Divine Performing Arts Chinese Spectacular

• Dignitaries in Japan Wish the Divine Performing Arts Complete Success (Photos)
• German Businessman: I Liked the Stories Told in the Divine Performing Arts Chinese Spectacular
• Frankfurt, Germany: We Will Come Again Next Year (Photo)
• French Magazine Reports on Upcoming Spectacular in Paris (Photo)
• Vice President of a Business Capital Firm: Divine Performing Arts Is Exquisite and Very Unique (Photo)
• Five-Year-Old Chinese Girl: I Loved the Show! (Photo)
• Ms. Zhang from China's Dalian City: From Resistance to Surprise (Photo)
• Chinese Language Teacher: New Year Splendor Gives People a Deeper Understanding of Chinese Culture
• Aftereffects of the Splendor in NYC: A Photographer Blogs: "...a delightful evening filled with beauty, hope and power! Bravo!" (Photos)

Open Forum

• "Lies Don't Travel Far:" The CCP Continues Its Attempts to Interfere with the Divine Performing Arts in Germany
• A Student in Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province: "The Truth about the Persecution of Falun Gong Has Shocked Me"

News and Events Around the World

• Experience Sharing Conference Held in Moscow (Photo)

Facts of the Persecution

• Harbin City: Ms. Fan Shude Near Death as a Result of Torture
• Panzhihua City, Sichuan Province: Xu Langzhou and Family Have Endured Nine Years of Hardship
• Female College Student from Tongliao City, Inner Mongolia Persecuted for Eight Years
• Persecution Story of Hebei Province Couple Ms. Liu Fengzhi and Mr. Wei Youtong
• A Practitioner Suffering from Torture-Induced Mental Disorder is Sent Back to Prison
• Additional Persecution News from China - February 2, 2008 (36 Reports)
• 28 People Declare that their Words and Deeds Under Forced Brainwashing are Null and Void

Health Benefits of Falun Dafa

• My Day of Rebirth

Practitioners Exchange Insights and Experiences

• The Righteous Thoughts of Dafa Practitioners
• My Understanding from Reading Teacher's New Article "Greetings"
• Do Well on Our Cultivation Path to Assist Teacher in Fa-Rectification
• Following a Righteous Path in Conduct and Thought
• My Understanding about Disintegrating the Evil Persecution with Righteous Thoughts

Traditional Chinese Culture

• Selflessly Serve the Public, Respect Virtue and Love the People

Clearwisdom Material

• Clearwisdom Weekly Persecution News - February 11 ~ February 17, 2008
• Clearwisdom Review (Volume 3, Issue 3, February 2008)

(Clearwisdom.net) The Divine Performing Arts Chinese Spectacular performance has recently opened in Tokyo, Japan. Dignitaries from various fields of Japanese society sent congratulation letters wishing the performance a complete success. They also thanked the Divine Performing Arts for bringing the traditional Chinese culture of pure compassion and pure beauty to the people of Japan. Below are some greetings and congratulatory letters.

After having learned that Divine Performing Arts will grace the stage of NHK Osaka Hall, I express the sincerest congratulations to this event.

I learned that the Divine Performing Arts has received a great number of invitations world-wide for the Chinese Spectacular, and the performance can't honor all of those invitations, yet the Chinese Spectacular finally came to Osaka, which makes me feel lucky and enormously joyful.

China's 5,000-year history and culture are gaining increasing understanding and acknowledgment throughout the world, which represents exploration of the essence of the profound Chinese culture summarized by "peace," "harmony," "elegance," and "righteousness." The Chinese Spectacular will certainly endow many people with renewed hope and dreams. I believe this glorious delight will leave us with ever-lasting exhilaration.

Since I am the Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, I have had many chances to visit abroad. No matter where I go, I see Chinatowns and Chinese people working hard to preserve Chinese culture while assimilating to the local culture and customs. I sincerely admire their efforts.

The Chinese Spectacular exhibits the essence of Chinese culture and far transcends race, territory and culture, allowing people to enlighten to the essence of a profound spiritual culture universal to all of mankind. Please allow me to greet this grand event and wish it even more prosperity.

I sincerely congratulate the Divine Performing Arts before the opening of the Chinese Spectacular.

I was blessed with the good fortune to have watched the performance presented by Divine Performing Arts last year. The innovation and beauty in the dances touched me deeply.

