Before reading this article, I would like to thank you for your support by clicking "Follow", which is not only convenient for you to discuss and share, but also can bring you a different sense of participation!
---------------
In 1904, the last convict to be killed left with a rare image of him facing the crowd with a face of despair
Beijing in 1904 was still immersed in the twilight of the feudal dynasty. This year, a man named Wang Weiqin became the last victim of cruel punishment in the last years of the Qing Dynasty because he was involved in an intricate murder case. His fate is immortalized in history because of a photograph in which he faces the crowd and looks desperate, becoming a footnote to history.
Wang Weiqin, an ordinary farmer's child, works hard in the fields, and although his life is poor, his life is quite stable. However, fate always seems to like to joke, and an unfounded accusation turned the trajectory of his life upside down.
It was a quiet night, and Wang Weiqin rested at home as usual. Suddenly, a sharp knock on the door broke the silence of the night. When he opened the door, several officers and soldiers took him away without saying anything, on the grounds that he was suspected of killing twelve members of the Li family in the town. Wang Weiqin was stunned and shouted that he had been wronged, but the officers and soldiers did not listen to his defense at all and escorted him to the county office.
During the interrogation by the county government, Wang Weiqin was subjected to inhumane treatment. He was severely tortured and pressed to ask about the crime. However, he always insisted that he was wronged. But in that era of supremacy of power, his justification paled in comparison. In the end, he was sentenced to Ling Chi, a cruel punishment that would leave a mark on him.
The day of the execution soon came. On that day, many onlookers gathered at the entrance of the vegetable market at the Xuanwu City Gate in Beijing. Some of them are out of curiosity, and some are for the sake of watching a "lively show". Wang Weiqin was escorted to the execution ground, facing the crowd, his eyes full of despair and pleading. The onlookers, however, watched indifferently like spectators.
The executioners began the execution with a blank face. They were armed with sharp knives and cut deep wounds on Wang Weiqin's body. Every time he stabbed down, Wang Weiqin let out a heart-rending scream. His blood stained the ground beneath his feet, but the executioners showed no mercy and continued their "work".
Just then, a French photographer happened to be passing by. He was so shocked by what he saw that he decided to record the tragic moment with his camera. He pressed the shutter and froze Wang Weiqin's desperate expression on the photo. This photo became a witness to history and made this tragic moment forever remembered.
As the execution ended, Wang Weiqin's body was hastily buried. His grievances and pains were forever buried in the dust of history with his departure. However, that rare photograph has survived and has become material for reflection and caution.
Whenever people see this photo, they can't help but feel shocked and angry. They felt sorrow and sympathy for what happened to Wang Weiqin, and they were also indignant at the cruelty and ruthlessness of that era. This photograph makes people realize that the dignity and worth of life are inviolable, and that cruelty and atrocities of any kind should be severely condemned and stopped.
At the same time, this photo also provokes people to think about the bottom line of legal justice and morality. In that era, the law was often dictated by power, and justice and fairness were trampled underfoot. However, in today's era, we should cherish the fairness of the law and the bottom line of morality, so that everyone can be respected and protected.
History is a mirror that reflects the cruelty and ruthlessness of the past, as well as the hope and possibility of the future. As today, we should draw wisdom and strength from the lessons of history and strive to build a better and more just society. At the same time, we should also remember those who have suffered injustice and suffering, so that their tragedies will not be repeated.
So, should we reflect and explore this photograph and the historical information it carries more deeply? Should we draw more warnings and inspiration from this? These are questions that deserve to be pondered and answered by each and every one of us. I hope that we can draw inspiration and strength from this to work together to build a better and more just society.