Xiang Xiuli (1933-1958) was the daughter of a poor
shopkeeper in Guangzhou (Canton), Guangdong Province. When she was only
seven years old, the landlord put her to work as a slave girl in his
household. She was sent to work in a pharmaceutical factory when she
was 13. After 'Liberation', after the founding of the People's
Republic, she continued to work in the factory, and was recommended
many times as an advanced worker.
On 13 December 1958, some ethyl alcohol caught fire
in the factory as a result of the negligence of a few of Xiang's
inexperienced co-workers. In order to save her colleagues and the
factory, Xiang tried with all her might to stop the fire from reaching
some other highly explosive chemicals.
She succeeded in keeping the
fire at bay until rescue workers arrived. Badly burned, she was rushed
to the hospital, where all available medical experts, both from the
Western and Chinese Medicine sections, tried to save her life -- but
without success.
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Until the present day, Xiang Xiuli is held up as an example well worth emulating.
Source:
Shao Wu et al. (eds), Gongheguo qunyingpu [Register of heroes of the Republic] (Beijing: Zhongguo shaonian ertong chubanshe, 2003) [in Chinese]
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s.r.landsberger@let.leidenuniv.nl
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