The same feeling is still fresh and vivid in my mind, and I have no choice but to again admire the profundity of Chinese culture and history.

At the same time, I hope more Japanese people can watch this performance, become inspired and bring a renaissance of our own culture

Therefore, I sincerely wish the public performances by the Divine Performing Arts a tremendous success.

The winter is gone and spring has returned to the world. Today, we gather here to enjoy the beauty brought to us by the Chinese Spectacular and I hereby send my sincere greetings before the grand performance.

At the time of the Chinese New Year, I also send my greetings and good wishes to the members of New Tang Dynasty Television in Japan, and others who have worked hard for this cause.

I hope everyone who attends this performance will thoroughly enjoy the music, dance, costumes and other beautiful feasts for the senses brought to us by the glorious Tang Dynasty culture. I wish all of you a happy and meaningful evening.

In the end, I wish the Divine Performing Arts a glorious success, and happiness and health to everyone!

Takashi Otsuka, member of House Representatives

Congratulatory letter by Takashi Otsuka

This is the second time the grand Divine Performing Arts Chinese Spectacular has opened in Osaka, and I sincerely send my best wishes.

The sumptuous and elegant culture and beautiful art that originated during great Tang Dynasty is displayed before us through the Chinese Spectacular, which I think is very meaningful for the people of Japan.

I firmly believe that it is an inevitable trend for China and Japan, both Asian countries and friendly nations, to strengthen our friendly relations during the development of all fields in the world.

I wish the Divine Performing Arts prosperity and success, and health and happiness to everyone in the Chinese Spectacular!

New Tang Dynasty TV's Chinese New Year Spectacular has received wide praise from all over the world. I am truly happy that the Divine Performing Arts can give their performance in Japan this year.

Like the fragrant atmosphere from the ancient Tang Dynasty, the Chinese Spectacular seemingly brings us the vibrant spirit of spring.

I wish the performance a complete success!

I am very happy the Divine Performing Arts Chinese Spectacular will come to Japan in 2008.

When the Divine Performing Arts first debuted in the US in 2004, there were only five shows, but it grew quickly. This year, it has become a world-class artistic feast with 220 shows.

As we all know, China has been single-mindedly pursuing economic growth in the recent years, and the end result is overwhelming. Japan had a similar experience in the past and ignored the preservation and development of traditional native culture as we transitioned toward a major economic entity.

What is true prosperity? It's not just financial success but preserving the jewels of a country's traditional culture so every citizen feels proud and spiritually wealthy. I think every Chinese active in various fields in the world has realized the importance of spiritual wealth, which has led to the existence and growth of the Chinese Spectacular.

Hereby, I earnestly look forward to seeing in Japan the essence of traditional Chinese culture--the Divine Performing Arts.

Chinese friends active in all corners of the world: Happy New Year!

Yasuhiro Oe, member of the House of Councilors, is happy to watch the Chinese Spectacular in person

This year is the second time Japan is hosting the Divine Performing Arts Chinese Spectacular. I feel very happy that I am able to see the performance. I wish everyone a wonderful New Year.

Yokoyama Masato, member of Yokohama City Council

I congratulate the success of the Divine Performing Arts Chinese Spectacular in Japan, as it brings traditional Chinese culture of pure compassion and pure beauty to modern people.

I also hope the songs, melodies and dances of the Chinese Spectacular will touch more people.

Happy New Year! My name is Obata Masao, and I am a member of the Yokohama City Council.

I heard that the Divine Performing Arts will visit many parts of Japan in February and present a grand Chinese Spectacular. Like everyone else, I'm eagerly awaiting the great performance to come.

I believe this grand celebration will not only restore 5,000-years of traditional Chinese culture that has been destroyed by the Chinese Communist regime, but also help it blossom and bear fruit in the future. I also firmly believe this grand event is a great venue to contribute to world peace.

Greetings! I'm very happy to see the public performance of Divine Performing Arts this year. Falun Gong promotes Truth-Compassion-Tolerance, spiritual improvement and achieving a peaceful world. I believe we can all feel such warmth from the Divine Performing Arts Chinese Spectacular.

The Chinese Communist Party's terrorist activities not only in Uighur and Tibet, but also inner China are known throughout the world. I hope its totalitarian rule will end as soon as possible, so a society that respects conscience and justice will be realized in China and true friendship can be established between China and Japan.

