The Chinese city of Nanjing awarded a peace medal to the family of John Magee on Monday, to show gratitude for the late missionary who recorded the Nanjing Massacre in 1937.

Long Xiang, deputy Party chief of the city, presented the medal to Magee's grandson Chris Magee.

A missionary in Nanjing from 1912 to 1940, Magee secretly filmed the slaughter of Chinese soldiers and civilians by Japanese troops 80 years ago.

The 105 minutes of footage is considered the only film found so far recording the massacre, in which 300,000 people were murdered.

Magee was also one of the founders of the safe zone international committee and refugee hospital, and rescued a huge number of Chinese who would have otherwise died during the Japanese invasion.

In 2002, his son donated the camera he used to record the events to the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall.

"We are here to commemorate the humanity of foreign friends represented by Mr. John Magee, and this medal, representing peace and hope, will help express our gratitude and respect for the salvation of the Nanjing people," Long said.

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