Hu Youping, the woman who lost her life to stop attack that injured Japanese in China
Not all heroes wear capes.
A week after Hu Youping, who lost her life to stop a June 24 knife attack on a Japanese school bus in Suzhou, eastern Jiangsu Province, China finally witnessed a detailed profile of the 54-year-old local woman.
Below is a translation of 我们所认识的胡友平 The Hu Youping We Got to Know by Phoenix News, published on Monday, July 1 evening. The reporters are 王之言 Wang Zhiyan and 燕青 Yan Qing.
我们所认识的胡友平
The Hu Youping We Got to Know
In the Suzhou "6.24" knife attack incident, 54-year-old Hu Youping, a bus guide for the Suzhou Japanese School, stepped forward to block the assailant and was stabbed several times. According to Caixin, one of the stabs pierced her heart, leading to hemorrhagic shock due to excessive blood loss. She passed away on June 26. On June 28, the Japanese Embassy in China flew its flag at half-mast in mourning.
On the same day, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning announced that Suzhou city would posthumously honor Hu Youping with the title of "Model of Courageous Acts," highlighting her bravery and the kindness and courage of the Chinese people.
For a time, Hu Youping's name was repeatedly mentioned by both officials and civilians in China and Japan. People expressed their gratitude and were eager to know more about her.
Over the past three days, Phoenix News visited various significant locations in Hu Youping's life: her 35-year home in Suzhou's Gusu District, her childhood village Jiaoling in Huai'an, the bus stop at Xindi Center where she was attacked, the Suzhou University Affiliated Hospital where she was treated, and finally, the Suzhou Funeral Home where she was laid to rest. They also scoured social networks, seeking to connect with those who knew her, capturing each individual's memories of Hu Youping.
Hu Youping's Douyin Account:
**April 22, 2020: "Back Home to Explore the Market"**
**April 29, 2020: "Want to Eat? Come Over and Eat!"**
**May 28, 2020: "Dancing Alone, Feeling Embarrassed"**
**June 2, 2020: "Showing Off at the Shop"**
**February 28, 2021**
**February 28, 2021**
**July 3, 2021: "A Walk in Shanghai Jinshan"**
**November 18, 2022**
From her neighbours
Hu Youping's home was in the westernmost part of Gusu District, in an old community built in 1990. The community consisted of 39 six-story residential buildings with white exterior walls and no elevators. Hu's family lived on the top floor. Despite its age, the community was lush with greenery and very quiet. Locals said it as one of the earliest housing estates in the ancient city, with relatively low prices (currently around 18,000 RMB per square meter), but not a true shantytown. It had its own ecosystem, with cheaper dining and living services compared to outside the community.
A middle-aged woman with glasses, riding an electric bike, told Phoenix News that she recognized Hu Youping's photo in the news but found it hard to believe until someone in the owners' group said, "Our community has a great hero." She described Hu Youping as "liking to take walks" and "very kind." They often met at a small open area in the community with ping-pong tables and benches. Hu had a habit of exercising in the morning, sometimes leaving as early as 6:40 AM.
Another young neighbor girl remembered Auntie Hu Youping as "a very nice person," who helped her change into dry clothes and sheltered her from the rain on rainy days.
After the incident, nearly ten neighbors in the owners' group inquired about which building the hero's family lived in, wanting to send flowers.
On the afternoon of June 29, the lock on the entrance to Hu's building had been changed. A community staff member said that Hu had recently participated in a community cleanup, helping to clean the corridors with her neighbors. Outside the community, six or seven elderly people playing mahjong discussed her in Suzhou dialect under the sun, lamenting, "Alas, the brave one is gone (she passed away)."
From her former colleagues
Hu Youping was from Jiaoling Village in Huai'an, Jiangsu. Her childhood neighbor told Phoenix News that she remembered Hu as the hardworking and enthusiastic girl who grew up with her in the village. At the age of 20, Hu was recruited by a Suzhou textile factory and became a textile worker. Several other girls from the village were also recruited. Hu soon settled in Suzhou, started a family, and had a son.
After her textile career, Hu worked in another Suzhou factory. Wan Ting, a colleague, recalled that Hu was "a family-oriented person, willing to sacrifice for her family," "good at making pastries," "very filial," and "hadn't changed much over the years." Their friendship endured, and they even traveled to Shanghai together last summer, with Hu wearing a striped dress and taking many photos for each other.
