February 15, 2008
To the Editor:
A Glimpse of Chinese Culture That Some Find Hard to Watch (February 6, 2008)
Re "A Glimpse of Chinese Culture That Some Find Hard to Watch: A Show at
Radio City Infused With Falun Gong" (news article, Feb. 6):
It is regrettable that your article about the Chinese New Year Splendor
show focused mainly on the few who left our show early, but neglected the
hundreds of families who enjoyed the show. You were so busy worrying about
political messages that you failed to see the appreciation and pride a lot
more people felt for the culture after watching the show.
Human rights abuses are indeed a part of the culture modern Chinese have
inherited, regardless of whether or not one agrees with the medium through
which it was expressed. Whether we like it or not, these abuses are part
of today's reality in China.
One of the basic freedoms central to the United States is freedom of
expression. You should not find it so shocking that a Chinese culture show
produced in the United States includes some reference to China's human
rights issues.
Zhong Lee
President, New Tang Dynasty Television
New York, Feb. 6, 2008
  http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/15/opinion/lweb15falun.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&oref=login
Tokyo Audience Praises Exquisite Performance (Photos)
(Clearwisdom.net) On February 15, the third show of the Divine Performing Arts Chinese Spectacular was presented in Tokyo at the Bunkyo Civic Hall and received tremendous praise from the audience. Bunkyo Ku, most known for its excellence in higher education, is located in the heart of Tokyo and is the home of fifteen renowned institutions of higher education, including Tokyo University. The Bunkyo Civic Hall is one of the most prestigious concert centers in Japan.
The audience fills the hall at Bunkyo Civic Center
Alfredo Martiz, the ambassador of the Republic of Panama, saw the show with his wife. During the intermission, the ambassador said that he was very impressed and the performers did "perfectly."
Ambassador of the Republic of Panama, Alfredo Martiz.
"Really good symmetry, very good coordination, and symbolism. For me, the most impressive aspect of the show is the symbolism of each performance. How you represent life, and creation, and all those things, for me, it's not only beautiful because the performance itself, it's beautiful because of the symbolism that it represents - the spirituality. I cannot understand Chinese but I caught the idea of spirituality. I'm really pleased," said the ambassador, adding that "The Lady of the Moon" and "The Risen Lotus Flower" were his favorites.
"I enjoyed the performance with the sun; it was really impressive for me. The other performance was where the ladies are attacked by the Chinese Communists guards. This is really impressive. Honestly, I liked how she was rescued, and then she moved to another realm. It's an interesting, really symbolic performance. I think the most important message of the performances is how spiritual Chinese people are," he said.
Ambassador Martiz left the show with a sense of inner peace, "The message I received was peace. I think it's a message we can all understand."
Fumiaki Matsumoto, a member of the Japanese House of Representative, sent a congratulatory letter of greeting to the show. He wrote: "What is true wealth? It is not just economic wealth. It is to carry on excellent traditional culture so that every citizen is proud of such spiritual wealth. I believe that every overseas Chinese has realized the importance of this. For this reason, this grand show was made possible and is growing."
Mr. Hashimoto Naokatsu, speaker for the Bunkyo District Council, said that the show was extraordinarily exquisite. "Ever number was so beautiful and the detail and the colors were so dazzling," he said. The speaker was amazed by the Tang Court Drummers and the legends presented by the show.
District Council Speaker Hashimoto Naokatsu
Professor Norimichi Kojima, dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Science at Tokyo University, said that the show was a presentation of the history of China and Chinese culture.
"I can understand why people always admire the Tang Dynasty. That was the most prosperous time of Chinese culture and Japan also sent diplomats and students to the Tang Court at that time," said the professor. "I was most impressed by the soprano in the first half of the show; her voice was outstanding."
Artist Kameyama once taught Japanese culture at Tianjin University. At the end of the Spectacular, she said that the show was great. She was most impressed by the soprano, as well as the tenor. "They were so outstanding! Even if the show only had these two numbers, the whole evening would have been rewarding."
After the Tokyo performances, Divine Performing Arts will then travel to Nagoya and Osaka.
German Audience Experiences the Beauty of Divine Performing Arts (Photo)
(Clearwisdom.net) On the evening of February 13, 2008, the European premiere of the Divine Performing Arts Chinese Spectacular was staged in Duisburg. Many people came in groups to watch the show and gained memorable insights into the five-thousand-year-old Chinese civilization. The following are interviews with members of the audience during intermission.
Osman Kulcu appreciated the Chinese culture presented in the Spectacular
February 13 happened to be Mr. Stefan Mattes' birthday. Knowing her husband's interest in Chinese martial arts and philosophy, Mrs. Mattes invited her husband to watch the Chinese Spectacular in celebration of his birthday. Mr. Mattes appreciated this special birthday gift very much. He especially loved the thought-provoking songs in the show, whereas Mrs. Mattes' favorites were the dances. "Drummers of the Tang Court" was very exciting for her. They all praised the background and projection of the lyrics in German on the background.
Mr. Paul Sosna and his wife Angelika watched the show with great interest. Mr. Sosna said the show was grand and colorful, especially the fan dance. His wife, who studied Chinese in college, praised the program's exposure of the human right violations in China.
Osman Kulcu brought his Turkish girlfriend to watch the show. Mr. Kulcu beamed with excitement after watching the show. He was very impressed with the beauty of the performances and the great skill of the dancers. It gave him an opportunity to appreciate the Chinese culture. He hoped the show would be able to come to his town, Düsseldorf, next year. Mr. Kulcul's girlfriend, Mehtap Celiker loved the dance, drum playing and costumes.
The Splendor Enlightens Personal Cultivation: Tai Chi Master and Designer Chou Hung-Ju Talks about Divine Performing Arts (Photo) (Part II)
(Clearwisdom.net)
(Continued from Part I: http://clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2008/2/16/94416.html )
On the evening of February 9, 2008, the Divine Performing Arts Company held their last performance of the Chinese New Year Splendor at Radio City Music Hall in New York. In its 15-show run, the Chinese New Year Splendor attracted many artists who gave the show high praise and commendation.
Mr. Hung-Ju Chou, a senior interior designer in New York, is one of them.
Mr. Chou is also a Tai Chi master, who learned from "First Sword on Earth" Mr. Lui Kwok-chuen. In Part I of this two-parted interview, Mr. Chou shared his impressions about the Splendor from the point of view of the arts and popular culture. In this installment, he discusses his observations based on his understanding of martial arts and personal cultivation.
Divine Performing Arts Brings Enlightenment to Personal Cultivation
Mr. Chou studied various martial arts styles when he lived in Taiwan. He met sword master Lui Kwok-chuen in the United States, and studied under him for many years, until Mr. Lui passed away. Many actors in martial art movies produced by Hong Kong's Shaw Brothers Studio were among Mr. Lui's students, including Lee Ching, Chen Kua-tai, and Jackie Chan. Mr. Chou explained, "Mr. Lui taught me many traditional Chinese concepts, and in addition, my early education in Taiwan was very traditional and relatively complete. I benefited from these teachings, and found that the higher the level one reaches in cultivation, the more will spiritual elements be predominant."
