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In the late Qing Dynasty, China was suffering from corruption by the Qing government and invasion by great powers. It was a time of great difficulty, but against this dark background, a non-governmental organization called the Boxers rose up, and they heroically resisted foreign enemies with the slogan of "Supporting the Qing and Extinguishing the Yang". However, in the Boxer Rebellion, there was a special group of heroes, that is, the female Boxer. They are not afraid of power, dressed in red, holding fans or lanterns, and are well-organized. Among them, a woman whose name resounded in the sky was known as "Our Lady", and her name was Lin Heier.
01 The birth of Lin Heier
Lin Heier was born in a family of boats downstream of the South Canal in Tianjin. Her father was a theatre actress and her mother was a cook on board. From an early age, she had no siblings and no opportunity to go to school. Her childhood was filled with hardship and endless training, touring with her father and learning singing and acrobatics. Although her childhood was devoid of playmates and joy, this time exercised her ingenuity.
Lin Heier understood early on that living in that turbulent era, she must learn to protect herself. Therefore, she not only learned to sing, but also studied some boxing and stick techniques, as well as some basic medical skills. These skills became her future weapons to protect herself, her father, and those struggling with suffering.
At the same time, however, the arrival of foreigners changed her perspective. Initially, she was curious and welcoming to foreigners because they were interested in Chinese theatrical performances and brought a lot of income to the theater class. Lin Heier even learned some foreigner language and etiquette. But as time went by, she gradually saw the true face of foreigners. During this period, the aggression of Western powers in China became increasingly rampant, the Qing government was incompetent and corrupt, and foreigners occupied Chinese land and oppressed the people. For them, Chinese are just their slaves and should be subservient. Lin Heier saw the brutality and arrogance of the foreigners, and she began to doubt their true purpose.
02 Join the Boxers
In 1900, the Boxer Rebellion spread to the Tianjin area, where Zhang Decheng and other Boxer leaders set up a general altar to call on the people of Tianjin to participate in the action against foreign invaders and the Qing government. Lin Heier quickly responded to this call and led her opera class and some women from boat families to join Zhang Decheng. Zhang Decheng was impressed by Lin Heier's bravery and tenacity, and he encouraged her to organize more women to join the Boxers and build her own army.
Lin Heier accepted Zhang Decheng's suggestion, and she set up an altar on a boat in Tianjin's South Canal and organized a female Boxer rebellion called "Red Lantern Illumination". Using the skills she learned in the theater class, she concocted a set of mythological stories, calling herself the "Virgin of the Yellow Lotus", claiming to be the incarnation of Guanyin Bodhisattva with magical powers. She claims to be able to use red lights and red fans to dispel the evil of foreigners, and teaches women some spells and martial arts so that they can protect themselves and their families from foreigners' bullying.
Lin Heier's words deeply touched those women living in poverty and oppression, and they joined the "red light" and became Lin Heier's believers. These women dressed in red and holding red lights, learn spells and martial arts, and regard Lin Heier as a god. This "red light" became the most mysterious, brave, loyal and determined force in the Boxers.
03 Heroic fighting and sacrifice
After joining the Boxers, Lin Heier became one of the key forces in the Tianjin area against foreign invaders. She led female Boxer members with "red lights" to haunt foreigners' buildings at night and set fire to them. They believed they could use magical powers to defend against foreigners' firearms, despite facing a well-trained, well-equipped, and outnumbered eight-nation coalition.
On June 17, 1900, the eight-nation coalition army landed at Dagukou and marched towards Tianjin. Lin Heier and her "Red Lantern" members fought together with the Boxers and launched attacks at Laolongtou Station and Zizhulin, using knives, guns and stones against the enemy, inflicting considerable losses on the Eight-Nation Alliance. In the Battle of Zizhulin, they succeeded in burning the enemy's railway stations and railways.
However, despite their heroic resistance, the Boxer Rebellion ultimately failed. The Qing government signed the Xinxiu Treaty and betrayed the Boxers. Empress Dowager Cixi ordered the Boxers to be annihilated, and the Qing army attacked in a big way. The Boxers were quickly defeated, and Lin Heier was wounded and captured in the chaos. She was imprisoned in a prison in the French Concession in Tianjin, where she was brutally tortured by foreigners.
The foreigners wanted to learn the inside story and secrets of the Boxers from her mouth, and also tried to reveal the truth of her so-called magical powers. However, Lin Heier did not give in and resolutely kept the secret. After more than a year of torture, she died heroically. Even after her death, she did not find rest, and her body was made into specimens, transported to European exhibitions, and became the object of viewing of Westerners.
04 Conclusion
Lin Heier's life was full of hardships and struggles, and she was just a microcosm of the many people at the bottom of that era. However, she did not compromise, she was tenacious, and she gave everything to defend her homeland. Lin Heier's spirit is worth remembering forever, she represents the indomitable and resistant spirit of the Chinese people in the face of adversity.
Her story also reminds us of the countless unsung heroes in history who fought bravely in defending their country and dignity. As written on the Monument to the People's Heroes, their names will live on forever and inspire future generations to keep going.
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