Liu Hulan: The greatness of life and the glory of death

Source: People's Daily - People's Daily

Portrait of Liu Hulan. Xinhua News Agency

In 2009, Liu Hulan was elected as one of the "100 Heroic And Exemplary Figures Who Made Outstanding Contributions to the Founding of New China".

Walking into the Liu Hulan Memorial Hall in Wenshui County, Shanxi Province, the square monument "The Greatness of Life, the Glory of Death" 8 big characters shine brightly. The tomb of Liu Hulan martyr is hidden in the pine and cypress behind the memorial hall, and in front of the tomb stands an 8-meter-high statue of Liu Hulan in white jade.

Liu Hulan, born in 1932 in a poor peasant family in Yunzhouxi Village, Wenshui County, Shanxi, had a strong dissatisfaction with the dark old society at a young age. After the outbreak of the National War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the Communist Party of China led the people of Shanxi to carry out a salvation movement, and Wenshui County established an anti-Japanese democratic government. Since then, Liu Hulan has gradually come into contact with revolutionary principles. Liu Hulan actively participated in the anti-Japanese children's regiment in the village, standing guard, sending out sentries, and delivering intelligence for the Eighth Route Army.

After the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the Kuomintang Yan Xishan troops occupied Wenshui County, and the soldiers and civilians in the Liberated Areas were forced to take up arms to defend the fruits of the victory of the War of Resistance. In November 1945, Liu Hulan participated in a women's training class organized by the Wenshui County Party Organization. After more than 40 days of study, she understood many revolutionary principles and further improved her class consciousness. After returning to the village, she served as the secretary of the Women's Rescue Association of Yunzhou West Village, and together with the party members, mobilized the masses to fight landlords, send public grain, make military shoes, and mobilize young people to sign up for the army. In June 1946, she was approved as an alternate member of the Communist Party of China. She was only 14 years old.

In October 1946, the Kuomintang army invaded Wenshui County. In order to preserve the revolutionary forces, the county party committee decided to transfer most of the comrades to the mountains, leaving some comrades to persist in the struggle. Citing her young age and familiarity with her environment, she took the initiative to ask to stay, and the party organization agreed to her request. Together with the remaining comrades, she conveyed the party's instructions to the village party organizations, organized the masses to bury grain, and cooperated with the armed workers to suppress the reactionary village chiefs.

On January 12, 1947, Liu Hulan was arrested by kuomintang troops and landlord forces. In the face of the enemy's threats, she was unyielding and unyielding, and said in awe: "Fear of death is not the Communist Party!" The enemy had no way to kill the 6 revolutionary masses who were arrested at the same time on the spot. But she was not afraid, and calmly lay under the knife, heroically sacrificed, at the age of 15.

In late March 1947, when Mao Zedong was leading the CPC Central Committee organs to fight in northern Shaanxi, Ren Bishi, secretary of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and commander of the Central Column, reported to him Liu Hulan's heroic deeds, and Mao Zedong asked: "Is she a party member?" Ren Bishi said: "He is an excellent Communist Party member, only 15 years old." Mao Zedong was deeply moved, and wrote down 8 big characters with a stroke of his pen: "The greatness of life, the glory of death."

People's Daily ( 2021-05-25 06 edition)