Mr. Chou Hung-ju
Mr. Chou feels that Divine Performing Arts' New Year Splendor enlightened him in terms of his personal cultivation. Watching the show, he had the sense that he had seen those heavenly realms and the hand gestures of the Gods and Buddhas before. That sense of familiarity gave him a marvelous feeling. He said, "I have a friend who is a scholar of Buddhist hand gestures, and therefore I know that the Buddha's hand gestures are very rich, like a language." Today, when Mr. Chou witnessed such hand gestures, he said that his soul was moved and he had the feeling that he was listening to profound heavenly truths.
Surprised to See Young Performers so Well Cultivated and with Such Inner Strength
Mr. Chou felt that the dances were very, very fine. "Because I practice Tai Chi, I can see that the young female dancers' technique is exquisite, from their entire body's movements, to facial expressions, to hand gestures. Not just one or two dancers, but they all are consummate, from the details from their whole bodies to the tips of their fingers. You can tell that their training as a whole and inner cultivation is very, very meticulous. I am so surprised to see that these performers are very young, and I can only imagine how long it must have taken them to reach such a fine level."
He also found the male performers of the Divine Performing Arts company to be excellent and accomplished, saying that it is hard to describe their balance of strength and exquisite technique and self-discipline.
Mr. Chou said, "One cannot reach that level simply by practicing physical technique alone. One must also develop very good inner strength and mind cultivation. A common dancer may not be able to discern that, because he hasn't reached such a high degree of exquisiteness."
Divine Performing Arts Enriched Everyone's Heart
When asked the reason why he brought his two children to watch the show despite his busy life, Mr. Chou said, "I think that Divine Performing Arts can enrich everyone's heart, including mine. People's minds are not rich enough. It is never enough to teach people merely with theories or the world's religious doctrines."
He continued, "Then what is the other subject that people must be taught? I cannot explain it clearly. But we know that Divine Performing Arts will directly deliver a very rich culture into people's hearts through beautiful music, dance, and images, which can provide nutrients for their future needs. Culture is something very fine; it cannot be measured by any system of weights and measures, yet its essence is what one fundamentally needs. If one doesn't have it, one's future will not be balanced and one's life will not be in harmony. Bringing children to watch the Divine Performing Arts is to lay a solid foundation for them!"
Finally, Mr. Chou said that he was very moved by the many people who selflessly contributed to the Divine Performing Arts shows. He expressed his gratitude to all who have been working hard on spreading the message of Divine Performing Arts.
Japan: Audience Loves Chinese Culture
(Clearwisdom.net) On February 13, the second performance of the Divine Performing Arts Spectacular was held in the Wel City Tokyo theater in Tokyo, Japan.
Mr. O Shensi, a former congressman, commented on the show: "It was splendid. A world class show inspired by the 5,000-year-old Chinese culture." He said the show was one of the best that he has seen in the last few decades.
Another congressman said, "The show demonstrated traditional Chinese culture, and also manifested the great power of Chinese people." He said that he would recommend this show to more Japanese.
A famous media founder said he was deeply moved by the show because of its profound philosophical contents.
The Colombian ambassador to Japan came to the Spectacular with her family. She highly praised the show: "I enjoyed all the performances, especially the dances." She said that the background designs were unique and she never saw such a good combination of sophisticated technology and traditional arts before.
A Chinese family from Jiamusi, Heilongjiang Province said, "This show manifested the real purpose of life: be compassionate. People need to be compassionate at every moment."
Ms. Wang and her son were worried about the corrupted moral standards in China. They liked the show because of its profound content and high moral values and said that they would come again next year.
Mr. He, a Chinese engineer, liked the drum dances the most. He was moved by the dance, "The Loyalty of Yue Fei," saying that young Chinese people should learn about the spirit of loyalty from Yue Fei.
Mr. Zhao, a Chinese computer engineer, also liked the dance, "The Loyaty of Yue Fei" and "The Lady of the Moon." He said that there are lots of shows staged in China too, but most of them are political and try to promote the government's propaganda.
Germany: The Divine Performing Arts Chinese Spectacular Successfully Held in Duisburg (Photos)
(Clearwisdom.net) On February 14, the Divine Performing Arts held the second Chinese Spectacular in Duisburg, and moved on to Frankfurt the next day.
The second show of the Chinese Spectacular in Duisburg, Germany
Ms. Carmen Thomas was amazed by the dancers
Ms. Carmen Thomas, a former talk show host at a major German TV station and the dean of a school of journalism, attended the show. She told the reporter what amazed her most was that the dancers have incredible control of their bodies, and their movements were so elegant and soft. She said the show was very successful and charming.
Mr. Rayaik is interested in Buddhism.
Mr. Axel Rayaik, a commercial designer and media consultant, said he is interested in Buddhism and this show broadened his view of Chinese culture. He was deeply impressed by the performance.
Germany: Couples Enjoy the Chinese Spectacular on Valentine's Day (Photo)
(Clearwisdodm.net) Beatrice Mellinghoff is an editor of Boolibri Magazine in Ruhr and her husband Peter Lihs is a salesman. After watching the Divine Performing Arts Chinese Spectacular in Duisburg on February 14, the couple said that they had a great time as the show was "fantastic and very inspiring."
Ms. Mellinghoff said the show was very impressive as the programs portrayed beautiful legends of ancient China. Her husband said that the show had very deep connotation and its meaning was far-reaching. Mr. Lihs was most impressed by the music and said that it were very inspiring to him.
The Azarbayjans were also deeply touched by the show. Mr. Azabayjans, a native Iranian, is a practicing physician; Mrs. Azabayjans is a German and retired. Though the Azarbayjans are frequent visitors of Chinese restaurants, this is their first time to enjoy authentic Chinese culture. From dancing, vocal solos, to stage design, the couple said everything was gorgeous and the presentation was very powerful.
The Azarbayjans
Mr. Azarbayjans said: "The MCs' introductions were also excellent, helping me learn more from the dances. The Erhu solo was superb and brought me to another realm."
Mr. Azarbydjans said that he like all the performers. "The dancing was the best and fascinating," he said, "you can not find anything better than this. It is an excellent presentation of ancient Chinese culture and also revealed the current situation in China."
Noting that some numbers exposed the human rights atrocities in China under the Communist rule, he said that the show did a good job. "Evil can never prevail over justice. As long as the public steps up to stop persecution, evil will vanish instantaneously. That is the hope for China."
The couple said that they would call their relatives in Hamburg and recommend the show to them.
Painter from Shanghai: Irresistibly Moved (Photo)
(Clearwisdom.net) After each 2008 Divine Performing Arts Chinese New Year Splendor, small groups of people who had just seen the performance would gather outside in front of Radio City Music Hall, despite the cold weather. They were sharing their excitement and feelings about the show. On February 8, 2008, I, a journalist, joined one of the groups, and talked with Mr. W., a painter from mainland China.
A full house for the February 8 performance of the Splendor
Spectators moved by the performance
An appreciative audience applauds during the Splendor
Mr. W., a well-known portrait and landscape painter, came from Shanghai five years ago. He used to teach art at a university, worked in design at a craft factory, and also worked in building/architecture design. This was his first time to see the Divine Performing Arts' show. He had tears in his eyes as we talked about his impressions, because he was so moved by the performance.
