On New Year's Eve, it is a tradition for Chinese people to go to the temple and strike the bell and wish for good luck in the coming year. The temple in Nanjing, in neighbouring Jiangsu Province, is always full of visitors during this time. However, the bell in Nanjing also tolls for another reason. Besides looking into the blessed future, it serves as a remembrance of the bitter past.

One of my friends, whose hometown is Nanjing, once said to me in a serious tone: "You know, on some special day, especially the anniversary of the Nanjing Massacre, the bell tolls and siren sounds for the victims of that holocaust. It is so heartrending that every time I sink into deep mourning." It reminded me suddenly of the reason why people say that the bell in Nanjing tends to be more doleful than those in other cities. Although 67 years have passed and there is a new state standing erect on this land, the people still bear the history deep in their mind of an event which took place in 1937, killing 600,000 civilians throughout the province.

Just like my friend, since I was in primary school, I have been told about this atrocity of Japanese Fascism through the words of my parents, my teachers, textbooks, videos and films. To me, and perhaps to other Chinese, it is not only history, but like bells tolling inside, year after year.

It was a coincidence that one of my Japanese students, who learnt Chinese from me, asked me about the event the other day. He admitted that he didn't know very much about the massacre. Although his parents told him something about it, they toned it down. Thus, much of his knowledge came from the book, "The Rape of Nanking", which was a historical book written in English about that holocaust. Iris Chang, the writer, revealed the facts to the rest of the world even at the cost of her own life. Last November, she committed suicide from long-time depression and threats from Japanese right-wing activists.

Sometimes Japanese people or people from other countries ask me the same question: "Why are Chinese people still so affected by the Nanjing Massacre? Why not choose to forgive and start a new relationship with Japan?" It would take a long essay to answer this question, but some recent news could provide a hint.

Not long ago the Japanese Supreme Court rejected an appeal from Chinese victims of the Nanjing Massacre. Li Xiuying, an 86-year-old survivor and plaintiff passed away just last month. This was not the first time we have bid farewell to survivors in this way. In dealing with this history, when a case is brought to a Japanese court, the trial takes as much time as needed. Eventually all the plaintiffs die. How can we forgive and forget, since those who really suffered from the atrocity have all died without compensations or corrective actions. They had not even received acknowledgement of their suffering from Japan's authorities before they passed away. If it is easy to forgive, should it be difficult to apologize?

Actually more than 30 years ago, our government chose to forgive. It abnegated the right to ask for official compensation from Japan, in the hope of opening a bright new chapter with this neighbouring country and walking out from the shadow of hostility and hatred. The two governments signed an agreement under which Japan would give China interest-free loans and economic aid to help the country recover from the ravages of war. However, recently Japan has decided to reduce the aid and cancel the loans as if it has forgotten the loan's original purpose.

Perhaps this can partly explain why a recent survey showed that more than half of the Chinese people didn't feel close to Japan. It's not because of what happened in history, but something to do with people's current attitudes towards history. Once I said that I was deeply moved when the German chancellor attended a D-Day ceremony and sent a wreath to the Jewish people's memorial. At the same time, I read about many senior Japanese officials and parliamentarians frequently paying visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, a place for war dead, including top World War II criminals. If it is easy to forget the history of invasion, should it be difficult to confess it?

While we are looking forward to the Lunar New Year, let the bell toll for the future, leaving the past to history. A story easily goes with the wind, but history will withstand the test of time, never gone or fading.