Liu Qingyang

Liu Qingyang (Chinese: 刘清扬; February 15, 1894 – July 19, 1977), courtesy name Wanru (Chinese: 婉如)^[1] and art name Nianwu (Chinese: 念吾), was a Chinese political activist and one of the pioneers of the Chinese women's movement. A native of Tianjin with ancestral roots in Mengcun, Hebei, she was among the earliest female members of the Chinese Communist Party and played a significant role in patriotic and democratic movements in modern China. She is also noted as one of the introducers of Zhou Enlai into the Communist Party. Throughout her life, she was active in promoting women's emancipation and contributed to the development of the united front.^[2]

Liu Qingyang was born on February 15, 1894, in Tianjin into a Hui family. She received her early education at a girls’ school in Tianjin and was exposed to patriotic ideas at a young age.^[3] During the Xinhai Revolution in 1911, she joined the Tianjin Republican Association affiliated with the Tongmenghui, engaging in revolutionary propaganda and support activities. During the May Fourth Movement in 1919, Liu emerged as a prominent leader of student and women’s activism in Tianjin. She co-founded the Tianjin Women’s Patriotic Association and served as its president, organizing demonstrations, public speeches, and nationwide petitions opposing the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. She also played a key role in mobilizing national support following the suppression of student protests, traveling to cities such as Nanjing and Shanghai to rally public opinion.^[4]

In 1920, Liu co-founded the Awakening Society together with Zhou Enlai, Deng Yingchao, and others, promoting progressive ideas and organizing student movements. Later that year, she traveled to France under the work-study program, where she came into contact with Marxist theory through Zhang Shenfu and other intellectuals.^[5] In early 1921, she joined a communist group in Paris and subsequently introduced Zhou Enlai into the organization. She later participated in the establishment of early overseas communist groups in Europe. After returning to China in 1923, Liu became involved in women’s organizations and publishing, serving as general manager of the Women’s Daily.^[6]

Following the policy of cooperation between the Chinese Communist Party and the Kuomintang, Liu joined the Kuomintang as a dual member and worked in its women's departments under leaders such as He Xiangning and Soong Ching-ling. She held several posts related to women's training and organization in Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Wuhan. After the breakdown of the First United Front in 1927, she withdrew from the Kuomintang and left the Communist Party due to political persecution.^[7]

After the Mukden Incident in 1931, Liu resumed political activism and became deeply involved in the anti-Japanese resistance movement. She organized women’s relief and mobilization efforts in Beijing and played a leading role in the formation of women's national salvation organizations.^[8] In 1936, she was arrested by the authorities for her activities but was released after public pressure. Following the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937, she moved to Wuhan and later to Chongqing, where she continued her work in wartime mobilization, including organizing women’s training programs and childcare initiatives. She also established educational institutions in Hong Kong before returning to inland China during the war.^[9]

In 1944, Liu joined the China Democratic League and was elected a member of its Central Executive Committee and director of its Women’s Committee. After the end of the war, she continued to organize intellectuals and youth supporting democratic and revolutionary causes, facilitating their movement to Communist-controlled areas during the Chinese Civil War. In 1949, she participated in the first plenary session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference as a representative of women’s organizations.^[10]

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Liu held numerous positions, including member of the Cultural and Educational Committee of the Government Administration Council of the People's Republic of China, vice chairperson of the Hebei Provincial Committee of the CPPCC, vice chairperson of the All-China Women's Federation, and vice president of the Red Cross Society of China. She also served as a deputy to the National People's Congress and as a standing committee member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. In 1961, she rejoined the Chinese Communist Party.^[11]

During the Cultural Revolution, Liu was persecuted and imprisoned. She was released in 1975 but died on July 19, 1977, in Beijing at the age of 83.^[12] In 1979, the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party posthumously rehabilitated her and restored her reputation.^[1]