Divine Performing Arts Impacted My Heart Directly
Mr. W. expressed much happiness and gratitude to Divine Performing Arts (DPA) for their wonderful use of a stage performance to re-create the best of Chinese civilization. He was also pleased that DPA was promoting traditional Chinese culture, and opening such a channel in mainstream western society. He said, "I never saw such performers, with female dancers so exquisite, kind, pure and beautiful, and male dancers each possessing Chinese men's masculine strength that inspires people. Their purity and wonderfulness moved me."
Mr. W. believes that the most important part of the show was the inner meaning in each performance - inner connotations that can move people's hearts and minds. He said, "I think people can believe in God, Jesus, Buddha, or Dao. Their faith can be different, but their inherent goodness is shared human nature. This is universal. When people are suppressed and persecuted for their faith, it is against the heavenly law. Tonight I saw in the dance, 'The Risen Lotus Flower,' a kind-hearted cultivator being murdered because of protecting fellow practitioners, but she rose to heaven. I also saw in the 'Power of Awareness,' that whether men or women, old or young, they all stood up to safeguard justice. I am so moved, I cannot hold back my tears."
Divine Performing Arts Expands People's Awareness of the Cosmos
Mr. W. said he was basically an atheist before, feeling that he was a very unimportant person with no meaning in his life. He said, "The opening piece 'Creation,' gave me a new insight. I felt that those Buddha's hand gestures and movements were very familiar and graceful. The scenery displayed heavenly realms with amazing detail, which is divine and beyond imagination. Ordinary people can never display that. This divine beauty and kindness, this feeling of eternal origin revealed, absolutely overawed me."
Mr. W. said that the ability of the New Year Splendor to expand the audience's awareness and understanding of the cosmos and the world to such a degree with one show is "marvelous."
Experiencing the Poetic Grace of the Dance
Mr. W. said that he loved all the dances and music in the show. Each dance has its own unique and very good parts. He found it very hard to say which was his favorite, or to convey his sense of miraculous enjoyment. He said, "The grace of the Divine Performing Arts' dances must be felt with the heart. Otherwise one cannot understand or be in accord with the beauty and harmony. It does not matter if one is involved in music or literary creation; any nationality, cultural background, men or women, old or young, they can all recognize the universal goodness in Divine Performing Arts."
To give an example, Mr. W. discussed the Korean dance: "The Korean dance is very pretty and lively. The music is unique and flowing. The wrist movement in the dance are very detailed and vivid. The cloud-walking, floating and jumping, the movements of the feet and knees are also full of detailed changes." He added, "This is connected with aesthetics in painting - there are details within a big picture, which makes the overall effect very full and never dull."
He said that while the Tang Dynasty drums were being played, they seemed to represent the grand Chinese majesty and feeling of divinity, might, and harmony. "Our traditional Chinese painting also emphasizes elements of divinity, might, civilized conduct, and depth. It was wonderful to see how Divine Performing Arts used music and dance, performed with the Chinese soul, with such poetic grace."
Mr. W. indicated that this was his first time to see the Divine Performing Arts' Chinese New Year Splendor. He said he wants to watch it repeatedly, and continuously enlighten with his heart, to grasp the essence of Divine Performing Arts' message.
Educators in Taiwan Look Forward to the Divine Performing Arts Show (Photos)
(Clearwisdom.net) The Nanning High School is a comprehensive school with junior and senior high schools combined. It is located in the suburbs of Tainan City in Taiwan. Since becoming the principal about two years ago, Mr. Yan Hongming has dedicated himself to improving students' moral character and life skills. At the end of 2006, the NTDTV Chinese New Year Gala was held in Taiwan. Mr. Yan bought 20 tickets for his core staff as gifts. When the Divine Performing Arts came to Tainan City in 2007, he did the same thing. For the upcoming 2008 Divine Performing Arts Shows, he again reserved 20 tickets. His generosity and kindness became something of a legend in the education circle. People appreciate what he did for the school.
Nanning High School Principal, Yan Hongming believes that the Divine Performing Arts show will have a very positive impact on the school's education quality
Mr. Yan said that the Divine Performing Arts Company demonstrates the pure truthfulness, compassion and beauty of the Chinese culture, and therefore it gives a very positive influence to educators. By inviting his core staff to watch the show, he hopes to convey his gratitude for their hard work. At the same time, the teachers can appreciate the good values and pass them on to their students. He also wishes that the students can see the show. Next year, he hopes to get some sponsorship to allow the opportunity for the students to enjoy this world-class show.
Director of General Affairs Chen Meiling thinks the show was fabulous from the very beginning
"The show was fabulous from the beginning," said Chen Meiling, Director of General Affairs in the Nanning High School. Ms. Chen recalled the Divine Performing Arts Show in April 2007 with admiration.
"The dances tell stories and they express the meanings clearly. Although no words are spoken, the dancers' body languages grab your attention and convey the intrinsic morals. The show is not designed for believers only, and it carries more than religious significance. The show teaches people to treat each other in the correct way. It is very artistic, even people like me who do not necessarily share the belief can understand the meaning behind it."
"The performance combines Chinese spirituality, history and culture. It also encompasses cultures from Chinese ethnic minorities. It is a very rich cultural extravaganza." Ms. Chen concluded.
Director of Counseling, Yan Xiuyun praised the performers for the wonderful show
Nanning High School Director of Counseling Yan Xiuyun said, "The dancers are exceptional. Their facial expression, movements are very lovely and precise. The production of these dances, the choreography and music are very nicely integrated together. It was so touching."
School Personnel Director, Ms. Tang Yufang fondly recalls last years' show
The School Personnel Director, Ms. Tang Yufang was surprised to receive a VIP ticket for the 2007 show. Sitting in the front row, Ms. Tang's eyes brightened up when the curtain raised at the beginning. "How exquisite!" she thought. "The colorful costumes, the elegant movements, the authentic posture and the perfect captions, wow!" Nine months after the show, Ms. Tang still could not hide her enthusiasm about the performance.
Ms. Tang especially liked the programs with Gods and Buddhas. She said: "In their artistic expression, the dances teach people to improve their morals. It shows that committing wrongdoing can only bring undesirable consequences." She also liked the lyrics of the songs that convey spiritual messages.
Now the Divine Performing Arts is coming to Taiwan again. These educators are looking forward to attending the show again. They are telling all their friends and families about this wonderful opportunity.
Art Director Says the Splendor Is a Rare Find--a Professional Show that Comes from the Heart (photo)
(Clearwisdom.net) Filling the seats of New York's Radio City Hall, the Chinese New Year Splendor mesmerized the audience with the majestic scenes of traditional Chinese culture.
Lana Gimpelev
Ms. Lana Gimpeley, an art director a small theater performance company, attended the show on February 6 and was very impressed. She told the reporter, "The performance is beautiful, and contains various stories. The scenes and costumes are very nice, and the singers and dancers are very professional. This is a very good show for the audience in North America."
Ms. Gimpeley appreciated the traditional values so rarely depicted nowadays. "The programs are full of meaning, embodying the Chinese traditional culture, which has a history of thousands of years. The United States is relatively young, so to an American audience, it's nice to see such good traditions which are very different from what we have been used to seeing."
She mentioned that after seeing some of the scenes in the show, she was impressed by the strength of the Chinese people, "No matter what they encounter, they don't give up."
Ms. Gimpeley was glad for the chance to learn more about China. "If we don't read books about the stories or the culture, we can only understand a tiny bit of Chinese culture. This show is a very good idea. Today, I learned that the Chinese people are still struggling for their freedom and happiness."