I sincerely congratulate the Divine Performing Arts presenting the Chinese Spectacular in Japan this year. This year, the Olympics will also take place in China, and the entire world will pay even more attention to China. Undoubtedly, the Chinese Spectacular will also be the center of attention.

We, the Japanese people, are also observing China, to put it more accurately, the state of China under Communist rule. We realize keenly that the cultures of all ethnic groups in China have been greatly destroyed.

However, Divine Performing Arts Chinese Spectacular not only preserves the flavor of traditional Chinese culture but also blends modern styles, radiating with the beauty of "fortitude" and "tenderness" that transcends race and national borders. Therefore, it's not too much to call the Divine Performing Arts the authentic Chinese culture of tradition and progress.

I deem it most appropriate for the Divine Performing Arts to perform at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, which serves to present China's true image.

I look forward to the Chinese Spectacular in Japan, and I also hope for the day when China's true face is restored.

There are Chinese elements in the roots of Japanese culture, which makes the Divine Performing Arts endearing to me. I warmly welcome the arrival of the Chinese Spectacular.

I respectfully wish the grand performances of the Divine Performing Arts a complete success.

This is the first time I will attend a Divine Performing Arts Chinese Spectacular. I believe that through this exquisite artistic show, the future of China-Japan friendship will unfurl before us. Please allow me to toast to the feast of beauty and peace!

Writer Sakurai Yuko

The colorful stage, graceful dances and overflowing energy bring us vitality and a soothing mood.

I sincerely wish the Divine Performing Arts Chinese Spectacular a consummate success.

Balint Kosa, chief of Hungary Tourism Bureau in Japan

First, I respectfully wish everyone a happy new year.

I sincerely congratulate the grand opening of the Divine Performing Arts Chinese Spectacular. I am truly happy that we can embrace such a spectacular performance at the time of the Chinese New Year.

I will feel honored if one day the Divine Performing Arts can introduce the great traditional Chinese culture in my home country of Hungary.

I wish everyone health and joy at work!

I sincerely congratulate the grand opening of the Divine Performing Arts Chinese Spectacular.

The name of NTDTV comes from "Tang Dynasty," when the Chinese culture reached its peak. NTDTV shoulders the responsibility of preserving an ancient culture and history.

After several thousand years, traditional art is now combined with innovative music, art, costumes and technology through the hard work of various artists at the Divine Performing Arts, which is now being shown on Japanese stages. I feel very happy about that.

Similar to Japan, my country, the Republic of Croatia also has traditional art and music that has been passed down since the ancient times and is still kept alive. I hope different countries can increase their exchange and understanding through culture.

I sincerely wish the Divine Performing Arts Chinese Spectacular success, and I hope that the Divine Performing Arts will take an even more active role in the future.

(Clearwisdom.net) The Divine Performing Arts Touring Company's premier at Frankfurt's Jahrhunderthalle (Century Hall) was a great success. The second crowd of people were seated at 2:00 p.m. on February 17, 2008. The audience responded with seemingly endless, excited applause during the entire performance. The dances that received the most enthusiastic applause were " Descent of the Celestial Kings," "Nymphs of the Sea," "Mongolian Bowl Dance," "Drummers of the Tang Court," "The Power of Awareness," and "Victory Drums." The witty dialog between the host and hostess brought out smiles of understanding from the audience from time to time.

As soon as the curtain was raised, the audience burst into enthusiastic applause. They were amazed by the majesty and boundless brilliance of the heavenly scene and the celestial beings presenting an infinite variety of postures and movements while the clouds wafted in the air. Electronic technician Stefen Roth and his wife Nicol Weiland, a graphic designer, learned about the Divine Performing Arts shows on the website. They noticed that what the Divine Performing Arts represented was completely different from the common Chinese shows they had seen in western societies. They commented, "We found that this performance was not what people often get to see, so we planned to come and see the performance. We browsed online and read the audience feedback, and thought it was something we really wanted to see, and we came."

Stefen continued, "The performance was a great success, very exquisite. The techniques and music were all excellent." Their favorite performance was "Drummers of the Tang Court." Stefen added, "Nevertheless, I thought the story about the temple was also very good. (referring to 'The Fruits of Goodness.') The hand gestures were very beautiful. That young man did a good deed, and as a result he obtained the truth. It's a very good fable. I liked it very much."

