Liu Hulan

Liu Hulan (刘胡兰, 1932–1947) was a young female spy during the Chinese Civil War between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party.

Her contributions involved a wide range of activities, such as supplying food to the Eighth Liberation Army, relaying secret messages, and mending boots and uniforms.

On October 8, 1932, Ms. Liu Hulan was born in a middle-class peasant family in Yunzhou West Village, Shanxi Province.

Together with party members, she fought against landlords, delivered public grain and made military shoes, mobilized young people to join the army.

In February 1946, Liu Hulan took part in the pre-support work of the Dongzhuang battle against Yan Xishan's recalcitrant army.

Liu Hulan led women to finished the task two days ahead of schedule and won first place in the town.

In December 1946, Liu Hulan cooperated with the members of the martial arts team to execute the reactionary village leader ShiPeihuai.

The Kuomintang arrested several communists including Shi Shihui, Chen Shurong, Liu Shushan and Zhang Nanchang.

Liu Hulan refused to obey and died "heroically", in the view presented to the Chinese public after the Communist takeover in 1949.

At the beginning of 1946, the parents of the two sides took the initiative to engage Liu Hulan with Chen De, a young man from the neighboring village.

At that time, Commander Wang gave Liu Hulan's family only a blanket, a pen and a pair of glasses as a pledge.

Upon entering the village, Kuomintang soldiers rounded up several reputed CCP members believed to be involved in the assassination, among them the teenager Liu Hulan.

On the same day, the Yenan Liberation Daily also published an article entitled "As long as there is a breath of life, we must do it for the people to the end - female Communist Party member Liu Hulan generously righteous".

Comrade Deng Xiaoping inscribed: "Liu Hulan's noble qualities and her spiritual outlook will always be an example for Chinese youth and adolescents to learn from."

The life and death of Liu Hulan has become a symbol of the courage of the Chinese people, and is often cited as a homily of their loyalty to Communism.

Her story is often told as an homage to the struggles endured, and the sacrifices made, for the cause of liberating China from centuries of rule by foreign powers.