Built during the Cultural Revolution, the auditorium in Xiaozhou Village features numerous slogans reminiscent of that era, such as “Holding High Great Maoism and March Forward” and “Long Live the Great Leap Forward.” An iron rack is placed in the auditorium, with chains and hooks leading to the bed underneath it. A woman stood by the bed, reading silently—something dictated by a military comfort woman in World War II. She expressed hatred for the Japanese, but claimed that her Chinese tormentors had inflicted even greater suffering and humiliation. On the floor before her were rose garlands.
Lying at the door, Li Xinmo had rose petals scattered on her body. Beside her was an instruction titled “Getting Across My Body” for the audience. To enter the hall, the audience had to step over her.
She stood up slowly and exchanged glances with the woman by the bed, who then left. As Li walked toward the bed, she picked up the garlands one by one and draped them around her neck.
She reached the bed and lay on it as if she were asleep. Then she sat up and began to bind her shanks with a rope. She hooked the rope up and pulled the chain, raising her legs until she was suspended head-down in midair. As she ascended, red petals scattered from her hands and fell onto the white bed.