He also said, "The entire show was very special. Such a performance is rare, and we thought it was remarkable. Many things occurred in the past, and many events in history are unknown to us. In the past century, there have been many things taking place in China, but people here do not truly know about them."

The dance "Nymphs of the Sea" was the favorite performance of many audience members. Mrs. Grohmann and her husband enjoyed the show together. She said, "My favorite performance was 'Nymphs of the Sea.' The celestial maidens were floating in the water, very beautiful. We were amazed, as we did not expect it to be so good. 'Drummers of the Tang Court' was also very good. The hosts of the show were of great help to me. I could understand quite well the content of the performances. The backdrops were very successful. I really liked it."

Mr. Stumpf is a senior manager of a medium-sized company, and many of his customers are Chinese. At the recommendation of his friend, he brought his wife and their daughters to see the show. At the end of the dance drama "The Power of Awareness," along with other audience members, Mr. Stumpf also applauded for a long time. He was engrossed in the stage during the entire show, and said, "Very beautiful. The entire show was linked together by telling stories, one by one. I felt it was very good." He was satisfied with the hosts' explanations of each performance. He said that their explanations helped him understand the inner meanings conveyed in the dances.

Castina Diensberg is in her twenties. She came to the show with her friend. Castina said she liked reading books about China. She said the bowl dance was very nice, and that the performers were highly talented. The costumes and music were beautiful. She also mentioned that the live orchestra was a very good experience.

Two Chinese women who are living in Frankfurt had a strong affection to the dance "The Mongolian Bowl Dance." They said, "The dance was excellent, and the costumes were also beautiful."

The second show of the Divine Performing Arts Chinese Spectacular at Frankfurt came to a successful conclusion, the audience applauded and cheered for a long time after the curtains closed.

(Clearwisdom.net) On February 17, Mr. Nobert Meister and his family attended the Chinese Spectacular at Jahrhunderthalle Theatre in Frankfurt.

The Meister family

During the intermission, the reporter interviewed Mr. Meister and his family. Mr. Meister said he liked the dances, especially the drum dances, and his wife said she liked the arrangement of the dances--the soft ones with fairy ladies following the energetic ones with drums.

Mr. Meister said he felt the show was harmonious, and the spirituality of the show touched his heart, especially the contents of the songs, which he believed was very important.

Their daughter liked the "Drummers of the Tang Court" and the "Water Sleeves" dance and their son was touched by Yue Fei's story.

The family said that they would come to the show again next year.

Mr. Meister is the founder of TradeNetOne.com AG, and the senior manager of the department of finance at the Accenture Company.

(Clearwisdom.net) A month before the Divine Performing Arts Chinese Spectacular is to be staged in Paris (February 29, March 1-2), the largest magazine in France, Femme Actuelle, with a circulation of over 1 million copies per week, devoted a full page and a half to the Spectacular.

Emphasizing the high artistic quality of the show, the magazine complimented the "astounding" beauty of the choreography, the hand-made costumes and shimmering scenery "worthy of the biggest spectaculars."

Admiring the rich historical content of Divine Performing Arts show, the reporter explained that the Chinese Spectacular depicts a "forgotten" China: "Not Mao Zedong's China, not the China of the Tiananmen tragic events in 1989," and brings back to life the "most refined periods of history that the planet has ever gone through: the prosperous Tang and Qing dynasties."

According to the report, "Behind the beauty," the Divine Performing Arts show is "imbued with peace and tolerance" and expresses "values that are all too often trampled in China."

Source: http://clearharmony.net/articles/200802/43232.html

(Clearwisdom.net) On the evening of February 8, 2008, the thirteenth show of the Chinese Spectacular presented by NTDTV played at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Many business entrepreneurs came to seeSenior Vice President John Donlon, from RBS Business Capital located in Manhattan, attendended the show. He has visited many Asian countries including Hong Kong and Taiwan.

John Donlon , Senior Vice President of RBS Business Capital in Manhattan

Mr. Donlon attended the show on February 8 and said, "Very interesting, very Oriental, very Chinese. This show is different from ordinary shows that can be seen in US. The performance is exquisite and the dancers are very elegant, with graceful and unique movements.He said that every year he sees many Broadway shows, but this show was different from all others he has seen. He said that the choreography, the dance movements, the music and the drumming were very unique and fascinating.Regarding the meaning behind the performances, he said, "Through this show I saw the spirituality behind the Chinese culture. I also learned about the oppression of freedom in China today."

