversary of the Japanese atrocity in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province December 12. A total of 300,000 Chinese were killed by Japanese militarists on December 13, 1937. Characters on the backdrop read: "Drawing lessons from the past."

Policemen carry wreaths during a Nanjing Massacre memorial rehearsal ahead of the 69th anniversary of the Japanese atrocity in Nanjing.

Flowers are placed in front of the list of victims of the Nanjing Massacre.

A man takes a snapshot by his mobile phone in front of the signboard reading "300,000 victims".

(China Daily December 13, 2006)