Cheng Benhua looks into the camera smiling, moments before she is murdered by the men behind her for fighting for the freedom
Cheng Benhua looks into the camera smiling, moments before she is murdered by the men behind her for fighting for the freedom of her people, 1938 During the 1930s, Japan underwent a militaristic overhaul in its society. The Japanese also went through an extreme wave of patriotism and believed that they were superior to other Asians. Japan (the island itself) lacks natural resources like rubber and oil. They also wanted to establish spheres of influence throughout Asia, so the Japanese invaded China to achieve these goals. Who the Japanese did not expect to meet in China was Cheng Benhua, a freedom fighter who, today, has become a symbol of Chinese pride. Cheng Benhua and her husband, Liu Zhiyi, led a small resistance group against the Japanese invaders defending their hometown of Hexian (和縣) in Anhui (安徽) province. In one battle, Liu was killed, and Cheng was taken prisoner. Cheng was interrogated and tortured by the Japanese and was gang raped repeatedly by guards. The photo abo...