A photo exhibition is shown at the Nanjing Massacre museum on April 19. Photo: CFP

At 77 years of age, Ruan Dingdong has witnessed a lot of Chinese history, but none of that would have been possible if his grandfather hadn't saved his life - and the lives of his entire family - when Ruan was just 7 months old.

On July 6, Ruan, along with nine other elderly people, received a certificate stating he was officially recognized as a Nanjing Massacre survivor. The certificate was issued by the Memorial Hall of the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders, which in recent years has been tracking down the dwindling number of survivors.

These survivors are eligible for more than just recognition, but financial compensation as well - which has given rise to controversies over how eligibility is defined, and what it really means to be a survivor of the Nanjing Massacre.

Dwindling survivors

On December 13, 1937, Ruan's grandfather, who was 48 at the time, led the family out of war-torn Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, under heavy bombardment from Japanese invaders. When they arrived at the Yanziji ferry of the Yangtze River, they were caught by Japanese troops.

His other family members were aboard the boat, but his grandfather was stabbed by a Japanese soldier while Ruan was still in his arms. His grandfather persevered through the pain to climb aboard the boat and cross the river, getting his family home before dying from his injury. Altogether, around 50,000 people were killed beside the river.

"My grandfather held me while crossing the river even though he was badly hurt, so I could survive. If his name can be carved in the wall of the memorial hall, it will fulfill my wish and we will have a place to commemorate him," said Ruan, explaining what drove him to register as a survivor of the Nanjing Massacre.

During that fateful six-week period starting from December 13, 1937, at least 300,000 Chinese were killed by Japanese invaders after the soldiers occupied the city of Nanjing. About one third of the buildings in the city were burnt down.

"The survivors are the living witnesses of the Nanjing Massacre. Their stories are powerful testimonies, which rebut the attempts of Japanese right-wing forces to deny history. However, the number of survivors is declining," said Zhu Chengshan, the curator of the memorial hall.

According to Zhu, the Nanjing government started the first organized large-scale search for survivors and witnesses in 1984, canvassing 10 districts. It found 1,756 survivors within just a few months.

In 1991, a review of the survivors found that over 300 had died. Another search found only 1,213 survivors still alive in 1997. At present, there are fewer than 200 survivors still alive, most aged around 80.

Zhu said they had received clues about 209 possible survivors since 2009, but only 80 have been identified. "We have been tracking down the survivors since the establishment of the memorial hall, and the criteria haven't been changed," said Zhu. "The experiences of the identified survivors will be recorded for inclusion in the collection of the memorial hall."

There are strict criteria for what constitutes a Nanjing Massacre survivor. They should have been in Nanjing at the time of the Nanjing Massacre, and experienced, heard or witnessed the atrocities.

The Nanjing Massacre Survivor Aid Association, an NGO of which Zhu is a deputy director, was established in 2004 to provide financial aid to the survivors. The association's funding mainly comes from donations from overseas Chinese and the Red Cross Society of China, and it undergoes an audit every year.

Each survivor is given 1,000 yuan  ($163) every Spring Festival, and their family receives 1,000 yuan when they pass away. Some hospital expenses are also covered. The Nanjing Bureau of Civil Affairs told the Global Times that they also issue a payment to survivors each year, consisting of 1,200 yuan.

Left out of the list

The strict criteria have excluded many people from these payments. Zhu said many even go to the memorial hall to argue with them, asking why they can't be included.

"We are not a charitable organization. Our main purpose isn't aiding the survivors, we are looking for witnesses to history," he said, saying that the strict requirements are to ensure historical accuracy. "They can't just tell stories learned from hearsay, or Japan will have reasons to dispute their testimony," said Zhu.

However, the government payments rely on the memorial hall's analysis to determine eligibility.

Fu Xin, a Shanghai resident, told the Global Times that her grandfather, Fu Zengqi, also witnessed the massacre, but has not been included.

Fu's grandfather was 17 years old when the Japanese invaded Nanjing. Fu's great-grandfather was in front of the house with her neighbors when the Japanese troops were searching for Chinese soldiers.

Her great-grandfather had quite a strong build, so he was mistaken for a Chinese soldier and was fatally stabbed more than 20 times. By hiding in the house their family survived.

Her grandfather, now 93, has five brothers but all of them have passed away. "We didn't register with the government as we think it is troublesome. I think it should be the duty of the Nanjing government to take the initiative in tracking down the survivors."

Not about the money

Meanwhile, many survivors contacted by the Global Times said their motive for being listed wasn't to receive financial aid.

Chang Zhiqiang, 85, lost his whole family during the massacre and was saved by an anonymous woman. He is often invited to the memorial hall to tell his story. Chang said that when the memorial hall was built in 1985, he passed by several times but didn't dare  enter, as tears ran down his face before stepping in.

However, he was angered by some Japanese politicians in 1997, when they attempted to deny that the massacre had happened.

"I was furious. How dare they do this while we are still alive? I can't imagine how they will behave when we are all gone," said Chang. "So I sent testimony to the memorial hall. I want to highlight their atrocities and make the world know about them."