He Ying (military)

He Mingying but commonly known as He Ying  was born on 14 April 1886 in Sangzhi, Hunan province. Her original name was He Mingying and He Xianggu was her pet name. As the oldest daughter of her poor family, she had to share household duties and with heavy burden of housework since she was a kid. By the mid-1920s, she had emerged as an important local military figure.

Early life
He Ying was born in the Sangzhi, Hunan province of China. She was the elder sister of He Long, a famous Marshal of People's Republic of China. Her other siblings included He Wumei and He Mangu. They all devoted themselves to the Chinese revolutionary cause who sacrificed their lives.

After she married her cousin Gu Jitin in 1906, He Ying helped her husband with local military work. They lived in the Yun Jing Stronghold (a mountain fastness), and dealt with criminal activities and evil forces. Being a tough lady, He Ying gained the respect of her soldiers for her honesty and forthrightness.

In 1916, He Ying did her best to help her younger brother He Long kill the evil gentry–Zhu Haishan and drive off the local tyrants such as Chen Mugong. Then she ran Zhuo Xiaochu (leader of Cili Party) for the magistrate of Sangzhi.

In 1922, her husband was killed by a local warlord, Chen Quzheng. She picked up the gun left by her husband, and led her followers into battle against those warlords, tyrants, and bureaucrats.

In summer 1926, while her brother He Long was commanding the 1st Division, 9th Corps of the National Revolutionary Army to start the Northern Expedition from Tongren (Guizhou province) He Ying together with Sangzhi militia soldiers led by Wen Nanfu, Li Yunqing and Liu Yujei etc., attacked Sangzhi city and got rid of many evil officers. By doing so, He Ying was warmly welcomed by the masses and personages of all walks of life to the Sangzhi city. Following its stationing in the city, the He Ying troop adhered to strict disciplines, which made the whole city in good order and people have good living.

In 1927, He Ying went to Wuhan with her brother He Long and sister He Mangu for a short living. Affected by the Great Revolution, He Long decided to continue the battle with all evils in his hometown and He Ying followed her brother. As soon as they got home, He Ying devoted herself to the army expansion. Soon hundreds of soldiers were enlisted within less than a month.

He Ying was extremely skilled in martial arts. Once she came to a bandit den on her own and captured the leader of the bandits. What’s more, she changed those bandits and made them her soldiers.

In spring 1928, He Long and Zhou Yiqun (another military leader) were assigned to set up a revolutionary base in Western Hunan-Hubei Area. Knowing this, He Ying turned her troops over to her brother and Zhou Yiqun and threw herself into the work of Sangzhi Uprising. She had made a great contribution to revolutionary base setting. He Ying, although she didn’t join the Communist Party of China organizationally, she led guerrilla forces of C.P.C and made her sacrifice to the Party. In her life, she had been wounded in many battles and saved many people.

In October 1929, after the Red Army suffered a setback in Zhuang Erping War, He Ying led her troops to deal with the aftermath of the War.

In spring 1930, When He Long took away the main forces of the Red Army to the East of Hong lake, He Ying and her guerrilla forces stayed in the base in order to coordinate military operations with the main forces of the Red Army.

During the War against “Encirclement and Suppression” in 1932, He Ying and her soldiers were hemmed in on all sides by the Kuomintang, but she refused to give up. She struggled with her enemies and finally survived.

In early morning on May 5, 1933, informed by a traitor, the enemy beset the guerrilla’s station with a strong army. He Ying and her fellows fought bravely. She protected her soldiers and helped them break out of the encirclement. During that process, she was wounded and died.

In September 2009, He Ying was honored as one of those 100 people “Who Have Made Outstanding Contributions towards the Founding of P.R.C.”