"Prima Sonntag" (Germany): Chinese Woman Artist Displays Her Work

Zhang Cui-Ying suffered torture in prison

"Prima Sonntag" ('Excellent Sunday')

City of Wuerzburg/Germany

September 9, 2001

Zhang Cui-Ying is a successful painter who had shown her work in ten different countries and whose creations such as "Spring Flowers," "Sleeping Beauty," or "Butterfly Lady" have already earned her several awards and prizes.

Her paintings are full of harmony, because she practices Falun Gong, a Chinese meditation practice, which cultivates body and spirit. Its teachings of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance, however, are considered a [term omitted] by the Chinese ruling authorities in the PRC and therefore banned. Her mere practice of the exercises was reason enough for the Chinese government to incarcerate the Chinese woman, an Australian citizen, as she visited her homeland.

Following were eight excruciatingly painful months in various detention centers, jails and prisons. Torture, abuse, and brutality seem to be the order of the day in "The Land of Smiles" ("Land des Laechelns; "this is a reference to a German operetta with the same title, set in China -- translator), at all the various places of incarceration. Beatings, sleep deprivation, humiliation and slave labor are common punishments. Human rights in the PRC are non-existent.

Zhang Cui-Ying escaped with her life, having been released because of the Australian government's intervention. According to Zhang, many thousands of Falun Gong practitioners are being persecuted in China and are threatened with internment and even death.

Wednesday, September 12th, from 7 PM onward, the artist will hold an exhibition of her traditional Chinese works as a first showing at the BBK/Artists House, address: Turmgasse 9 (Tower Street). The show is open daily, with special hours from 9:00 AM until 8:00 PM through September 19th.