She also said that the dancers and singers were very professional and committed; especially the dancers, for they did not only perform movements on the stage, but they danced with their hearts. They revealed their inner feelings with their facial expressions and movements. "I felt that the culture and the messages in the dances are very important to the dancers, they value them, and want to keep them and to let us know, too."
From the professional perspective of an art director, Ms. Gimpeley commented, "The quality of the performance is very very good. I produce stage performance myself, and I have seen various stage performances. I would say that everything in this show, including the choreography, the dances, the directing, etc., is professional. The use of the sky screen gives people the room for imagination and brings the audience into the stories."
"The show is very successful, and very high quality!" she said.
Minister: The Show Has Very Rich Spirituality (Photo)
(Clearwisdom.net) After watching the Chinese New Year Splendor in New York on February 8, 2008 Ms. Kit Kaplan said, "The show is great. It is different from the other Broadway shows. It not only contains dancing and singing, but even more importantly, the show has a very strong spirituality in it. It is very touching."
New York audience
Kit Kaplan: "The show is great"
Ms. Kaplan, who used to be a minister, is a person who cares for people and helps them find their spiritual path, which she thinks is very important.
"The show is great. I really loved it." She said, "It was a lot of fun. I liked the the costumes and the make-up. The dancing was really great!" However, the thing that she liked the most were the meaningful stories.
She particularly liked "The Power of Awareness." She said, "That program was very touching. It's pretty big for us in America to think that somebody is not be able to practice Falun Gong in China. It's almost beyond our comprehension. I cried through that one. That was very powerful for me. So, I really like the spiritual aspects of the show--the culture, the history, the dance. I liked that a lot."
Sharing her overall impression of the show, she said, "I was very moved. I cried during some of the performances. I liked the drums a lot. That was very exciting, but I was very moved by the stories more than the dancing. I also liked the program about the moon and the nine suns ("Lady of the Moon") I liked it a lot, and again the 'The Power of Awareness' was very moving."
As a result of the show, she learned a lot about traditional Chinese culture. She said, "I learned about Chinese culture throughout the show. There was a very strong spirituality in it. Spirituality is the foundation of traditional Chinese culture. It is very compelling. I could not imagine a show on Broadway that has any kind of spiritual foundation; that's hard to imagine in our culture. So, to have a whole show have spiritual undertones is so different. It's a different culture."
New York Spectator: "Really, Really Touched the Heart and the Mind"
(Clearwisdom.net) Amid great success and applause, the Chinese New Year Splendor struck a deep chord with many and proved to be more than just entertainment.
David Madison, a Presbyterian minister praised all aspects of the Splendor, saying, "It was a wonderful show! The dancing was just splendid. The emcee of the show was spectacular." He said that what touched him the most was the dance, "The Risen Lotus Flower" which depicted three imprisoned Falun Gong practitioners. He also enjoyed the drums because they were "very powerful and dramatic." Rev. Madison said, "I think the traditions of Chinese culture were presented as well as could be. I think the Chinese culture can be appreciated by people of any culture and ethnicity...I also appreciated the value of peacefulness [reflected in the show]."
Cindy Commisso, whose son is taking Chinese lessons said, "It was very engaging. You can see the athletic abilities of these individuals. Gorgeous!" She also compared classical Chinese dance to Western ballet, saying that they are "similar" but Chinese dance is "not as abstract and more concrete, due to the elaborate story-telling."
Joanne McGinley, a science teacher said, "Everything was very well done! Beautiful scenery, beautiful set, amazing storyline. It's a great introduction to Chinese culture." She particularly mentioned the dance, "The Fruits of Goodness," saying, "[It shows] there's still hope for our youth, that they are not completely lost; they can still understand and appreciate history, other cultures and their own culture. I think it's actually very important for the young generation [to be aware], considering China is becoming such a force in the political world and the economic world; we need to know more about it. The better you understand something, the better you can relate to it..."
Ramon De La Cruise thought the Splendor is simply without equal: "I've never seen anything like it. All the performances are good, very distinct and very unique. From the start to finish, they are all excellent."
He also felt inspired by the message he received through the performance: "You do the right thing despite what happens negatively to you, and there is always a opportunity to overcome and do well."
Steve Hernandez, a pharmaceutical researcher, took his wife to the Splendor for her birthday and was overjoyed with the experience. He called the show, "Excellent, very wholesome," and said, "The costumes, stage presentation, music, singing, everything was just spectacular." He also felt that the audience was included and made very much part of the show.
Further commenting on the spiritual aspect of the Splendor, Mr. Hernandez said, "I think the message came across, close to the heart, through the grace and fluidity of the movements and the multimedia art forms. The dance, the song, the words, the background, the beauty of the landscapes, all coming together to bring a package to the audience that really, really touched the heart and the mind."
New Yorkers Express Gratitude for a Wonderful Experience (Photo)
(Clearwisdom.net) On February 9, NTDTV's 2008 Chinese New Year Splendor held its final two shows at Radio City Music Hall in New York. Both shows were filled to capacity and received enthusiastic reviews from the audience.
On the afternoon of February 9, the second to last show of the 2008 Chinese New Year Splendor was performed at Radio City Music Hall.
Rapt New York audience
Greek professor: The best show I have ever seen
Medical professor Andreas Dsoudsos from Athens University in Greece was visiting New York. He applauded loudly for every performance. During the intermission, said that he felt fortunate to see the final performance of Divine Performing Arts in New York.
When asked which was his favorite, he said: "Every piece was excellent and it's hard for me to pick the best one. The dancers, the choreography and backdrops were all very good. The show is very exciting and I think it is the best show I ever watched."
A friend of professor Dsoudsos, administrative information consultant Ifigenia Boulogiane from Boston said, "The show was great. We have many Chinese friends and we have been to many eastern places, but this is the best show we have ever seen."
At Radio City Music Hall these teachers gave rave reviews to the Chinese New Year Splendor
During the intermission, a reporter met with a group of retired teachers, Mary, Elly, Jinny, Ellen and Marie. When asked to share their opinions about the show, and they all wanted to be the first to speak:
"It's very beautiful, I have never watched a performance like this!"
"We like the introductions by the hosts. They help us to understand the stories."
"How do they make the screen?!"
"The costumes are very colorful, the screen is very beautiful."
"We like the show very much!"
"Absolutely pleasing!"
Restaurant manager in Maryland: I will celebrate New Year twice
Deva Babla, originally from India, is a restaurant manager in Maryland. NTDTV's Holiday Wonders was held in Baltimore and he knew about the Divine Performing Arts. Together with friends from the Tibet cultural center around the John Hopkins Medical Center, Deva came to New York to watch the show.
Deva said that the show was really incredible. The audience was celebrating the New Year and he would celebrate the New Year twice every year from now on.
Registered nurse: I am so happy that I got the ticket
Registered nurse Deloris Conforti and her husband Saberio were still very excited as they walked out of the theater.
Deloris was very moved by the performance. "The show was incredibly good! The costumes and dancing were so wonderful, I will definitely come again. I hope everyone will see this show."
Her husband Saberio said: "It's so beautiful, so beautiful! I enjoyed every minute of it."
Deloris told the reporter that she saw an advertisement on TV and really wanted to see it. "I am so happy that I got the ticket!"
