Yang Huimin
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Yang Xixian | |
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楊希賢 | |
 Yang c. 1938 | |
| Born | Yang Huimin (楊惠敏) March 6, 1915 |
| Died | March 9, 1992 (aged 77) |
| Resting place | Yangmingshan No. 1 Cemetery in Beitou District, Taipei, Taiwan |
| Nationality | Republic of China |
| Occupation(s) | Physical education teacher, Girl Guide |
| Known for | Inspiring soldiers defending the Sihang Warehouse |
| Spouse |
Zhu Chongming (died 1971) |
| Children | 2 |
Yang Xixian (traditional Chinese: 楊希賢; simplified Chinese: 杨希贤; pinyin: Yáng Xīxián), formerly known as Yang Huimin (traditional Chinese: 楊惠敏; simplified Chinese: 杨惠敏; pinyin: Yáng Huìmǐn; March 6, 1915 – March 9, 1992) was a Girl Guide during the 1937 Battle of Shanghai who supplied a flag and brought supplies to besieged defenders of the Sihang Warehouse. Her actions proved inspiring to the defenders, who flew the flag the next daybreak in front of thousands of watching eyes across the bank of the Suzhou Creek.
Personal life
[edit]
Yang had studied physical education in Shanghai and was a member of the Girl Scouts when the war broke out. Her courageous action during the Defense of Sihang Warehouse made her famous. In 1938, she was sent overseas to raise support and spoke about China's struggle in a number of countries.
Yang Huimin had the opportunity to study in the United States at that time, but she was unable to do so due to the outbreak of the Pacific War. Later, she joined an underground organization in Hong Kong. During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong in 1942, Yang Huimin was responsible for engaging well-known people such as Mei Lanfang and Hu Die to evacuate from Hong Kong to mainland China. During this period, Yang Huimin was suspected of being involved in complicated reasons and was wrongfully detained by the Military Control Commission for more than four years. In November 1946, she was acquitted by the Military Law Bureau of the Ministry of National Defense.
After the Chinese Civil War in 1949, Yang followed the Chiang Kai-shek government to Taiwan. She did not want to be recoginsed and worked as a physical education teacher in Taipei under the new name Yang Xixian. She married the widowed National Taiwan University Professor of Physical Education, Zhu Chongming (朱重明) and had two sons, Zhu Fugui (朱復圭) and Zhu Fuhong (朱復轟). The sons were not aware of their mother's war effort when they studied her role in grade school lessons.
In addition, she has also actively participated in and promoted Scout activities and the Women's national salvation movement for many years.
On June 16, 1969, her husband Zhu Chongming retired at the age of 84. On March 21, 1971, he died and was buried in Yangmingshan No. 1 Cemetery.
On October 28, 1977, Yang Huimin was involved in a car accident in Taipei. Although she survived, her left part of her body had paralyzed and she had difficulty eating.
In February 1980, she was hospitalized for treatment due to stroke. Her medical and hospitalization expenses were fully subsidized by the Taipei City Government Department of Social Welfare.
Yang died of illness on March 9, 1992 at Taipei Veterans General Hospital at age of 78. She was buried at the Yangmingshan No. 1 Cemetery in Beitou District, Taipei, Taiwan.[1]
In popular culture
[edit]Her involvement in the Sihang Warehouse defense is featured in the 1976 Taiwanese film Eight Hundred Heroes with Brigitte Lin playing her role. Yang objected to some of the ways in which the film exaggerated her action for dramatic effect.
In the 2007 film Nanking, the Banner Girl based on her was portrayed by Leah Liang.
In 2020, Yang is portrayed by Tang Yixin in the Chinese historical war drama The Eight Hundred, which became the second highest-grossing film of 2020.[2]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ 風傳媒. "潘惠蓮觀點：隱埋失真的女童軍楊惠敏歷史". www.storm.mg (in Chinese). Retrieved 2025-07-05.
- ^ Scott Mendelson (20 September 2020). "Box Office: Tenet Tops $250M As Eight Hundred Passes Bad Boys 3". Retrieved 20 September 2020.
- Margaret Mih Tillman. "Engendering Children of the Resistance: Models of Gender and Scouting in China, 1919–1937". Cross-Currents: East Asian History and Culture Review, no. 13 (2014): 134–173.
- 800 warrior offer flag – Yang Huimin | China Financial
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