Taigu, Shanxi, and the Boxer Rising

On July 31, 1900, violence linked to the Boxer bands reached Taigu, a market town in Shanxi Province. The Boxers opposed foreign influence and often treated Chinese Christians as traitors to family and nation. In Taigu, the local church numbered about one hundred and twenty believers—many from ordinary homes who had renounced idols, immoral practices, and fear of spirits. That summer, intimidation became open terror. Homes were searched, believers were dragged into the streets, and the choice was made plain: deny Christ or die.

Liu Fengshi (Evangelist)

Liu Fengshi was known before his conversion as a gambler and opium addict. The gospel did not merely adjust his habits; it broke his chains and made him a new man. He became an evangelist, speaking plainly about sin, repentance, and the cleansing power of Christ. When the killers demanded the first victim, Liu stepped forward and offered to die first, not out of despair, but to strengthen wavering hearts and to show that the Savior he preached is real.

His courage was not bravado. It was settled trust. He faced the sword with a steady confession, holding fast to the Lord who had rescued him. “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). In Taigu, that was not a slogan but a tested conviction.

The Witness of His Wife and Daughter-in-Law

Liu’s wife and daughter-in-law were beheaded as well. Their deaths reveal a faith that had reached the household, not merely the pulpit. In a culture where loyalty to ancestors and fear of public shame carried immense weight, these women chose loyalty to Christ over self-preservation. Jesus’ words proved true: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul” (Matthew 10:28).

Aftermath and Legacy

Their deaths marked the beginning of a season in which eighty of Taigu’s one hundred and twenty believers would be martyred. Yet persecution did not erase the church’s testimony; it purified it. “They have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony” (Revelation 12:11). The Taigu martyrs proclaimed, at great cost, that Christ is worth everything.