Qiu Shaoyun was born in 1931 in Tongliang County, Sichuan Province. He joined the Chinese People's Liberation Army in December 1949 and in March 1951, joined the Chinese People's Volunteer Army (CPV) to fight in the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea. On the way to the front line with the troops, he braved the strafing and bombing of US military aircrafts and saved a Korean child from a burning house.
In October 1952, the 15th Army of the CPV decided to launch an attack at the No. 391Highland, an outpost of the "UN Forces", west of Jinhua, Gangwon Province. To shorten the offensive distance for a planned surprise attack, on the night of October 11, more than 500 troops of the 3rd Battalion, 87th Regiment, 29th Division of the 15th Army ambushed in the grass about 60 meters in the front of the enemy's position. At around noon on October 12, an incendiary bomb fired by the enemy dropped in the grass near the place where Qiu Shaoyun ambushed. The grass immediately burst into flames and the fire quickly spread to him. There was a ditch behind him and he could extinguish the flames in the muddy water if he moved backward and rolled into the ditch.
However, to veil the position of the battalion and ensure the success of the surprise attack, Qiu Shaoyun did not move or make an utterance. He gritted his teeth and let the fire scorch his hair and flesh. He persisted for more than 30 minutes until laid down his life.
After the battle, the CPV Headquarters posthumously awarded Qiu Shaoyun the Special-Class Merit and the honorary title of "First-Class Combat Hero". The Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea posthumously awarded him the honorary title of "Hero of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea", the Gold-Star Medal, and the First-Class Medal of National Flag.