In the spring of 2016, at the age of 46, Hu lost her stable job and joined a newly opened housekeeping company on Ganjiang Road, working as a nanny and monthly hourly worker. She was assigned the number 0054320. At that time, she didn't wear makeup but had a head full of permed curls and a bright smile. She registered herself as a Rooster [in the Chinese Zodiac], a Leo, 158 cm tall, weighing 56 kg, fluent in Mandarin, and skilled in cooking, cleaning, and household organization. The housekeeping agency added that she was "clean and fresh-looking" and "affable."
Hu genuinely loved cooking, often recording videos while peeling sweet potatoes. She shared her culinary creations online, such as leek boxes, wontons, sesame peanut walnut pancakes, and proudly invited people to come and eat.
Unfortunately, her skills did not lead to success in the housekeeping field. In 2020, after 30 years of working, Hu, now 50, ventured into e-commerce, trying her hand at entrepreneurship and becoming a "boss."
Guided by her e-commerce colleagues, Hu took professional-looking photos as a "successful businesswoman," with red lipstick, eyeliner, meticulously styled short hair, and a sky-blue suit with a flowing tie, striking a pose with one hand on her waist. She proudly displayed her identity as a "Director of Jilifang, Co-founder of Qudie Health, and Provincial Distributor for Dimo." This photo became her final WeChat profile picture.
During her e-commerce career, Hu fell in love with making short videos. She enjoyed performing skits but often broke character, laughing during filming.
Hu's store, "DM Fashion," was a small shop in the neighboring community, meticulously decorated with wooden shelves displaying women's fashion products, including lingerie, meal replacements, cosmetics, and health products. Despite her efforts, customers were scarce. On May 28, 2020, she posted three short videos in one day, wearing a Chinese-style green short-sleeved top, white pants, and white sandals, dancing a slow waltz and jokingly writing, "Dancing alone, feeling embarrassed."
As a "fashion worker," Hu became a fan of earrings, frequently changing her earrings in over 160 short videos, wearing gold, pearl, round, triangular ones, matching her necklaces and hairbands. She often humorously called herself "vain" and "an old beauty."
Hu lamented aging, commenting on her wrinkles and jokingly drinking the "Red Ginseng Pomegranate Cranberry Drink" she promoted, holding the bottle to ensure the product name was visible.
The pandemic hit her store hard, and within a few months, she returned to part-time housekeeping, eventually becoming a bus guide for the Suzhou Japanese School, her last job, earning over 3,000 RMB per month.
In times of happiness
July 27 would have been Hu's 55th birthday. In previous years, her family and friends celebrated with her, sharing photos of cakes and smiles on social media.
Hu often interacted with her family on social media, commenting on her third sister's piano practice videos and her fourth brother's playful videos with his grandson.
In May 2020, Hu decided to sell her second-hand apartment on Xihuan Road to buy a wedding house for her son. The buyer, Ms. An, met Hu and her husband through a real estate agency. Ms. An described Hu as "straightforward and easy-going," carrying a backpack and dressed casually, while her husband was "skinny, wearing a gold chain, and not very talkative." Hu made decisions quickly, completing the transaction in just a few hours. Ms. An bought the 40-square-meter apartment for 530,000 RMB. Even after selling the apartment, Hu remained responsible, arranging repairs for gas leaks and water damage.
Hu seemed to be a relaxed parent, often sharing photos of her son and daughter-in-law on social media, calling herself a "third wheel" and openly expressing her affection for her daughter-in-law.
In the summer of 2022, four months before her son's wedding, Hu excitedly posted three invitations in two days, inviting everyone to the celebration.
On the wedding day, Hu wore a red Chinese qipao embroidered with gold flowers, smiling broadly and blessing the newlyweds with happiness.
From her hometown relatives
As of the morning of June 30, Hu's family had not yet informed her elderly mother of her passing. A neighbor, seven years older than Hu, told Phoenix News that her siblings "cried upon receiving the news" and avoided answering their mother's calls, pretending to be busy.
Hu's mother, in her eighties, had diabetes and mobility issues due to a stroke. Hu often returned home to care for her, visiting two or three times a year for about ten days each time. Neighbors remembered her as enthusiastic and beautiful, always greeting them loudly and discussing how to care for her mother.
Another neighbor described Hu as "well-behaved" and never arguing with children. She couldn't imagine being as brave as Hu in facing the attacker.
An elderly neighbor described Hu as "the most beautiful child in the Hu family," always polite and greeting her warmly.
