Nanjing! Nanjing!

On December 13, 1937, Nanjing, then the capital of the Nationalist government, fell. Some officials fled the city, but many soldiers and officers remained, vowing to defend this city on the brink of collapse. Officer Lu Jianxiong (played by Liu Ye) from Song Xilian's troops fought fiercely in street battles with the Japanese army alongside his comrades. Their weak yet tenacious resistance was ultimately suppressed, and tens of thousands of Chinese soldiers and civilians became captives, their blood staining the Yangtze River amidst the sound of gunfire. In the safety zone of Jinling Women’s College, female teacher Jiang Shuyun (played by Gao Yuanyuan) tirelessly helped and rescued all the compatriots seeking refuge here, but the brutal Japanese soldiers had already targeted the women hiding within. Mr. Tang (played by Fan Wei), the secretary to John Rabe, dealt carefully with a difficult situation and compromised to protect his family, making a wrong choice for which he paid a price. Dancer Xiao Jiang (played by Jiang Yiyan), even while fleeing, refused to give up her womanly charm, and her choices at critical moments showcased a strength beneath her feminine exterior. The Japanese soldier Kawakatsu (played by Nakauchi Hideo) arrived with his troops in this ravaged and broken city, feeling an unprecedented impact on his soul in this hell on earth. Amidst the billowing smoke of war and rivers of blood, people were forced to endure the ruthless hand of history while making painful choices that would affect their destinies...