August 12, 2015
No. 154
Ms. Cindy Vautrin, great grandniece of US missionary Wilhelmina (Minnie) Vautrin, will attend events commemorating the 70th anniversary of victory in the War of Resistance against Japan from August 9 to 15 at the invitation of the Republic of China government.
When Japanese forces occupied Nanjing in 1937, Minnie Vautrin and a number of other foreigners established an international safety zone in the city, ultimately protecting 250,000 residents from Japanese attacks. Most admirable was her courageous decision to turn Ginling College into a refuge that harbored about 10,000 women and children. She dauntlessly repelled Japanese incursions into the campus even when threatened by a bayonet pointed at her chest. Despite suffering several beatings for her acts of defiance, she refused to step aside. On this 70th anniversary of victory of the War of Resistance against Japan, the ROC solemnly pays tribute to Minnie Vautrin for her charity and compassion toward the people of Nanjing.
On behalf of her great grandaunt and the rest of her family, Ms. Cindy Vautrin will accept a tribute presented by President Ma Ying-jeou. She will also visit Ginling Girls High School in New Taipei City, in particular its history room, and three exhibitions commemorating the victory: The Truth of the Second Sino-Japanese War exhibit at National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei, and the Taiwanese during World War II and the Transformations in 1895 exhibits at the National Museum of Taiwan History in Tainan. Other destinations include the National Palace Museum and Taipei 101 to give her insights into the more recent political and economic developments as well as the traditional culture and customs of Taiwan. (E)