1900 - Li Degui & Twenty Christians

June 7, 1900

Li Degui & Twenty Christians

Yongledian, Beijing

Pastor Li Degui, his wife, and three children.

The small town of Yongledian, located 18 miles (29 km) south of Tongzhou in the Beijing Municipality, was the home of Li Degui. A graduate of the Protestant theological seminary in Tongzhou, Li for many years had been the pastor of a church in his town and surrounding villages. His three oldest children attended a Christian boarding school in Tongzhou, while his three youngest, including a newborn baby boy, were still at home.

In April and May of 1900, the local villagers’ conversation was dominated by one topic—the threat of the Boxers and the coming destruction they would reap. Although the Lis had caused no offence to anyone in their town, the peoples’ minds were awash with excitement and rumours. It was clear the locals would quickly betray the Li family into the hands of the Boxers when the day arrived. On the last day of May, a band of Boxers entered Yongledian and took over the local temple. “From all the surrounding regions they came that day, until thousands swarmed near Mr. Li’s house, and the cruel cry, ‘Kill! Kill!’ rang again and again through the air.”[I]

On Sunday around 30 brave Christians who came together at the church for worship and prayer. The Li family—Li Degui, his wife, 16-year-old daughter, eight-year-old son, and newborn baby boy—lived in the property next to the church building. Pastor Li knew that their time on earth would soon come to an end. He asked his wife if she would like to flee to her parents’ town. When she asked if he intended to come with her, Li replied that shepherds should remain with their flock. Li’s wife responded, “Then I will not go either; if we must die, let us die together. Besides, there are Boxers everywhere; there is no refuge where we would be safe. God grant that at least one of the older children may be spared to do the work which we may soon lay down.”[II]

On the night of June 6th, news came that Christian homes just six miles (10 km) away had been set alight, “and men and woman, old and young, were being slaughtered like sheep.” With 21 Christians from Yongledian gathered together in the chapel, Pastor Li announced they should all leave immediately for Tongzhou, realizing it was their only hope of survival. The believers knelt together, and Pastor Li prayed, “Father, if it is thy will that we perish on this journey, we will rejoice to go home to thee. If it is thy will that we reach Tongzhou in safety, we will thank thee.”[III] Others tried to pray, but only sounds of weeping came from their mouths. The Christians broke up into smaller groups for the journey. In the first group was

“…a young man named Zhang, with five children—his six-year-old sister, Mr. Li’s two little boys, and Mrs. Yang’s two children. Only a short distance behind were Mrs. Yang and Mr. and Mrs. Li, with their baby, now forty days old. Still further behind were ten others, most of them women. All moved slowly; for some were ill, some were feeble with old age, and some were treading the path to martyrdom with a child’s unsteady step.”[IV]

After about three miles (five kilometres) of their journey a group of Boxers spotted the second group of escapees. Hundreds of men appeared, brandishing their blood-stained swords and spears. Like hungry sharks, they quickly encircled their prey, waiting for the first member to strike…. One account says,

“Again and again they circled around their prisoners, waving their swords and uttering wild cries, until a devilish frenzy seized them, and with frothing mouths and fixed, staring eyes, they plunged knives and spears into their helpless victims. Mrs. Li pleaded for her tiny baby, and they answered by taking it from her arms and offering it as their first sacrifice. Mr. Li was the last one of the family to close his eyes to earth’s horrors.”[V]

The loving pastor and his wife were buried a pit with the members of their flock they had loved so tenderly.

I Miner, China’s Book of Martyrs, 172.
II Miner, China’s Book of Martyrs, 173.
III Miner, China’s Book of Martyrs, 174-175.
IV Miner, China’s Book of Martyrs, 175.
V Miner, China’s Book of Martyrs, 176.