Lin Xiangqian (October 19, 1892 – February 7, 1923), also known as Yuande, was a native of Min County, Fujian Province. He was the leader of the February 7th strike and a martyr of the Chinese Communist Party. He was the first person to sacrifice his life after the founding of the Communist Party of China.

Chairman of the Jiang’an Branch of the Beijing-Hankou Railway General Union
Term of office: October 1922 – February 7, 1923

Personal information
Gender: Male
Born: October 19, 1892
Tingshang Village, Shanggan Town, Min County, Fuzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province, Qing Dynasty

Death: February 7, 1923 (30 years old)
Hankou Jiang’an Station, Xiakou County, Hubei Province, Republic of China (now Jiang’an District, Wuhan City, Hubei Province, People’s Republic of China)

Cause of death: Beheading

Tomb: Lin Xiangqian Cemetery, Xiangqian Town, Minhou County, Fujian Province

Place of origin: Minhou, Fujian

Ethnicity: Han

Nationality: Qing Dynasty (1892-1912)
Republic of China (1912-1923)

Political party: Communist Party of China Communist Party of China

Residence: Fujian Street, west of Hankou Jiang’an Station

Occupation : Fitter at the Jiang’an Locomotive Factory of the Beijing-Hankou Railway, Chairman of the Jiang’an Branch of the Beijing-Hankou Railway General Union

Famous for: Leading the February 7th Strike and being killed by the military and police for it

Early Life
On August 29, the 18th year of the Guangxu Period of the Qing Dynasty (October 19, 1892), Lin Xiangqian was born in Shanggan, Min County, Fuzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province. In his early years, Lin Xiangqian studied in a private school in the village, and later studied with his father Lin Ruihe in a private school in Mawei. In 1905, he dropped out of the private school because he could not pay the tuition. In 1906, Lin’s father sent Lin Xiangqian to the Mawei Shipyard as an apprentice.
In 1912, Lin Xiangqian sent his sister to Hankou to get married. He was introduced by his brother-in-law Zhou Liancheng to the Jiang’an Locomotive and Vehicle Repair Factory of the Beijing-Hankou Railway and was hired as a fitter after examination. In the winter of 1913, he returned to his hometown and married Chen Guizhen. In 1914, he brought his family (father, wife, and second brother Lin Yuancheng) to Jiang’an and lived in Fujian Street west of Jiang’an Station. Later, he was elected as the leader of the Fujian fellow organization at work.
In 1921, the Communist Party of China began to carry out activities among the workers of the Jiang’an Railway. Because Lin Xiangqian had a high prestige among the workers, he was cultivated. In December of the same year, he joined the Wuhan Branch of the Secretariat of the Chinese Labor Union to prepare for the Jiang’an Workers Club of the Beijing-Hankou Railway. When the Jiang’an Workers Club was established on January 22, 1922, Lin Xiangqian was appointed as the financial officer, and Yang Defu (from the Kuomintang) was appointed as the director, Zhou Tianyuan as the general affairs officer, Zeng Yuliang as the social affairs officer, and Xiang Ying as the clerk (Yang Defu and Zhou Tianyuan were the leaders of the Hubei Gang).

After that, Lin Xiangqian founded a night school for workers in Jiang’an and led the workers in a struggle for their rights, forcing the factory to agree to demands such as full pay for sick leave within 14 days, half pay for more than 14 days, abolishment of the body search system for workers leaving the factory, and cancellation of arbitrary fines. On June 1, Cheng Yan, the chief ticket inspector, and Jiang Daosheng, the third-class patrol officer of the guard, unreasonably beat and detained the workers Huang Baocheng and his wife. After learning about it, Lin Xiangqian immediately convened a meeting and put forward demands such as punishing the murderer, paying compensation and apologizing. If the railway bureau did not agree, they would go on strike. In the end, the railway bureau agreed to all conditions. In August, the railway bureau fired three employees on the pretext of something. Lin Xiangqian called on the workers to hold a rally and demanded that the dismissal decision be withdrawn within three days and the supervisor and director be fired. The railway bureau finally agreed to the workers’ demands.

In the autumn of the same year, Lin Xiangqian joined the Communist Party of China. In October, the Jiang’an Workers’ Club was renamed the Jiang’an Branch of the Beijing-Hankou Railway, and Lin Xiangqian was elected as the chairman of the Jiang’an Branch of the Union.
On February 1, 1923, as a representative, he went to Zhengzhou to attend the founding meeting of the Beijing-Hankou Railway General Labor Union, but was obstructed by the Zhengzhou military and police. Lin Xiangqian and several workers finally rushed into the venue to announce the establishment. In order to protest the warlords’ destruction of the establishment of the General Labor Union, the General Labor Union, which had moved to Jiang’an, decided to hold a general strike for the entire railway on February 4, and Jiang’an immediately became the focus of the strike. Lin Xiangqian, as the chairman of the Jiang’an branch labor union, was also designated as the person in charge of the strike in the Jiang’an area.

Leading the February 7th Strike
See: February 7th Strike
At 9 am on February 4th, the whistle announcing the start of the Beijing-Hankou Railway workers’ strike sounded at the Jiang’an Locomotive Factory. On the 5th of the next day, the military and police arrested the driver of the Jiang’an Locomotive Factory (later the Jiang’an Locomotive Depot) and forced him to drive. Lin Xiangqian led the picket team to rescue them. After rescuing two drivers, five more picket members were tied up. Lin Xiangqian first sent representatives to the Rotary Primary School (later Jiang’an Railway Primary School, now Hantie Primary School) for negotiations. When he learned that the representatives were also detained, he led more than 2,000 workers to besiege the Rotary Primary School and force Zhang Housheng to release them unconditionally.
On February 6, the Wuhan Federation of Trade Unions organized nearly 10,000 workers to hold a solidarity meeting. Lin Xiangqian delivered a speech at the meeting, calling for persistence in the strike. After the meeting, he and Shi Yang led the masses to hold a parade.
At 5:20 p.m. on February 7, Zhang Housheng, Chief of Staff of the Hubei Military Governor’s Office, led his troops to surround the Jiang’an Branch of the Labor Union. Lin Xiangqian ordered the picket group to fight Zhang’s troops, and he burned documents in the room. Later, the workers’ picket group clashed with the military and police, and the military and police opened fire at the door, killing and injuring more than 30 people, and Lin Xiangqian was arrested.

Died on the bank of the river
See: Jiang’an Station (Hubei Province)

In the station building of Jiang’an Station, you can see the plaque of Wuhan City Cultural Relics Protection Unit and the monument of “Lin Xiangqian’s Martyrdom Place” (August 2023)