As the reporter asked them if the show was what they expected, they immediately said, "No, it's much better than we could have imagined!"
Before leaving, Saberio said: "Thank you! Thank you! This was really a wonderful experience!"
Facts of the Persecution
Mr. Huang Fujun Tortured to Death, His Family Seeks Justice to No Avail (Photos)
Mr. Huang Fujun Died on November 6, 2007, at 44 years old.
(Clearwisdom.net) Falun Dafa practitioner Mr. Huang Fujun lived in Acheng District, Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province. On July 24, 2007, he was arrested by policemen from the Songfengshan Town Station, and beaten until both of his feet were crushed and broken. Police detained him in Acheng District First Detention Center, deprived his right to be visited for three months until, on November 2, 2007, the police notified his family to visit him in the Acheng District Traditional Medicine Hospital, when he was dying.
He was unconscious, as thin as a skeleton, his face deformed from force-feeding tubes, which were still inserted in his nose. Dry blood filled his nostrils; no one was sure how long the tubes had been inserted. His buttocks were covered with terrible festering sores. Even in such a critical condition, guards still cuffed and shackled his wrists and ankles. His family repeatedly requested for him to be allowed to return home. The Detention Center Administration finally released him, out of fear that if they kept him they would be held responsible for his death.
Mr. Huang was picked up on November 4, 2007. A 44-year-old man who was in good health, was tortured to such a degree within only three months. He could not talk or recognize people. At around 8 p.m. on November 6, 2007, his face turned pale, and he died with his mouth and eyes open. He could not say one word to his family before his death.
Mark on his head from being hit with heavy object
He was as thin as a skeleton, and festering sores covered his buttocks
After Mr. Huang died, the Acheng District 610 Office ordered his employer to take a look in his home. His family went to talk to the 610 Office Chairman, Wang Xiaoguang (male). Wang promised that the funeral cost would be covered by Mr. Huang's employer, and his employer would give the immediate family a job since Mr. Huang was the main source of income for the household. Wang also promised that Mr. Huang's parents and child would receive some income security. Wang told them he would negotiate with Mr. Huang's employer to arrange all these matters until his family was satisfied. Believing the "promises" would be kept , Mr. Huang's family agreed to let them ship his body to a funeral home. But soon after, police officers from Acheng District Department surrounded their home, and did not allow the family access to Mr. Huang's body. Nothing Wang promised actually happened; all of his promises were lies.
Under such terrible circumstances, Mr. Huang's family refused to sign on the cremation paperwork, and they continued to request to have an autopsy done. The police arranged the autopsy results to be issued after 45 days. During these 45 days, Mr. Huang's family hired a lawyer, requested to be compensated with 200, 000 yuan, and to bring the killers to justice.
The autopsy result said, his head had a mark caused by a metal object, his heart failed, throat was damaged, and cause of death was heart and lung failure. Even when presented with such evidence, the Acheng District 610 Office still claimed Mr. Huang died of suicide. They refused to admit responsibility for his death. The Acheng District Police Department notified Mr. Huang's family that they will not be compensated for any loss from Mr. Huang's death.
Mr. Huang's family hired a lawyer and found the District 610 Office agents. One agent said viciously, "You are lucky we are meeting with you. Mr. Huang Fujun's death was a suicide." When Mr. Huang's family and their lawyer went to the Legal Justice Office of Acheng District Police Department, the Office Chair Xi Jinglong (male) took the lawyer to the side, and threatened him, "How come you dare to accept this case? Do you still want to keep your license? How can you win a case against the Communist Party?" The lawyer emphasized that there is a life involved in this case, heaven forbids the murder of any life. But they still found no results.
Mr. Huang's family could not bear the grief. They sued Acheng District Police Department, Detention Center, and the 610 Office. But to this day, there is still nowhere that they can find justice, and Mr. Huang's body is still being stored in the funeral home.
Acheng District 610 Office Chair Wang Xiaoguang (male): 86-451-53760501 (Office), 86-451-53734388 (Home)
610 Office Deputy Chair (male): 86-451-57170124 0r 86-451-53761240
610 Office agent Li Juncheng (male): 86-13074597115 (Cell)
Songfengshan Town Police Station Director: 86-451-53831258, or 86-451-53890258
Deputy Director 86-451-53731258, 86-451-53834688
Acheng District Police Department Director Zhang Yabin (male): 86-451-53778889
Legal Justice Office: 86-451-53762334
First Detention Center Director: 86-451-53714847
Related reports: http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2007/11/13/91319.html , and http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2008/1/27/93709.html
Torture, Brainwashing and Slave Labor at Nanmusi Women's Forced Labor Camp in Sichuan Province
(Clearwisdom.net) The guards in the No. 7 Team, a team specifically created to abuse Falun Gong practitioners, planned a set of cruel "reform" methods prior to May 2007. The guards put each newly-arrived practitioner into a separate room to enforce one-on-one "reform", meaning one or more drug addict inmates would monitor one practitioner, from morning to the middle of the night, or even until 2:00 a.m. or 3:00 a.m. Sleep would be permitted only if one had agreed to give up practicing Falun Gong. If not, the drug addicts would determine one's fate. They forced the practitioners to stand still, sit still, and squat for a long time. They would drag practitioners out of bed, even if they had just gone to bed. Practitioners could not leave the cell; were forbidden to look out the window or talk with another practitioner; were not allowed to take anything with them to the cell, such a cup of water or a pen. Practitioners had to get permission from the drug addicts for everything.
Practitioners were not allowed to use the restroom, even when urgent, except for three set times a day from 5:30 a.m. to midnight. To reduce restroom use, practitioners were afraid to drink much water or eat. Some practitioners couldn't have bowel movements for nearly a month, causing abdominal bloating. The drug addicts never gave them enough them enough time in the restroom.
The cell door was always closed. No other people could be seen, aside from several members of the "help and education" (brainwashing) team. If a practitioner refused to give up her belief they would beat her. They also forced the practitioner to read books that slandered Dafa and Master. Some practitioners could not withstand these abuses and wrote the three statements against their will.
It happened frequently that officials in Nanmusi Forced Labor Camp forced practitioners to ingest unknown substances, or were force-fed or injected with unknown substances. Some perfectly healthy practitioners were forcibly injected with unknown substances, administered by the drug addicts.
At the end of April 2000, the No. 7 Team merged with the No. 5 Team and became the new No. 7 Team.
On August 27, 2007, several practitioners were transferred from Suining to the No. 7 Team. Three of them were not accepted because of poor health. One of the practitioners, Ms. Deng Li, over 50 years old, did not cooperate with the labor camp officials. They beat one of her legs so severely that they fractured a bone. Chen Yujun, Huang Lijun, and Deng Ying committed this horrible deed. These so-called "personal monitors" were drug addicts. The guards on duty that day included Wu Yuhui, Fu Meiling, and Yang Yizhi. When Ms. Deng Li was indeed unable to walk, Wu Yuhui claimed that she was lying and was trying not to walk. Only after the prison doctor verified that a bone was fractured and was unable to treat her was Ms. Deng Li's family informed to take her home.
Practitioner Ms. Zhou Rong, 50 years old, worked at the Kaijiang County material supplying chain. When her answer did not satisfy the branch section lead's question, No. 7 Team head Ren Fongming ordered her to come "for a talk." Ms. Zhou told her the facts of about Falun Gong. Ren Fongming became severely irritated and brought in the "help and education" people to talk to her. They said to give her another chance and hoped she could change her mind and become part of their "help and education" team.
