In the memorial hall, you can always rely on the people in purple vests moving around you. They are the “Zijin Grass”volunteers of our museum. Whenever the museum is open, they are there alongside the visitors. During the National Day holiday, more than 400 volunteers wearing purple vests participated in activities such as visitor guidance, consulting services, medical first aid, interactive reading, and public performances. On average, 60-70 people provided volunteer services each day,and their purple vests became the brightest color in the memorial hall during the holiday.

“Infiltrating the Mind of the Visitors With Art”

During the National Day holiday, the memorial hall arranged a series of public welfare performances for visitors, with ten cultural volunteers offering a total of 16 performances, including piano and violin recitals, transforming the visitor rest area into a cultural space where music conveyed emotions of family and patriotism.

Tang Min, a music teacher at Jiangning Lukou Junior High School and an experienced art volunteer at our museum, believes that during National Day, the patriotic theme of music resonates deeply with the museum’s role as a base for patriotic education. “I hope that through my performances, I can let the emotions behind art permeate the hearts of the visitors.” Having studied in Italy for many years, she also engages foreign friends in discussions about Nanjing and its history, noting that while many foreigners may not know about the Nanjing Massacre, they are often willing to learn more once she introduces it. “This is also my form of ‘volunteer service’ outside the museum!” Tang Min said with a smile.

Ms. Tang performing for visitors

Volunteer Wang, a violin teacher, brought his students to perform at the memorial hall during the summer. He sees it as a way for the children to learn: “I hope we will not only learn art but also bring it into our lives and integrate the historical emotions experienced in the memorial hall into our performances.”

Mr. Wang playing the violin

Hang Chengshu, a fourth-grade student, volunteered as a pianist in the memorial hall for the first four days of National Day. “Every time I play here, I feel a sense of reverence,” she said.“I hope that through music, everyone can feel immersed in a patriotic atmosphere.”

Hang Chengshu and her mother

“It Means aLot to Volunteer Here”

Young people accounted for 70% of the more than 400 volunteers during the National Day holiday, with six volunteer teams from five local universities in Nanjing participating in the holiday volunteering.

Gaza Nyima, a university student of Tibetan heritage, has volunteered at the museum for more than a year, and during the National Day holiday, he was responsible for visitor guidance, helping answer various questions. The energetic Gaza always appears with enthusiasm, feeling a great sense of purpose in volunteering here: “I hope more people can learn about the history of the Nanjing Massacre. Volunteering here allows me to be part of the museum and share this history with the world in my own way.”

Gaza Nyima providing guidance to the visitors

Gu Menglei, a first-year graduate student at Nanjing Normal University, has been involved in volunteering since high school and also volunteered during the Beijing Winter Olympics. In September this year, Gu officially became a “Zijin Grass”volunteer at the museum. She had read Zhang Chunru's book carefully and wrote an afterword titled Never Forget. She said, “During the month I volunteered, I saw thousands of visitors coming into the memorial hall every day, and it deeply touched my heart. After graduation, I want to be a teacher and tell children about this history.”

Gu Menglei answering avisitor’s questions

“Focused on Providing ThoughtfulService”

Losing something while out can be stressful, frustrating, and sometimes even disruptive.Over the National Day holiday, volunteers were stationed at the Lost and Found desk to help visitors recover lost belongings, and so far, they have helped retrieve more than ten items, including ID cards. During the holiday, a visitor lost an important credential in the exhibition hall. After registering the information, a volunteer at the service desk promptly coordinated a search across all posts, and the item was quickly returned to its owner. “When we receive a request, we conduct a quiet, thorough search and arrange for prompt return as soon as we find the item,”a volunteer explained with a smile."We have helped visitors find ID cards, jewelry, smartwatchesand even passports. If you lose something, feel free to call 025-86612230. Our goal is to provide thoughtful and attentive service.”

Every lost item is carefully tracked and returned by courier once found.