Qiu Jin

Lore & Background

Qiu Jin was born into a wealthy family in Fuzhou and spent her childhood in Shaoxing, Zhejiang. Her grandfather worked in the Xiamen city government, and her father was a government official. She had her feet bound and began writing poetry at an early age, and with family support she learned to ride a horse and use a sword—activities usually reserved for men. She sought fulfillment by obtaining education in Japan.

Reader's Guide

Qiu Jin's significance lies in her role as a female pioneer for the woman's liberation movement and the republican revolution in China. She called herself 'Female Knight-Errant of Jian Lake' and 'Vying for Heroism,' adopting a prototypically male figure known for swordsmanship, bravery, faithfulness, and self-sacrifice. She founded the journal China Women's News and wrote A Respectful Proclamation to China's 200 Million Women Comrades, lamenting bound feet and oppressive marriages. Her execution after a failed uprising cemented her legacy as a martyr of republicanism and feminism, and she is considered a national heroine in China.

Did You Know?

• She thrust a dagger into a podium at a meeting of Zhejiang students, declaring she would rather be stabbed than surrender to the Manchu barbarians.
• Her last written words were: 'Autumn wind, autumn rain — they make one die of sorrow.'
• She helped establish the Encompassing Love Society, a women's group that promoted women's education and protested Russian presence in northeast China.