The Fire of the Chinese Workers' Movement, located on the Yangtze River, was built to commemorate the 1923 Beijing-Hankou Railway Strike, the climax of the first workers' movement led by the Communist Party of China. Lin Xiangqian was the pioneer of this workers' movement, and his indomitable and fearless spirit, together with the "February Seventh" strike of far-reaching historical significance, wrote a glorious page in the history of the Chinese revolution.
The relief in front of the Wuhan Erqi Memorial Hall reflects the scene of the February 7 strike. Yangtze River Daily reporter Yu Zhiyong photographed
Lin Xiangqian, born in 1892 to a peasant family in Fujian Province, entered the Jiang'an Railway Factory as a fitter in 1912 and became a member of the working class. "Getting up early and being greedy and suffering, hunger and cold forcing low wages" is the norm of workers' lives. Faced with such a harsh environment, Lin Xiangqian tried to find a glimmer of light in the dark "prison".
After the birth of the Communist Party of China in 1921, extensive and popular Marxist-Leninist propaganda and education was carried out among workers. During this period, Lin Xiangqian gradually came into contact with progressive ideas, was greatly inspired and educated, and began to embark on the revolutionary road. In 1922, Lin Xiangqian joined the Communist Party of China, and he traveled around with the concept of "the proletarians of the world united", preaching that "unity is the first prerequisite for the victory of the workers." With the trust and support of the workers, Lin Xiangqian served as the chairman of the Jiang'an Branch Of the Beijing-Hankou Railway.
Statue of Lin Xiangqian martyr. Xinhua News Agency
Faced with the oppression and brutality of the warlords, the Beijing-Hankou Railway Federation of Trade Unions decided to hold a general strike on February 4, 1923, and Lin Xiangqian was responsible for leading the strike struggle in the Jiang'an area. Lin Xiangqian worked day and night, sleeping and forgetting to eat, preparing for the strike. Lin Xiangqian has long regarded the revolutionary cause as his home and is determined to fight for it all his life.
On the evening of February 7, 1923, heavy snow, the entire river bank was white, Lin Xiangqian was tied to a wooden stake, the warlord asked him to immediately order the workers to return to work, Lin Xiangqian would rather die unyieldingly and stand proudly. The warlord leader was furious and ordered the executioner to cut off Lin Xiangqian's left shoulder and asked, "Fu or not!" Lin Xiangqian was covered in blood, and shouted in pain: "My head can be broken, the blood can flow, and the work cannot be recovered!" "Lin Xiangqian was generous and righteous, and gave up his precious life at the age of 31.
Lin Xiangqian, an outstanding representative of the Chinese working class, interpreted the spirit of the Chinese Communist Party with his life and blood, and proved that the Communist Party of China is the party of the working class itself and the most protective of the interests of the working class. General Secretary Xi Jinping's speech at the opening ceremony of the Tenth National Congress of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles pointed out that "the motherland is the most solid reliance of the people, and the hero is the most shining coordinate of the nation." As a pioneer of China's workers' movement and one of the 100 heroic and exemplary figures who made outstanding contributions to the founding of New China, Lin Xiangqian is a "shining coordinate" representing the working class; his indomitable and courageous spirit of struggle and the lofty quality of wholeheartedly seeking liberation for the masses of workers have set a brilliant example for the vast number of Communist Party members and led the strivers in the new era to continuously advance on the great journey of building socialism with Chinese characteristics!
Source: Jingchu Network
Author: Liu Lei (Graduate student, Jiangshui Institute of Economics, Dean of Social Sciences of Hubei Province)