"Chinese culture is very different from Western culture," he continued. "The way of thinking, the way of looking at things are all different. The music is so different. The rhythm in the Chinese music is different from that in the West."

He mentioned that he was especially impressed by the theme of the show.

"The theme of the songs and the dances depicted good and evil, freedom and oppression. 'The Risen Lotus Flower' was very expressive and shows that there is no freedom of religious belief in China."

(Clearwisdom.net) "I loved the show and I cried," Gege, a five-year-old girl, told reporters solemnly after watching the first half of the Divine Performing Arts Chinese New Year Splendor.

Five year-old Gege attended the show with her parents

Gege, along with her parents from New Jersey, attended the show in her brand new and pretty outfit. Her mom dressed her up so nicely to see the Splendor.

Gege's mom Nancy, said, "I told my daughter that mom would take a day off of work in order to take her to see the show." It was clear that Gege's mother was pleased with her decision.

After watching the show, Nancy said, "My daughter is enjoying the performance so much, she really loves it." Gege talked about her feelings about the performance.

Facing the reporters, Gege was a little shy at first but she relaxed after a while.

When asked what moved her to tears, Gege said, "It was the dance about Yue Fei's loyalty to his country." When asked why she was moved to tears and what she understood from the performance, Gege said, "Yue Fei's mom let Yue Fei fight bad guys and Yue Fei didn't want to leave his mom, and his mom tattooed four characters 'Jin Zhong Bao Guo'(serve the country with loyalty) on his back."

Gege's mother wants her daughter to be more interested in Chinese culture. She explained a little about each performance to her daughter in between numbers. Gege also asked a lot of questions.

Nancy said that her daughter loved the dances.

The reporter who sat in front of Gege's family during the show overheard Gege say, "I want to study dance, I am to dance when I grow up."

Asked why she should learn to dance, Gege said immediately, "Because I like to dance! I often dance at home and feel like I learned how to dance before."

When Nancy said that she enjoyed the dance, "Nymphs of the Sea," Gege immediately said that she liked it, too. Nancy herself danced in her childhood and saw some performances in mainland China, but she said this show was unique and of the highest caliber.

Gege's father Tony, said, "I was greatly impressed with 'Drummers of the Tang Court.' The essence of the Chinese culture is reflected in the performance."

Tony believes that traditional Chinese culture really needs to be spread to the world because a lot of people do not understand China's real culture. He feels that China today is much too closed off, which hinders the spread of true Chinese culture. [The government] blocks out the original Chinese culture, and the essence of traditional culture and ideology. Tony said he is pleased to see so many people from the West and East alike attend the performance. He said the more people who understand Chinese culture, the better.

"My memories of the past are aroused after watching this show." Tony said, "Chinese traditional things are gorgeous, but it seems [that some people think] they are extremely old-fashioned. But actually, they are really traditional things and something very good."

(Clearwisdom.net) New York realtor Ms. Zhang was quite surprised to see such an authentic Chinese cultural performance in a first class theater in New York's Broadway District.

Ms. Zhang with her daughter at Radio City Music Hall on February 1, 2008 (Photo by: Zhang Tianyi / Epoch Times)

Ms. Zhang's English name is Kathrin. She is originally from Dalian City, China. After seeing the Chinese New Year Splendor, she described her feeling as "surprised."

Kathrin likes to do artistic gymnastics and she has the look of a performing artist. Prior to her coming to the US seven years ago, she attended stage shows in China. But since she came to this country she has not seen any Chinese stage performances. She came to this show through friend's recommendation.

"Initially I resisted the idea, thinking, 'How good can a Chinese show made in the US be?' But after strong recommendations from a friend, my curiosity got the better of me and I decided to give it a try. I was surprised to see this traditional Chinese cultural performance here."

She continued, "Everyone knows of Radio City Music Hall. I used to go to Christmas shows such as 'A Chorus Line.' I suggest that Chinese people come to see this. I had no idea that these pure, traditional Chinese dances were performed here. The Divine Performing Arts gave me a big surprise."

