Loud air-defense sirens came on at 9:18 PM. Sunday and lasted for three minutes at 227 places in Shenyang City, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province, to mark the September 18 Incident 74 years ago.

All buses and cars in the street also stopped to horn. A group of 12 people selected from all walks of life struck a big bell for 14 times to mark the city's 14-year fight against the Japanese invasion.

On Sept. 18, 1931, Japanese troops blew up a section of the Dalian-Harbin Railway near Shenyang, and then accused the Chinese troops of sabotage as a pretext and bombarded the barracks of the Chinese troops near Shenyang the same evening, thus starting a massive armed invasion of northeastern China. Japan then launched an all-out invasion of China in the ensuing 14 years.

This is the 11th year that Shenyang sounds the air-defense sirens to mark the September 18 Incident.

"Sirens were sounded to remind people never forget the history and national humiliation," said Zhang Yibo, honorary chairman of the Liaoning Provincial "September 18 Incident" Research Institute, who has long appealed to the government to make September 18 a "Day of National Humiliation."

Sunday, the September 18, happened to be the Mid-Autumn Day, a traditional Chinese festival of family reunion. Many young people in Liaoning Province avoided holding their wedding ceremonies on the day. The Shenyang city association of industry and commerce called on its 15,000 member economic entities not to hold celebrations and hang the national flag to mark the September 18 Incident on Sunday.

"I want my son to have a better understanding of the history and cherish today's happy life," said a lady surnamed Cui, who and her husband brought their only son to attend the air-defense sirens sounding ceremony held at the Memorial Hall of the September 18 Incident.

On the same day Sunday, a large number of official and non-official activities were also held in other parts of China to mark the September 18 Incident.

In Beijing, more than 1,000 freshmen of the Engineering Academy of the Armored Forces swore to enter the service Sunday morning at the Memorial Hall of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression.

"We held such a ceremony at the memorial hall every year," said Li Zhiguo, a political commissar with the academy. "We want new servicemen never to forget the national humiliation, bear in mind their mission and contribute more to the national defense cause."

"I feel I'm lucky to live a happy life today and we all should cherish the happiness," said 21-year-old Qiao Ning, a college student, who came to the memorial hall on Sunday.

In Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, many people flocked to the Memorial Hall of Victims of the Nanjing Massacre to mourn the dead.

Invading Japanese troops occupied Nanjing on Dec. 13, 1937, and launched a six-week long massacre. Historical records show that more than 300,000 Chinese people, not only disarmed soldiers but also civilians, were slain in the holocaust.

"We can not forget those who died in the war," said Zhu Chengshan, curator of the memorial hall, "We must work for the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation so that we can enjoy a peaceful and happy life of reunion forever."

A group of 38 people from the business circles of Japan also came to the Memorial Hall of the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre on Sunday.

They said, as the offspring of the Japanese people who brought grief to the Chinese people, they apologized to Chinese people and would take the responsible to work for the progress of mankind's civilization and for an everlasting peaceful life for future generations.

On Sunday, more than 100 Chinese cities sounded the sirens to mark the September 18 Incident, reminding people not to forget the national humiliation.

Hao Songqing, 82, a resident of Shenyang, is the person who suggested sounding air-defense sirens to mark the incident 10 years ago.

He said, he and his neighbors came to hear the sound of the sirens every year. "We can avoid following the disastrous road in the past if the alarm bell keeps ringing," he said.

"Keeping history in mind does not mean to pass on hatred," said Zhang Yibo, honorary chairman of the Liaoning Provincial "September 18 Incident" Research Institute.

"We just want our future generations to never forget the past humiliation and take it as their due responsibility to rejuvenate the Chinese nation and to safeguard peace," Zhang said.

(Xinhua News Agency September 19, 2005)