Qiu Jin
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Qiú Jǐn (秋瑾) (November 8, 1875 - July 15, 1907) was a Chinese female anti-Qing Empire revolutionary killed after a failed uprising.
- Courtesy names: Xuánqīng (璿卿) and Jìngxióng (競雄)
- Sobriquet: The Woman-knight of Mirror Lake (鑑湖女俠 Jiànhú Nǚxiá)
Born in Minhou, Fujian Province, Qiu grew up in Shānyīn Village, Shaoxing Subprefecture, Zhejiang Province. Unhappily married, Qiu found herself in contact with new ideas which led her to decide to travel overseas, eventually leaving her two children behind to study in Japan. She was known by her acquaintances for wearing Western male dress (very unusual for the time) and for her left-wing ideology. She joined the Triads, who at the time advocated the overthrow of the Qing dynasty and return of Chinese government to the Chinese people. In 1905, Qiu joined Guangfuhui led by Cai Yuanpei, and the Tokyo-based Tongmenghui led by Sun Yat-sen.
After the Xu Gao-led uprising failed, Qiu was tortured by Qing officials in order to make her reveal secrets. However she did not succumb, and she was publicly executed at 32 years old in her home village, Shānyīn . She wrote down the line on the paper provided for her writing of confession and revealed the names of other revolutionaries:'Qiufeng qiuyu chousharen (秋風秋雨愁殺人)-the autumn wind and autumn rain agonizes human being to death' and went calmly to the execution ground the second day of her captivity. Her name 'Qiu Jin' literally meant 'autumn caution'. She was an eloquent orator who spoke out for women's rights, such as the freedom to marry, freedom of education, and abolishment of bound feet (her own feet being bound).
Qiu was immortalized in Republican China's popular consciousness and literature after her death.
Qiu is now buried beside West Lake in Hangzhou, the People's Republic of China established a museum for her in Shaoxing City.