Hu's family's old house was in a central location in Jiaoling Village, close to everyone. Many factories lined the road, including her brother Hu Youde's flour mill. Hu Youde declined an interview with Phoenix News. Several neighbors fondly remembered Hu as someone who enjoyed chatting with them about her son and daughter-in-law, returning home during holidays.
After the incident, Hu's neighbor, Elder Hu, visited her family. Elder Hu said her youngest brother, Hu Youjia, expressed gratitude but preferred not to discuss his sister's death. Hu Youjia told Elder Hu, "We don't want to talk about sad things anymore. My second sister was a good person who helped many people."
From the people at stake in the attack
Hu Youping was the bus guide on the fateful day, responsible for ensuring the children's safety. Parent Ms. Yan told Phoenix News that the bus guide's role was crucial, with fixed routes and detailed record-keeping for each child.
Video footage showed Hu lying on her side after being stabbed, wearing an orange sleeveless top with two yellow stripes, similar to traffic control attire, the uniform of the Japanese school. Another woman in the same uniform and a woman in white stood beside her, while three men subdued the attacker.
Ms. Yan said the bus guide often worked with a parent volunteer, ensuring each child's safety. The Xindi Center stop was a major stop, serving over thirty children. The area was home to many Japanese families, with Japanese children attending the local school.
After the attack, Hu was taken to the Suzhou University Affiliated Hospital, three kilometers away. An emergency room worker told Phoenix News that Hu was brought in during her shift but didn't survive the night. An intern doctor confirmed the severity of her injuries, saying Hu was in the ICU. The ICU was located at the end of the Third Floor. ICU medics involved in the emergency care refused to comment.
On June 28, flowers continuously arrived at the Xindi Center bus stop from local citizens, Japanese parents, and even delivery workers fulfilling online orders. A student's parent mentioned that all the Japanese mothers on that bus route bought flowers for the stop.
"Japanese families here spontaneously donated money, and the Japanese school and kindergarten organized memorials for this hero." The parent's child was a classmate of the injured boy, and she remembered Hu as "a very easy-going person."
On June 28, at 8 AM, Hu's farewell ceremony was held at the Qianqiu Hall of Suzhou Funeral Home, the highest-profile hall in the facility. A staff member said more people attended than usual, with more wreaths. The ceremony ended around 9 AM, and Hu's remains were cremated.
Hu’s friend Wan Ting attended the ceremony, noting that Hu's mother was absent, “her mother was in poor health.”
On the same day, the Japanese school held a memorial service, attended by all student families. "Our principal, a Japanese man, cried uncontrollably, and all the Japanese mothers present were in tears," the parent said on social media.
Grief continued in both countries. On June 30, over 200 people attended a memorial at a bookstore in Tokyo, including Chinese and Japanese people. Bookstore owner Zhao Guojun was overwhelmed by the turnout and the emotional responses.
Initially, Zhao didn't know how many people would attend, but the bookstore quickly filled up, with people even standing in the hallways. "A Chinese woman who had worked in Suzhou for six years entered and immediately burst into tears, crying uncontrollably," he said. "Then, more and more crying could be heard." "In fact, she also protected Chinese people living in Japan. Without her sacrifice, the consequences would have been much more severe, affecting not just the country's image, but also the image and safety of Chinese people in Japan," Zhao Guojun remarked.
Despite her heroism, Hu faced online abuse, with some extremists calling her a "female traitor" and celebrating the crime in the name of patriotism. On June 28, the People's Daily condemned such hateful behavior, and major internet platforms announced efforts to combat extreme nationalist rhetoric. Some netizens believed Hu's sacrifice was a stand against extreme nationalism, comparable to saving a bus full of children.
After the incident, voluntary donations poured in from the Japanese community in Suzhou. According to Taiwan's United Daily News, donations exceeded 4 million RMB, with Sony's Suzhou factory contributing 1 million RMB. (Phoenix News could not verify this before publication). Chinese Rongfeng Holdings Chairman Wang Zheng personally donated 200,000 RMB.
Wang, speaking from Tokyo, mentioned the incident to former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, who expressed gratitude and condolences on social media: "Heartfelt thanks for the brave actions of the Chinese woman who sacrificed her life to protect Japanese children. May she rest in peace."
Upon learning that Hu's family did not accept donations, Wang expressed his hope to donate the money to other citizens who helped during the incident.
However, as of publication, Wang still did not know the names of other "brave individuals." "I want to know their names; they also represent the majority of the Chinese people."
Reporting by 王之言 Wang Zhiyan and 燕青 Yan Qing
Editing by GGY
Typesetting by 魏蔚 Wei Wei