Nanking Safety Zone
The Nanking Safety Zone (Chinese: 南京安全區; pinyin: Nánjīng Ānquán Qū; Japanese: 南京安全区, Nankin Anzenku, or 南京安全地帯, Nankin Anzenchitai) was a demilitarized zone for Chinese civilians set up on the eve of the Japanese breakthrough in the Battle of Nanking (December 13, 1937). The Battle of Songhu was fought following the Marco Polo Bridge incident, during which the Japanese bombed Nanjing (Nanking) indiscriminately, resulting in the fatalities of a significant number of innocent civilians.