Ms. Zhou Rong did not comply. The guards again put her into a cell. They prolonged her stay in the labor camp and sent her on October 29, 2007, to the No. 4 Team, (telephone: 86-832-5212443) where the inmates were forced to do very heavy labor. They had to process pig hair all day long. The pig hair was soaked in a caustic solution. After a while the laborers' hands rotted from prolonged contact with this solution. Because Zhou Rong refused to write the so-called "ideological re-understanding" or to read slanderous books, Team leader Fang Xiaoqing and deputy team heads Chen Xiaoting and Wang Shan, and female guard Long Lan made her stand till late at night. Because there was no clock, no one was sure of the exact time. They also threatened to add more hours to her workload. Chen Xiaoting was the one who in particular attempted to brainwash practitioners.
Practitioner Ms. Wang Kaibi (from Cangxi County, tel: 86-839-5667502) was detained in December 2006. She was sent to Nanmusi Forced Labor Camp in January 2007. She was fine when she arrived, but became mentally ill from the tremendous pressure. The officials transferred her to the No. 4 Team in September 2007. By the evening of November 20, she had not fully recovered her mental faculties. She went to tell Fang Xiaoqing the facts about Falun Gong. Several drug addicts lifted her by her legs and arms and carried her away from Fang Xiaoqing. When they put her back on the ground, she was still saying, "Falun Dafa is good."
Female guard Zeng Juan put Ms. Wang Kaibi in handcuffs and shackles and left her in an area with lots of trash. Eventually they put Ms. Wang in a separate cell. After that she suffered a mental collapse. She began to mutter constantly. Criminal inmates Li Jinxing and Huang Jin willfully beat, scolded, and kicked her, and gagged her with a dirty sock. A guard named Li also incited other drug addicts to tape her mouth shut. They eventually put her in a small cell and watched her separately. Ms. Wang's labor camp sentence was up on December 13, 2007. People who primarily contributed to her deteriorating mental state are No. 4 Team leader Fang Xiaoqing, female guard Zeng Juan, deputy leader Jiang Nan, and Duan Yuanyuan from the No.7 Team, now a leader, and the local police.
On October 29, 2007, there was a hurried meeting made up of people from the education section leaders, the camp manager, No. 7 Team officers, and a few others. People from the No.7 Team and from the education section announced prolonged sentences for the following practitioners: Ms. Yan Zhongfang (over 60 years old from Guangyuan) and Ms. Xiao Guiying's (about 60 years old from Chengdu) had time added time because of their hunger strike; Ms. Zhou Yunyan because she tore slanderous books apart; Ms. Li Zefen because she orally declared that she withdrew her "three statements"; for Ms. He Junhua because he made a solemn declaration. Ms. Yan Zhongfang and Ms. Xiao Guiying are still on a hunger strike.
In May 2007 drug addict inmates Deng Qiaoling and Chen Jia tied Ms. Xiao Guiying's hands and feet until 4:00 a.m. for doing the exercises. Drug addicts also frequently dragged Ms. Xiao away for force-feeding with unknown substances.
Practitioner Ms. Guo Lijun, about 40 years old from Jinhua Township, Meishan City, was detained for appealing. In the summer of 2007, Ning Qinying, Lin Xiaohong, Zeng Yue and others frequently verbally abused and beat Ms. Guo mercilessly. They sometimes tore her clothes off when beating her. She suffered countless tortures. All those incidents happened under orders from No. 7 Team officers.
In the summer of 2007, when the temperature rose to 38 0C (about 100 0F), Xie Xiaowei and Chen Jia from the No. 7 Team sometimes did not let practitioners take a bath or wash their feet. They willfully decided the time to shut off the water supply and said people had 15 minutes to wash, but the actual time was only a few minutes. The No. 4 Team leader refused to let practitioners make phone calls but let others do so every day. The reason given: practitioners didn't cooperate with them, "to write their ideological re-education."
Once arriving in the camp, the practitioners were divided into these categories: One, the "reformed ones," who, under duress, had written something detrimental to their convictions; two, those who had resisted the persecution and negated it and endured many unimaginable tortures; and three, collaborators, who became the "help and education" personnel, aiding and abetting the regime to try to brainwash practitioners. Those in charge taught the drug addicts how to persecute the practitioners and force them to read slanderous books. They also held sham conversations with the practitioners to find out whether someone was really "reformed." The "help and education" group head makes note of the practitioners' state and gives it to the duty officer. The duty officer mainly read those notes to determine each practitioner's state of mind.
Presently, personnel in the No. 7 Team don't let practitioners know their release date. They stipulate that the local police unit handling the case must come to pick the practitioner up; otherwise, the labor camp will not release anyone. If a local police unit doesn't come on time to pick the practitioner up, the camp officials prolong her labor camp term.
Any person assisting the labor camp officials charges each practitioner several dozen yuan per month. Some practitioners are worried about this, because their families cannot afford extra expenses. Some unscrupulous individuals stole the practitioners' monthly 15 yuan spending money.
For a long time those in charge at Nanmusi Forced Labor Camp have treated the practitioners with absolute cruelty. The so-called goal to "influence, educate, and save" is all deceptive nonsense. Between 2004 and 2005, practitioners in the No. 3 Team couldn't complete their work and were thus deprived of sleep for a whole week. The officials forced them to complete the hard labor. In 2007 the production team worked from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m; some worked until 11:00 p.m. Anyone completing less work would have to work overtime again after others got off work, or their term was extended. The No. 3 and No. 4 Teams constantly worked in the basement. The No. 4 Team in particular assigned practitioners to select wool under electric lights throughout the year, which severely hurt their eyes.
In order to increase production, the camp introduced an incentive system: after completing an extra task, the practitioner would be given some incentive funds based on some percentage of the extra portion. When this was reached, the camp would stipulate a new rule to increase the workload. No matter how hard the practitioners worked, they couldn't get much money. The camp officials simply refused to treat people as human beings and considered them mainly as a tool to make money for themselves and the camp.
Practitioner Mr. Su Kun from Yunnan Province Tortured at the Dapingba Forced Labor Camp
(Clearwisdom.net) Thirty-three-year-old practitioner Mr. Su Kun is a computer science teacher at the Yunnan Vocational College of National Defense Industry. On December 6, 2004, he was illegally sentenced to three years in Dapingba Forced Labor Camp for refusing to renounce his belief in Falun Dafa. He was imprisoned in the No. 3 section at Dapingba Forced Labor Camp from January 5, 2005 to June 28, 2007. On June 28, 2007 he was taken to the No. 1 section. During his imprisonment in the No. 3 section, he was brutally beaten, verbally abused and physically punished.
Mr. Su Abused by the Inmates Assigned to Monitor Him
Since early November 2005, the guards of the No. 3 section incited the inmates who monitored Mr. Su to carry out strict monitoring and intense "reform" efforts on Mr. Su because he firmly refused to give up his belief in Dafa. He had to ask for permission to do anything from the inmates who were monitoring him. After finishing daily work, he was forced to listen to the inmates slander Falun Gong and verbally abuse him. If Mr. Su didn't obey their every command, they would do everything possible to make Mr. Su's life miserable. The inmates would forbid him to write letters or to read a book, to drink boiled water, go to the bathroom and so on. If they were to successfully "reform" Mr. Su, the inmates' prison conditions would be improved and their sentences would be reduced drastically. Mr. Su reported the inmates' evil acts to deputy chief Luo Zhongwu many times, however, the inmates continued to abuse him.
