The Diaries of John Rabe, the Chinese opera based on the story of John Rabe, a German businessman best known for his efforts to protect Chinese citizens from the atrocities of the Japanese army during the notorious Nanjing Massacre in 1937, won 20 minutes of continuous applause after it was staged on July 6 (local time) at Elbphilharmonie, a concert hall in Germany’s Hamburg, John Rabe’s hometown. Suzhou Symphony Orchestra (SZSO) teamed up with Jiangsu Symphony Orchestra in accompanying the singing.

The opera was jointly created by Jiangsu Cultural Investment Group and Jiangsu Performing Arts Group in 2017 to mark the 80th anniversary of Nanjing Massacre and advocate peace and international humanitarian efforts. The show was one of five performances scheduled from July 3 to 10 at Staatsoper Unter den Linden and Elbphilharmonie, Germany, and Ronacher, Vienna.