People in Nanjing mourn victims of the Nanjing Massacre

The people of Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, observed a minute of silence, and sirens were heard across the city, as China proceeded with its ninth national memorial ceremony Tuesday to mourn the 300,000 victims of the Nanjing Massacre.

Drivers in the downtown area stopped their cars and sounded their horns, while pedestrians paused for a minute of silence in remembrance of the victims.

China held national commemoration for Nanjing Massacre victims at the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders in Nanjing at 10 a.m.

The Nanjing Massacre took place when Japanese troops captured the city on Dec. 13, 1937. Over six weeks, they killed more than 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 victims of the Nanjing Massacre.