Knowing that the methods they used to torture Mr. Su were tacitly approved by the guards, the inmates tortured Mr. Su and other Falun Gong practitioners more severely. At the beginning of January, 2005, to protest the persecution, Mr. Su started to shout "Falun Dafa is good!" From then on, every day the inmates choked him, kicked him until he fell down and slapped his face. They punched and kicked him in front of the guards, but the guards did not stop them. When Mr. Su told Luo Zhongwu that the inmates used the inhumane methods to torture him, Luo Zhongwu coldly replied that the inmates' methods didn't violate any regulations.
When the inmates learned that Mr. Su had reported their violations to Luo Zhongwu, they didn't allow Mr. Su to go to breakfast and dragged him to an isolated area where they punched him until his two front teeth were about to fall out. The inmates who were involved in beating Mr. Su were: Wang Jialin, Li Chunyong, Yan Ke and Zhang Jianzhong.
Mr. Su Beaten at a Public Farm Field
On the morning of February 18, 2006, when Luo Zhongwu came to the farm field to check the inmates' work, Mr. Su told Luo Zhongwu that the inmates had beaten him. Luo Zhongwu not only didn't listen to Mr. Su's complaint, but he also pushed Mr. Su around. In order to protest the persecution, Mr. Su shouted, " Falun Dafa is good!" Luo Zhongwu ordered the inmates to drag Mr. Su in front of a tractor and forcibly hold him down. Then he incited the other inmates to throw dirt on Mr. Su. When Mr. Su told Luo Zhongwu that this physical abuse was illegal, Luo Zhongwu only laughed at Mr. Su. Mr. Su continuously shouted "Falun Dafa is good" to protest the persecution. When Luo Zhongwu saw that Mr. Su didn't submit, he left the farm field. Mr. Su's entire body was covered with dirt and wounds from being kicked by the guards. Guard heads Hua Jianyan and Yang Dingquan were present at the time. Li Shaobing and Li Chunyong were involved in beating Mr. Su.
Mr. Su Tortured at the Chenjia Cemetery
Around 10 p.m. on March 4, 2006, section heads Pu Shunyuan and Luo Zhongwu and other guards ordered Mr. Su and two other inmates to bring some dry wood in a cart. They arrived at the Chenjia Cemetery which was several hundred meters away from the gate of the No. 3 section. They ordered Mr. Su to stand directly in front of a grave and to wake the corpse up by shouting. They ordered two inmates to monitor Mr. Su and to make sure he did not fall asleep. Mr. Su said to them, "I have not done anything wrong. What you are doing to me is violating the law." They didn't listen to Mr. Su and forced him to stand in the cold wind until dawn. On the morning of March 5, they dragged Mr. Su to a rice field to make him stand in the water. When Mr. Su protested the torture, Hua Jianyan, who was in charge of the field work, said, "This is arranged by the guards." Again that evening they dragged Mr. Su back to the cemetery to torture him some more. Luo Zhongwu asked Mr. Su, "Will you still shout 'Falun Dafa is good ' today?" Mr. Su replied, "As long as the torture goes on, I will continue to protest the persecution!" A while later, Luo Zhongwu and guard Su Jiashan left. Two inmates tried to frighten Mr. Su by talking about ghosts and then they punched him in the chest and the back of his head. Luo Zhongwu and Su Jiashan returned ten minutes later. And the two inmates pretended to care for Mr. Su. After suffering an entire night, they forced him to stand in the water of the rice field again early in the morning on March 6. They didn't allow Mr. Su to close his eyes. That night Mr. Su reported to Luo Zhongwu that the two inmates tortured him in the graveyard. Seeing Mr. Su was extremely weak, Luo Zhongwu decided to temporarily lay off on the graveyard torture. However, in the early morning on March 7, they used the same torture methods to persecute him again. On the evening of March 8, guard Su Jiashan blamed Mr. Su for refusing to give in, saying to him in the cemetery, "I have 'accompanied' you for several days and have gotten a cold." Mr. Su replied, "This is caused by the persecution. If the persecution continues, I will continue to protest." The guards who participated in this persecution are: Pu Shunyuan, Luo Zhongwu, Su Jiashan, He Zhengchao. The inmates are: Deng Sihong, Li Shaobing.
Facts about the Persecution of Dai Xiaoping at the Wangcun Women's Forced Labor Camp in Shandong Province
(Clearwisdom.net) Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Dai Xiaoping, a resident of the Kuiwen District in Weifang City, Shandong Province, was incarcerated in the Wangcun Women's Forced Labor Camp in the fall of 2001. That is where I got to know her. As soon as she arrived, she was sent to the most vicious Division No. 5. As she was very steadfast, she was locked up in a solitary cell and made to undergo "reformation" for long periods of time. Several people took turns monitoring her.
As practitioners Dai Xiaoping and Shao Yongmei from the Zhaoyuan area refused to cooperate with the unreasonable demands of the police, the guards used sleep deprivation as a means of torture for extended periods of time, sometimes for several months. The two of them were separated and locked up in solitary cells. They were bombarded with slander and false propaganda around the clock.
Ms. Dai Xiaoping's husband was physically abused until he became partially paralyzed on one side of his body. He could not attend to his daily needs or take care of their school-aged daughter. Even so, Ms. Dai Xiaoping still persists in her cultivation. As she showed no signs of giving in, No. 5 Division head Qu Xiuying said, "In order to try to 'reform' Dai Xiaoping, I had to personally talk to her on a one to one basis more than 200 times."
Qu Xiuying asked for suggestions from other guards, but they were all in vain. The guards tried to use Ms. Dai's mother to get leverage on her, but failed. They gave her a birthday cake and Chinese New Year present in an act of false kindness, but that did not fool her, either. None of the strict monitoring, torture devices, threats and beatings worked. Ms. Dai Xiaoping reasoned with them and pointed out from a legal perspective that what they were doing is against the law.
The guards became more determined to brainwash her. They locked her up and tortured her more cruelly. They vowed that if they did not succeed, they would never let Ms. Dai go. She was isolated from the rest of the incarcerated practitioners. A few months later, I heard that she became paralyzed on one side of her body, and her life was in danger. Some officers became worried that they would be held responsible for her death and transferred out. Dai Xiaoping was severely abused at the Wangcun Women's Forced Labor Camp for more than a year before she managed to get out. She seemed to have aged a lot in that one year, her face getting more wrinkled and her hair turning white.
Ms. Dai Xiaoping's husband was Mou Naiwu, an outstanding teacher at Weifang College. His employers have withheld his salary since October 1999 because he practiced Falun Gong. He became partially paralyzed from cruel persecution and abuse in 2000, and he died on June 13, 2004 as a result of the persecution.
Ms. Dai Xiaoping was fired from the Weifang No. 2 Printing and Dying Factory in October 1999 for her practice of Falun Gong. She lost her source of income, and she and her daughter are in dire circumstances.
Ms. Dai was once again illegally detained at the same camp in November 2007, and we have no details on her current situation.
