Cheng Lianzhen

Cheng Lianzhen (; 1921 – 21 October 1998) was a Chinese communist politician. A prominent female bandit leader in southwestern China during the mid-20th century, she rose to notoriety in the turbulent years following the Chinese Civil War and the establishment of the People's Republic of China.

Early life Cheng Lianzhen was born in 1921 into a poor Bouyei family in a village at Changshun County, Guizhou. At 17, she served as a bridesmaid at a village wedding, where she caught the eye of a bandit leader determined to kidnap her. Warned by the bride, Cheng fled to Huishui County and met Chen Zhengming, a wealthy university student unhappy with his arranged marriage. The two quickly fell in love and married. Living in Chen's home, Cheng learned horseback riding and marksmanship, becoming skilled enough to shoot accurately while horse riding and developing her reputation as a bandit.

Bandit life Guizhou province, with its rugged mountains, dense forests, and remote villages, was a fertile ground for banditry during the early 20th century. The region's isolation made it difficult for central authorities to maintain control, and the poverty of its inhabitants often drove people to banditry as a means of survival. These groups operated in a decentralized manner, raiding villages, ambushing travelers, and occasionally clashing with government forces. Cheng Lianzhen emerged as a prominent bandit figure in this chaotic environment. In 1947, Chen died of acute illness and in the same year, Cheng gave birth to her daughter.

In 1950, the PLA re-entered Guizhou and formed six anti-bandit units to suppress banditry in regions like Changshun and Huishui. The "Self-Salvation Army" led by Cao Shaohua, quickly collapsed, while Cheng's bandit group fled and went into hiding. Cao Shaohua was captured in a valley in Changshun County and executed in Guiyang by the PLA. However, Cheng Lianzhen and her group of several hundred bandits evaded capture by hiding in secret caves in the Lengshui River Valley in Guizhou, making them difficult to eliminate.

On 5 June 1953, the president of the local court sentenced Cheng Lianzhen to be released. After her release, she traveled to the border areas of Huishui and Changshun counties, where she persuaded hidden bandits to surrender. Within a month, 22 bandits turned themselves in. For the bandits who refused to surrender, Cheng guided PLA troops in search operations, leading to the elimination of such bandits.

In popular culture The story about Cheng's life was first published in August 1989 by Bouyei writer Wang Tingzhen in Sichuan magazine Virgin Land , titled Mao Zedong's Few Words Release the Female Bandit . In 2003, Wang expanded the story into a novel The Legendary Experience of a Female Bandit Leader . In 2005, the People's Liberation Army Literature and Art Publishing House released Lotus in the Storm—The Legend of the 'Female Meng Huo' Pardoned by Mao Zedong , which was co-authored by Wang Tingzhen and Zhou Weiyi. Both books were prefaced by Wang Siming, former vice chairman of the Guizhou Provincial Political Consultative Conference and a key figure in handling Cheng Lianzhen's case, making them the only two novels to depict Cheng's history.

Cheng's life story inspired a ten-episode TV series, Female Bandit Leader , which aired in 2008. In 2009, Zhejiang Great Wall Film and Television adapted her story into a 40-episode series, Highest Amnesty , with actress Ma Su portraying Zheng Yaomei, a character based on Cheng.