Folded paper cranes, a symbol of the hope for world peace, at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, Hiroshima, Japan.

Folded paper cranes at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, Hiroshima, Japan. The paper cranes are a symbol of the hope for world peace and are inspired by the story of Sadako Sasaki, a girl who died from leukemia caused by the nuclear blast in Hiroshima. Sadako Sasaki believed that if she folded one thousand cranes, she would be granted a wish. After Sadako's death, a statue of her holding a golden crane was unveiled in Hiroshima. At the foot of the statue a plaque reads, This is our cry. This is our prayer. Peace in the world. Once the paper cranes are displayed, they are pulped and recycled into bookmarks, notebooks and other souvenirs which are sold in the Rest House in Hiroshima.