 |
|
The End of the Empire （2）
Woman Warrior of Jianhu Lake |
| CCTV.COM 2002-08-01 12:08:32 |
|
 From Cixi to Longyu, for as long as half a century, the Qing Empire was in the hands of two women. Nevertheless, that didn't mean any improvement to women's social status. In early 20th century, a legendary life of a woman shed light on the liberation of Chinese women. In 1904, 29－year－old Qiu Jin made a courageous decision. She sold all her jewelry and went to Japan to study. This decision changed the life of a mother of two children. Before she left Beijing, she wrote the following lines:
The sun and moon are gloomy
The sky and earth are murky
Who in the forlorn world of women
Will give a helping hand？
Although Japan had attracted many Chinese students, few women were among them.
In Japan Qiu Jin met with revolutionary leaders Sun Yat－sen and Huang Xing. Zhou Shuren from her hometown Shaoxing was there too.
 Xu Xilin, her cousin, came to Japan too. Xu Xilin was a scholar and had a strong will power. He learned martial arts as a boy. He and Qiu Jin were good friends. In the years followed, they became even closer for their common love for revolution. In Tokyo, Qiu Jin joined all progressive organizations. To overthrow the Qing Dynasty became her ideal.
In the winter of 1904, Qiu Jin returned to Shanghai to raise funds with her friends. She started the "Chinese Women's Journal", disseminating women's liberation and equality between men and women. Although only two issues were published for lack of funds, it left a deep impression on many women. The song she wrote, "Women's Rights", was sung by many girl students.
That winter in Shanghai, a group of intellectuals from Zhejiang set up the anti－Qing Guang Fu Hui （Restoration Society）. By this time Qiu Jin had returned to her hometown in Shaoxing. Xu Xilin introduced her to Cai Yuanpei and Tao Chengzhang, founders of Guang Fu Hui. Qiu Jin became a member too. That was the year when Japan－Russia War broke out in China's Northeast. Cixi celebrated her 70s birthday in spite of that. Guang Fu Hui considered it a good opportunity to launch an uprising on that day.
In l905, Xu Xilin returned to Shaoxing and established the Datong School, a military school where Guang Fu Hui fostered its own armed forces. It had regular organizational system and curriculum. Images of foreign invaders were nailed at the bull's eyes for military training. In less than two years, the school attracted many outstanding youths.
Soon after, Xu Lilin handed over the school to Qiu Jin and went to Anqing to organize an uprising. Qiu Jin showed her talents as a leader and organizer. She often went out in the guise of a man to get in touch with league members. In July 1907, she and Xu Xilin decided to launch an uprising at the same time.
The news leaked out. The uprising in Anqing failed and Xu Xilin was killed. A few days later, Qing troops surrounded Datong School and arrested Qiu Jin. At 4 o'clock in the morning of July 15, Qiu Jin walked to the execution ground in the starlight. Before the execution she wrote "Autumn wind and rain sadden me so". Years later, Lu Xun wrote a story entitled "Medicine" with Qiu Jin as the prototype.
|
|
Editor: Liu Baoyin CCTV.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
