Everyday hero revives faith in humanity

Gratitude, respect

According to an official police statement, two Japanese nationals were injured in the attack, but not fatally. A 52-year-old suspect, surnamed Zhou and unemployed, was arrested at the scene and is under criminal detention.

The Japanese woman injured in the incident said Hu attempted to restrain the assailant who was targeting women and children, which allowed the Japanese woman's son to escape. The attacker then turned to Hu and stabbed her before being subdued by passersby and police patrol officers who rushed to the scene, Xinhua News Agency reported.

"If she hadn't tried to hold back the assailant, there could have been more victims," one eyewitness said, according to Xinhua.

The police statement said that when faced with a serious threat to others' lives, Hu selflessly stepped forward, and courageously confronted the attacker to prevent further harm. Her actions displayed the "noble qualities of bravery and justice" and effectively upheld "societal righteousness", it said.

On Tuesday, Suzhou city government said that it will establish a fund in Youping's name "to promote the spirit of righteousness".

News of Hu's death has received widespread attention from both Chinese and Japanese people, with many spontaneously mourning her both online and offline.

Over the past week, a steady stream of mourners from China and Japan went to pay their respects and lay flowers at the bus station where Hu was attacked.

Yu Shijun, a lawyer from Wuxi, Jiangsu, was one of them. He carried a bouquet of chrysanthemums last weekend and wrote on a card that "you were a light in the darkest moment."

Li Yanyan, a psychologist from Gansu province, expressed her gratitude and respect for Hu on WeChat, adding "I cried while reading the news of her death. She deserves to be remembered."

A Weibo user called Qiming Lieren posted a tribute to Hu, saying "she is a hero, as her actions showed the brilliance of humanity."

Ryo Takeuchi, a documentary filmmaker from Japan living in Nanjing, Jiangsu, also posted a statement on Weibo on June 28 to mourn Hu. "Hu is a great person because she saved the people, no matter what nationality they are. Many of my Japanese friends were worried about her (after the incident happened)," he wrote. "I adore her, and will remember her."

The post had received more than 5,300 thumbs-ups and had been forwarded over 250 times as of Thursday.

In another post on Tuesday, Takeuchi said that there had been many reports about Hu on Japanese news websites, where numerous netizens had expressed their gratitude and condolences to her family.

Daiki Takahashi, 42, a Japanese employee at an internet technology company, said that Hu's courageous act should be appreciated, regardless of nationality.

Hu's family expressed sincere gratitude to people from all walks of life who offered their condolences, saying that anyone with a sense of justice and a loving heart would have made a similar choice.

The family added that they would not accept any donation and just wanted Hu to rest in peace.