Kathrin told the reporter that she thought all the programs were good, from the traditional choreography to the impressive drummers. She felt that the Divine Performing Arts has extraordinary talent and technique.

"To see such a high level performance outside of China is pretty good. I will recommend this to my friends and tell them this show is worth seeing. I also feel that the show is especially suitable for Westerners. Chinese culture is so 'hot' nowadays. Many Westerners are eager to learn about Chinese culture. This show can help them find out more about Chinese traditional culture."

(Clearwisdom.net) "Even in large metropolitan areas such as New York, many people still do not know much about other cultures, nor do they have much opportunity to be involved in cultural exchanges. That is why it is fantastic to see the Chinese New Year Splendor here!" These are comments from Meiji Liang, director of the Wall Street-located Chinese Language Immersion Program. Ms. Liang met with this reporter during an intermission at one of the Splendor performances over a week ago.

US born Meiji Liang learned about the show from the Internet and arrived with eight family members and friends. She thought that the show taught Americans about China's traditional music, language, and customs and China's ethnic minority cultures. More importantly in her opinion, this show piqued people's interest in and appreciation for China.

As a Chinese language teacher, Ms. Liang discussed views about China from a different perspective and commented that the first thing people think about when they hear the word "China" are egg rolls and fried rice. She thought that this performance would give people a deeper understanding of Chinese culture.

She continued, "For instance, the dance 'Fairies of Changbai Mountain' presents Korean culture. Koreans are one of the Chinese ethnic minorities. The Xinjiang peoples and Mongolians are also part of China. Average Americans have limited knowledge of or interest in other cultures. They do not know much about Chinese Han culture, let alone the ethnic minorities in China." In fact, most young Chinese do not know their own history, either.

Ms. Liang's deep interest in ethnic cultures may have come from her family background. Her father is from Guangdong, and her mom is Mongolian. Her husband was born in Shanghai and grew up in Taiwan. His parents are owners of a well-known food company in Taiwan.

Ms. Liang's Chinese Language Immersion Program accepts children from six months to five years old. They not only study the Chinese language, but also learn Chinese culture and customs.

(Clearwisdom.net) From January 30 to February 9, a total of 15 Divine Performing Arts presentations of the Chinese New Year Splendor were staged in Manhattan's Radio City Music Hall. The show caused quite a sensation in Western society. Audiences were captivated by the artists' world-class performances, and even more so by the "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance" content of traditional Chinese culture. During the run of the production, the New York Times newspaper carried an article in which the writer accused the show of containing Falun Gong "propaganda." The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which is notorious for its destruction of traditional Chinese culture, seized the opportunity and used its controlled media to publicly denounce the show as "getting political." The CCP's accusation deceived some people who have not seen the performance. However, many artists and commentators who have seen it have stepped forward to praise the show on their websites or Blogs.

On February 6, photographer James Fraiman and graphic designer Sherry Kornfeld saw the Chinese New Year Splendor in New York City (photo by Zhusi Xu / Epoch Times)

The New York Times writer particularly cited the words of a children's author to challenge the "Falun Gong content" of the performances. Ten-year-old James and his mother, Mary Rose, commentators for Chiff.com, after watching the Chinese New Year Splendor performance on January 31, recommended the show to their viewers:

James wrote, "I really thought it was pretty awesome. I would definitely recommend it to other kids my age. The dancing was really cool but my favorite parts without a doubt were the drummers and the erhu solo. I thought the 'Victory Drums,' 'Chopstick Zest,' and 'Drummers of The Tang Court' were really powerful. The drums are an important part of Chinese culture and you really get why when you see, and hear them up close. You can actually feel the music pounding through your body...I imagine it (erhu) is a very hard instrument to learn how to play."

Rose wrote, "I have heard some complaints about the show being a three-hour-long propaganda fest. Throughout the show you are reminded that the Chinese people, in spite of a totalitarian government, remain guided by the principles of 'Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance.' My take is simply this, anytime you have a cultural show that showcases history, spirituality, artistic expression, and social issues you run the risk of being labeled propaganda. However, if you go to the show and view it as it was meant to be seen, then you come away with the feeling of having experienced a richly entertaining, visually pleasing, cultural encounter that hopefully delights and charms. You may take from it whatever lessons you desire. If you learn a little something about the culture then that is all the better."

