Nanjing, a city ravaged in the Japanese invasion, will build the world's first memorial hall for anti-Japanese aviators in 2007.

Wang Jian, vice president of the Nanjing Aviators Association, on Wednesday described the construction plan to a group of "V60 Tracking the History of the American Flying Tiger" delegation to China, including 15 former American "Flying Tiger" pilots.

The delegation came on tour of the former battlegrounds in which the "American Flying Tiger" volunteers helped the Chinese fight the Japanese invaders during World War II.

Wang said that the memorial hall, covering a floor space of 2,500 square meters, will commemorate the heroic deeds of the aviator martyrs from the former Soviet Union Volunteer Air Force, American Volunteer Air Force (known as "American Flying Tigers") and the Chinese Air Force during the Anti-Japanese War, by displaying items they once used.

The memorial hall will be built next to the existing Cemetery and Monument to the Aviator Martyrs in the War of Resistance Against Japan, which was erected at the northern foot of Purple Mountain of Nanjing in 1995.

The 65-member delegation paid a visit to the cemetery Wednesday. Jack Coombs, an 81-year-old former "Flying Tiger" pilot was excited at the news of the memorial hall, saying that he was willing to make a donation.

The delegation came to Nanjing after a three-day trip to Guilinin south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. They will depart for Shanghai on Friday, which will be the final leg of their China tour.

(Xinhua News Agency August 25, 2005)