Eighty-five years ago, during the spring of 1940, and as the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression raged across China, Li Lin served as a courageous guerrilla commander in the Jin-Sui Border Region. Li, a young mother-to-be, and a skilled warrior, died on the battlefield. She was just 24. Today, a militia squad named after the heroine, Li Lin, continues to inherit her spirit of loyalty, patriotism and unity, and her determination to make a contribution.
A cemetery for martyrs was established, in 1964, in Pinglu District, Shuozhou, a city in North China's Shanxi Province, to commemorate Li Lin and the many other martyrs who sacrificed their lives during the revolution, and for socialist-construction progress in Pinglu. The cemetery opened in 1973; in 2000, it was named after Li Lin. A bronze sculpture of Li, holding a pistol while valiantly riding a horse, is in the center of the cemetery.
Li Lin, originally named Li Xiuruo, was born in Zhangzhou, a city in Southeast China's Fujian Province, in November 1915. She was raised in Indonesia, under Dutch colonial rule. Li returned to China in 1929, and she joined the Communist Party of China in 1936. In April 1940, Li, then three months pregnant, died during a battle against Japanese invaders in the Jin-Sui Border Region.
In 1953, Li Lin Militia Squad was established in Shanxi. After the squad won one of the top prizes during a provincial-level militia's competition, in July 1997, the all-woman squad was renamed Li Lin Heroine's Militia Squad. The squad currently has 15 members, the average age of whom is 25. Members of the squad participate in military training two successive months every year. They also help relevant departments promote military conscription, conduct national defense education, and protect local forests from fire.
"I feel like I am talking to the heroine every time I visit Li Lin Martyrs' Cemetery," says Zhang Qian, deputy head of Li Lin Heroine's Militia Squad. Zhang could not hold back tears as she stood in front of Li's sculpture, for the first time, in 2016. During the past decade, Zhang has gradually deepened her understanding of the responsibilities shouldered by all women members of the squad named after Li.
Near the end of 2024, Li Lin Heroine's Militia Squad held its 11th exchange activity with Liu Hulan Heroine's Militia Squad (named after Liu Hulan, a teen girl who scarified her life during the revolution prior to the establishment of the People's Republic of China). "Members of both squads are young women. We all belong to the militia. We all adhere to the aspiration of passing on the heroines' revolutionary spirit," Zhang says.
As part of their regular training, members of Li Lin Heroine's Militia Squad run five kilometers every afternoon. They practice tactical moves, repeatedly, until their muscles "form memories" of each move. They all believe if they practice diligently, and hard enough, their efforts will pay off at a critical moment.
Pinglu is a mountainous region, covered by vast forests. The weather changes frequently. It is a must task for the militia to participate in fire and flood control. Members of Li Lin Heroine's Militia Squad have mastered the skills required to operate various devices, including a wind-powered fire extinguisher, a lifeboat and emergency-communication equipment. They also attach great importance to the utilization of intelligent techniques.
For example, during a forest-fire-control-training session, they used drones to quickly locate fire points. Wang Qiao, the technical "backbone" of the squad, used a computer to plan the best route for building an isolation belt. At the same time, she arranged others to use wind-powered equipment to put out the fire. "In the past, we relied more on fire-control experiences passed down from our predecessors. Now, we can make good use of advanced technology," Wang says.
On May 12, 2024, Zuhu, a town in Pinglu, was ravaged by a forest fire. Li Lin Heroine's Militia Squad was in the midst of regular tactical training at that time. After they received the fire-control command, the members carried equipment and rushed to the forest. Zhang asked Party members of the squad to follow her and head to the fire. The squad's members were divided into three groups: The first group was responsible for building an isolation belt; the second, for tackling fire; and, the third, for transporting materials. They worked successively, for 16 hours, until the fire was brought under control.
"Li Lin, the respectable martyr, sacrificed her life for the people. We ought to do our best to serve the people." The above is the shared promise made by members of Li Lin Heroine's Militia Squad. They treat everyone as members of their family.
During holidays and/or breaks during training, the squad's members often participate in farm work. They help farmers in Pinglu sow seeds in spring and harvest wheat in autumn. During slack season, they help clean garbage and repair roads. During the past three years, they have planted 3,000 trees, forming the "militia woods" on a once-barren hill.
Pinglu has good quality agricultural products, including wheat, rice and oatmeal. But farmers in the region lack marketing skills. To increase farmers' incomes, young women of the squad have organized livestreaming activities to help the famers sell their products. The women stand in the field, shooting beautiful sceneries of the countryside.
They help the farmers contact e-commerce platforms, through which their produce can be sold nationwide. During the past three years, the squad's members have provided volunteer services more than 4,000 times.
The young women are devoted to safeguarding the land, which was initially saved and safeguarded by Li Lin, and countless martyrs dating back to wartime. Members of Li Lin Heroine's Militia Squad vow to inherit Li's loyalty and bravery, and to add fresh vigor into her strength and spirit, which have taken root in the glorious new era.
Photos from People's Armed Force Department of Pinglu District, Shuozhou, Shanxi Province
(Women of China English Monthly September 2025)
Editor: Wang Shasha
