Falun Dafa practitioner Mr. Yang Zhizhong, in his 50s, was an employee of the Huanren County Shipping Company in Benxi City, Liaoning Province. He suffered from jaundice and hepatitis before he practiced Falun Dafa, and had difficulty going up stairs. He recovered quickly once he began practicing in 1997, and told people about Falun Dafa and his personal experience. He purchased Falun Dafa materials to spread the Fa in the countryside, and helped those with financial hardship.

After the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began to persecute Falun Dafa, in order to show people the truth about Falun Dafa and to save sentient beings, he bought Falun Dafa truth-clarifying materials with his savings. Because he firmly cultivated in Falun Dafa, he was detained many times, and was sent to Benxi City Labor Camp in 2000.

In 2003, during the SARS epidemic, secret agents followed him home while he was carrying truth clarifying materials. They arrested him at his home, subjected him to cruel torture, and secretly sent him to Dabei Prison on a ten-year term. He was later transferred to Huazi Prison in Liaoyang City, where he went on hunger strike to protest the persecution. His physical health was severely damaged due to long term mistreatment, but the guards would not release him until his life was in danger.

Mr. Yang Zhizhong vomited large amounts of blood, and was finally sent to Qiushi Hospital in Huanren County. He was under the guards' close monitoring while inside the hospital, and was not allowed to contact other Falun Dafa practitioners. He died at 5 a.m., January 19, 2006.