1900 - 40 Chinese Martyrs at Ji Xian

July 16, 1900

Ji Xian, Shanxi

The Boxers set their sights on killing as many Chinese Christians at Ji Xian as possible, after the Youngs, McConnells, Annie King, and Elizabeth Burton were martyred on July 16th. Faithful Yen and his wife were brutally killed, and dozens of other members of the Ji Xian church were also called to lay down their lives. One was an old Christian man named Yun, who was thrown into prison after he tried to stop the Boxers looting the mission premises. Some weeks later he was taken out and cruelly put to death.

Two local Christian farmers, Zhang and Fan, were also mercilessly killed. Fan had surrendered to the Boxers in an attempt to save the life of his son, whom they held captive. Most of the other Christians of Ji Xian managed to flee into the mountains, where they experienced horrible deprivation.

A local Christian boy named Guo Tianxuen bravely volunteered to help the missionaries in their attempt to flee into the neighbouring province. When they were attacked on July 16th, Guo was carrying little Kenneth McConnell in his arms. The Boxers ordered Guo to put the child down and run for his life. They shouted, “You can go, we don’t want to kill you.”

Guo started to run away, but he soon heard the little boy cry, “Tianxuen, don’t leave me!” Guo returned and told the Boxers, “‘I am also a Christian, you may kill me too.’ And so they did, cutting him down with a sword while the terrified child clung to his neck.”[1]

In this remote area of Shanxi, in addition to the foreign missionaries, “some forty Chinese Protestant Christians laid down their lives because of their faith in Jesus Christ, while many others bear on their bodies for the rest of their lives the marks of the Lord Jesus.”[2]