Belgian city honors WWII 'Chinese Schindler' heroics

The Belgian city of Ecaussinnes paid solemn tribute on Friday to Qian Xiuling, also known as Madame Siou-Ling Tsien de Perlinghi, unveiling a commemorative portrait at the communal council chamber and recalling her heroic acts during World War II.

The event, jointly organized by the Chinese embassy and the local government, also marked the preview of a photo exhibition commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) and WWII.

Born in 1912 in China's Jiangsu province, Qian pursued chemistry at the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium and earned a doctorate in chemical sciences. She later married Belgian physician Gregoire de Perlinghi and settled in Ecaussinnes.

During the Nazi occupation of Belgium, Qian persuaded German general Alexander von Falkenhausen to save almost 100 fighters from execution, an act that earned her enduring gratitude in Belgium.

Over her lifetime, she was honored with medals, street naming, and depictions in both Belgian and Chinese documentaries and television dramas. Often referred to as the "Belgian Schindler", she passed away in 2008 at the age of 96.

Speaking at Friday's ceremony, Li Yan, charge d'affaires ad interim of the Chinese embassy in Belgium, praised Qian as "a chemist, a mother and a woman of commitment".

"Chinese by origin, Belgian at heart, an Ecaussinnoise by destiny," she said.

"Thanks to her courage, her connections and her determination, these men were spared. And by that act, it was all of Ecaussinnes that she saved from an irreparable grief.

"May this portrait be a landmark for future generations. May it remind them that, in the face of injustice, silence is a choice — but action can change lives."

Sebastien Deschamps, mayor of Ecaussinnes, underscored the town's "eternal gratitude" to Madame de Perlinghi, saying: "She came from so far away to save the lives of people she did not even know. This noble recognition fosters a genuine and lasting bond between the people of Ecaussinnes and the Chinese community of Belgium — and, why not, also with China itself."

The photo exhibition in Ecaussinnes will be followed by further cultural and historical events highlighting the shared memories of China and Belgium during WWII.