Qiu Jin- A Revolutionary Chinese Heroine

Introduction: As much remembered for herpressure from a fearful Qing Government, the
writing as her heroic deeds, Qui Jin gave her lifeactivities of political exiles were restricted by
for her only true love--her country, and is theJapan. The time for theory and debate had come
epitome of a Chinese heroine.to an end--in 1906 Qui Jin resolved to return
"Alas! We can say that her hot heart was given, ahome.
whetstone, that the country might sharpen its dullNow a leader in the Restoration Society, whose
sword." Biography of Qui Jindeclared aim was the overthrow of the corrupt
Her family name means "autumn," her personalQing Dynasty, Qui established its chapter in
name "jade;" Qui Jin's naming was probably theShanghai, overtly taking a series of teaching
last time this modern-era Chinese heroine followedpositions and starting the Chinese Women's News
convention.magazine. Formerly a revolutionary of ideas, Qui
Unusually for a girl born in the mid-1870s, Qui JinJin joined others, including her cousin Xu Xilin, in
received an excellent literary education courtesyplanning for an active, armed revolution, learning
of her scholarly parents. Yet it is reported thatto make explosives and even starting a
her mother gave up trying to teach her sewingclandestine bomb factory. Still hidden from official
and embroidery, for her determined daughtersuspicion, as a school principal she trained not only
preferred archery and martial arts novels.her students but local people as an army.
At eighteen Qui Jin was married by arrangementLong-made plans for a nationwide uprising on July
to a Circuit Commissioner in the capital Beijing, and19, 1907 were disrupted by the premature action
she bore him two children. However she wasof a lone revolutionary cell several weeks earlier,
unhappy with married life, forging an identity andprompting a swift government retaliation. In
life separate to that of her husband;warning, Qui sent a message to her cousin Xu,
sword-fighting, riding horses and drinking wine likewho decided to act before government troops
a hero from a ying xiong (hero) novel. To thecould seize him, assassinating the governor of
embarrassment of her husband she would appearAnhui. He was sentenced to death by the cutting
in public wearing Western men's clothing, and wasout of his heart.
a forceful proponent of Western ideas in an eraHearing this news on July 9 in Shaoxing, Qui and
where women didn't have any, establishing a girl'sher students discussed various plans of action but
school and lecturing against foot-binding.came to none, and when soldiers entered the city
In 1904 and after thirteen years of marriage, Quion July 12 she refused to flee, and was arrested
Jin took the unthinkable step of leaving herwith six others. Remaining silent even under
husband and children for Japan, writing thetorture, she was convicted on the evidence of
following poem during the ocean crossing:two of her poems. During her trial, Qui composed
...Unstrained wine never quenches the tears of awhat is now her most famous work--her death
patriot;poem:
A country's salvation relies on exceptional genius."Autumn rain, autumn wind; my heart dies of
I pledge the spilled blood from a hundred thousandsorrow."
skullsQui Jin was sentenced to death and executed July
To restore the universe with all our strength.15, 1907. Receiving initially an ignominious burial,
In Japan Qui Jin's first action was to unbind herupon the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty five
feet, an extremely painful, bloody act she wouldyears later, Qui Jin was reburied under the
later describe in Stories of the Jingwei Birdoversight of Sun Yat-sen, the first President of
(1905-07). One of a group of revolutionariesthe Republic of China, acknowledged officially as
abroad, Qui participated in the plans for thethe hero she had always sought to be.
revolution to come, the first woman to join theThe final line of her epitaph reads: "Not only under
republican party Ko Ming Tang, and wrote forSouthern Sung (Song Dynasty) were heroes
revolutionary journals on the need to educate andlightly put to death ...all shall esteem (and)
emancipate Chinese women. However underremember in their hearts her fiery heroism.