Wangcun Women's Forced Labor Camp
Chief, Liu Changzeng: 86-533-6690988(Office), 86-533-6689888(Home), 86-13805336562(Cell)
Practitioners Enslaved in Qianjin Forced Labor Camp in Harbin City
(Clearwisdom.net) There are approximately 60 inmates at the Qianjin Forced Labor Camp in Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province, and most of them are Falun Gong practitioners. About 30 of the 36 inmates in the First Division are practitioners, as are about 20 of the 23 inmates in the Second Division. The guards at the camp recruit the criminal inmates to assist them in persecuting the practitioners.
Labor camp officials force practitioners to work overtime and give them excessive workloads. Practitioners are forced to get up at 5:30 a.m. and must work from 6:00 a.m. until 7:30 or 8:00 p.m. They get only 15 minutes for lunch and must work their entire shift without a break. Zhang Bo, Chief of the First Division, personally monitors everyone's work. Anyone who does not finish the assigned quota has to take the work back to his or her cell and may not go to sleep until the work is done. Once, the inmates were tasked with stacking Popsicle sticks, and everyone was required to complete the same quota, from newcomers to seniors over the age of 70.
Huo Shuping, Chief of the Second Division, often punches and kicks practitioners and abuses them physically. She also forces practitioners to work more than the regular quota. When inmates are tasked with making rice paper bags, she increases the quota in the Second Division from 400 to 450 bags a day. Practitioners who cannot complete their quota must continue working until 8:30 or 9:00 p.m. If the quota still is not finished, the practitioner is forced to sit on a small stool until 11:00 p.m. or 12 midnight. Labor camp terms are extended for practitioners who cannot finish their quota every day for a month. Those who refuse to work also have their terms extended illegally. The terms of practitioners Ms. Qi Jinlin and Ms. Zhang Cuijuan were extended by 15 days, and the term of Ms. Du Xiuqin was extended by two days.
The current task in the labor camp is sorting and packing coffee stirrers and hot dog sticks, making rice paper bags, and packing toothpicks. The previous task was making shopping bags and pill boxes.
The coffee stirrers and hot dog sticks must be sorted into three categories and then packed into large bags. Each bag is about the size of a 50-pound rice bag. Practitioners under the age of 40 have to finish three bags each day. Those who are elderly or weak have to finish two bags. The process of making rice paper bags is very complicated, with a great deal of folding and gluing. Practitioners under 40 have to finish 450 bags a day, and others have to finish 300 to 400 bags, depending on their abilities. There are two kinds of toothpicks: round and flat. Practitioners have to pack the round toothpicks into bags, put the bags into boxes, and staple the boxes shut. Practitioners under 40 have to pack 1000 bags a day and put them into 20 large boxes; others have to pack 500 bags. When working with flat toothpicks, practitioners must glue the boxes, pack the toothpicks into the boxes, and wrap the boxes with plastic. Practitioners under 40 have to finish 500 boxes a day, and others have to finish 200 to 300 boxes.
There are no facilities, equipment, or process in place to disinfect the toothpicks. Wood dust from the toothpicks is all over the place, and practitioners frequently choke and sneeze from the particles. The yellowish glue has a very strong odor that causes headaches and eye-tearing.
Since hygienic conditions are so bad, rats and flies frequently enter the work area and come into contact with the toothpicks, rice bags, coffee stirrers, and hot dog sticks. There is certainly no guarantee of the sterility of these products!
The toothpicks are exported under the "Arpex" brand name.
Practitioners at this labor camp are routinely deprived of their basic human rights, their health, and their dignity. Practitioner Ms. Liu Xiuli once became so tired that she lost consciousness. Instead of calling for medical assistance, the guard on duty said she was pretending. Practitioner Ms. Zhang Cuijuan fainted a number of times while working, sometimes more than once in the same day. She was later diagnosed with poor circulation in her coronary arteries. Every day, she would pant heavily when she walked from her cell to the workshop. But the guards still forced her to work overtime. If she could not finish her quota, they forced her to work until 11:00 p.m. or 12 midnight. Practitioners are severely persecuted and enslaved, and they are not paid a penny for their work.
We hope that kind people around the world all awaken and voice their righteous support so that the persecution can be stopped.
The Seventh Division of Yang'ai Prison in Guizhou Province Brutally Persecuted Falun Dafa Practitioners
(Clearwisdom.net) When I was detained in the Seventh Division of Yang'ai Prison in Guizhou Province, I witnessed the Chinese Communist Party prison police brutally persecute Falun Gong practitioners. The police were inhuman. Falun Gong practitioner Qu Jing used a hunger strike to protest the persecution against her. The police tied her up on the death bed for a very long time and force-fed her. The food that spilled onto her during the brutal forced-feeding sessions soaked her shoulder for a long time, causing the skin to fester and become infested with maggots. Prison policeman Tian Weiwei also brutally beat Qu Jing and incited the criminals who were sent to watch Ms. Qu to brutally beat her.
The guards incited the criminals to brutally beat the Falun Gong practitioners when they protested against the persecution. They also forced the practitioners to do slave labor. Falun Gong practitioner Li Weihua staged a hunger strike to protest the persecution. The guards tied her to the "death bed" for two weeks, causing Li Weihua's muscles around her waist to become necrotic. They also forcefully injected drugs into her body which damaged her central nervous system, causing her to lose her memory and not be able to sleep, and also causing pain all over her body. Ms. Li was also frequently insulted and beaten by the criminal inmates. The prison's police captain, Sun Fengyun, ordered criminal inmate Huang Dongmei to stuff a dirty sock into Li Weihua's mouth. Li Weihua's mouth immediately started to bleed from the abuse. Later, police officer Tian Weiwei brutally beat Li Weihua in front of other inmates because Li Weihua had shouted, "Falun Dafa is good!" Criminal inmate Fan Yongbi scratched Li Weihua's face, leaving a deep scar. The crimes described above are just a small sampling of the persecution experienced by practitioners in the Seventh Division of Yang'ai Prison.
The practitioners who have been persecuted in the Seventh Division of Yang'ai Prison in Guizhou Province include: Chen Yuanxiu, Wang Yaqun, Li Yi, Li Yuling, Liu Shuling, Zhang Lei, Wang Shangchun, Yan Zhongfen, Qu Jing, Zhao Chunxia, Guan Shengcai, Li Weihua, Lei Zhifen, Liu Ling, Luo Qinxian, Tang Wenping, Chen Hua, Xu Jiarong, Chen Yan, Shi Zuohui, Deng Guixian, Wu Xuelan, Wen Ronghua, Yan Chengli, He Tianfen, Yu Yan, Mo Daiqiong, Lan Jun, Jiang Zuqun, Li Ping and others.
70 People Declare that their Words and Deeds Under Forced Brainwashing are Null and Void
(Clearwisdom.net) A "solemn declaration" is a person's
public statement declaring to the world that whatever he or she has done or said
under duress or deception that was against Falun Dafa is null and void. Most of
these statements have come from Falun Dafa practitioners in China who wished to
express regret that, in the face of physical torture and brainwashing, they had
signed documents renouncing Dafa and guaranteeing not to practice again. Also,
as more and more people in China learn the truth about how they have been
deceived and lied to by the Jiang regime, many non-practitioners are also
submitting "solemn declarations."
Here are some examples of the Solemn Declarations:
