SHENYANG - Sirens wailed Sunday morning in cities in Northeast China's Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces to observe the 80th anniversary of Japan's invasion.

Sirens began wailing at 9:18 am and lasted for three minutes in Shenyang, capital city of Liaoning Province, while more than 1,000 people from the central and local governments, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and all walks of life gathered as part of the routine activities.

In Harbin, capital city of Heilongjiang Province, sirens wailed 10 minutes starting from 9 am to remind people of the Japanese invasion into China's northeastern region 80 years ago.

On September 18, 1931, Japanese forces attacked the barracks of Chinese troops in Shenyang. The move marked the beginning of the Japanese invasion and occupation that lasted 14 years.