Lin Hei'er
Chinese rebel during the Boxer Rebellion
About Lin Hei'er
Lived 1871 – 1900. Lin Hei'er was a prostitute and acrobatic gymnast.
Lin Hei'er (; 1871 Furious with foreigners because of the death of Li Youchuan, Hei'er joined the rebels of the Yihetuan. Once trained in martial arts, she trained female recruits and founded the Red Lantern Unit of young female soldiers, the name coming from the color of their clothes. With rebel's widows she formed the Blue Lantern Unit and with the old women, the Black Lantern Unit. In addition she formed the Pan Lantern Unit of cooks who were in charge of feeding the rebel troops. She recruited widows, prostitutes, beggars and peasants into her ranks and rejected well-to-do women as useless "lotus feet".
A monument in her honor, the Red Lantern monument, was erected in 1994 near her place of birth.
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Important facts
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Contemporaries
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Frequently asked questions
Who was Lin Hei'er?
Chinese rebel during the Boxer Rebellion
When was Lin Hei'er born?
Lin Hei'er was born in 1871 in Tianjin.
When did Lin Hei'er die?
Lin Hei'er died in 1900.
What was Lin Hei'er's occupation?
Lin Hei'er was a prostitute and acrobatic gymnast.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Lin Hei'er. https://biography.guide/lin-hei-er/
MLA: "Lin Hei'er." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/lin-hei-er/.
Chicago: "Lin Hei'er." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/lin-hei-er/.
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