Key facts
- Zheng Yuxiu was a revolutionary, lawyer, judge, and legislator.
- She was the first female judge and first female doctor of law in modern Chinese history.
- Zheng participated in Sun Yat-sen's revolutionary movement and the 1911 Revolution.
- She studied law in Paris, earning a doctorate in 1925.
- Zheng was part of the Chinese delegation at the 1919 Paris Peace Conference.
- She helped draft the Chinese Republican-era civil code.
Zheng Yuxiu, born in 1891, was a pioneering figure in modern China, known for her revolutionary activities, legal career, and defiance of traditional norms. Growing up in an influential family, she displayed an independent spirit from a young age, resisting the practice of foot-binding and an arranged marriage.
Her revolutionary involvement began early, participating in Sun Yat-sen's movement leading up to the 1911 Revolution. She was part of a revolutionary cell that transported bombs and was involved in an attempted assassination of Yuan Shikai. Fleeing China after being identified by the government, she went to France.
In France, Zheng pursued higher education, earning a doctorate in law from the University of Paris in 1925. She was a member of the Chinese delegation to the Paris Peace Conference in 1919, advocating for China's sovereignty. Upon returning to China, she became the first female judge in modern Chinese history and served in the national Legislative Yuan, contributing to the drafting of the Republican-era civil code. She also served as president of the University of Shanghai's school of law from 1931 to 1937.
Zheng Yuxiu's life, which ended in 1959, exemplifies a struggle for justice, equality, and national sovereignty in early 20th-century China.