"For us, the Chinese New Year Splendor was a marvelous experience. It is a journey into China's past, where myths and legends mixed with reality every day. It is a spectacular array of classical Chinese performing arts. Mesmerizing dancers accompanied by a full orchestra and supported by dazzling, high-tech imagery. The visually stunning stage experience of dances, songs, and symphony opened the door for us to come away with a greater knowledge or at least appreciation of Chinese culture, history, folklore, and the arts."

"Dance is at the heart of this great production, with both the male and female dancers exhibiting the various disciplines. The female dancers appeared to float around the stage. Most dances reflected lightness and grace. They demonstrated multiple talents with vigorous jumps and dazzling spins. A large contingent of Mongolian men beat out intricate rhythms with bunches of wooden chopsticks as they imitated the movements of eagles and horses. The colors, costumes, and flowing materials that were incorporated into the dances were as much a part of the show as the artists. Everything was in English as well as Chinese, and you are guided through the program by two hosts that introduce each scene and share the bilingual introductions. There were a few times during the show when the emcees would ask questions of the audience to encourage audience participation and even teach a few Chinese words."

Ten-year old James and his mother, Mary Rose, art critics of Chiff.com, watched the Chinese New Year Splendor performance on January 31 (photo by Zhusi Xu / Epoch Times)

A photographer "unprecedentedly" praises the show

Photographer James Fraiman, after seeing the Chinese New Year Splendor performance on February 6, "unprecedentedly" wrote on his blog to introduce the performance:

"I do not, as a rule, do theater reviews on these pages... but I feel compelled to make an exception....Being well aware of China's penchant for unbelievable color combinations, I expected a magical pageantry filled with superb choreography and the recreation of ancient legends. I was not quite prepared for what I saw, however. While the colors of the background, the colors of the costumes, the powerful yet graceful movements of the dancers more than lived up to my expectations there was more..."

"The unexpected element came as a total surprise. It consisted of injecting politics into a performance of dance and music in a format we rarely see in the West, in ways only art forms can so powerfully express...The choreography showed women as beautiful, graceful, and delightfully feminine. Men were portrayed as powerful yet sensitive... just as the genders were meant to be before the roles and attitudes blurred as in today's society. The political message of the regime's persecution of the Falun Gong benefited from the pageantry as it crescendoed from its initial subtleness into a very powerful finale!"

"Among the many great parts of this show I must single at least out a few. Xiaochun Qi's performance on the erhu, a Chinese instrument, at times reminded me of a human cry and touched me deeply; tenor Hong Min's powerful, lyrical voice reached far within the innermost fabric of his listeners. The 'Nymphs of the Sea' and 'Water Sleeves' segments made ample use of silk to mimic the movement of water with unexpected realism. 'Forsythia in Spring', beautifully, gracefully, and delicately portrayed the blooming forsythia--ying chun hua--as it welcomed the spring. The dancer's movements and their symbolism wove a message of hope and renewal. The final segment, 'Victory Drums,' powerfully reinforced the message of hope and final overcoming of the evil of the current ruling elite."

"Over all, it was a delightful evening filled with beauty, splendor, hope, and power! Bravo, bravissimo!"

February 14, 2008

(Clearwisdom.net) There is a proverb in Germany that says, "Lies don't travel far" (Lugen haben kurze Beine). This sentence describes the ugly tactics of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) which continues to spread lies in Germany and many other countries. The CCP regards the global tour of the Divine Performing Arts as a thorn in its side, thus, no effort is spared to try to interfere and damage the company's reputation in every country. However, its underhanded tactics are exposed every time.

On December 18, 2007, New York Assemblyman Michael Benjamin made public to The Epoch Times a letter he received from the Chinese Consulate General in New York, which threatened him, saying that if he went to see Holiday Wonders performed by the Divine Performing Arts, "Chinese and American relations" would be affected. The Assemblyman didn't buy into the Communist agenda. He said, "The CCP [Chinese Communist Party] insists to the world that there is only one China. They seek to drown out alternative voices. They fear that the world will learn the truth of their 'Animal Farm' regime."

Cultural departments in the Swedish cities of Stockholm, the capital, and Linkoping also received threatening letters from the CCP. They were notified that the Divine Performing Arts had a Falun Gong background, and if the performance was not canceled, the relationship between their two countries would be affected. This ploy had the opposite effect from what was intended. Swedish officials considered it blasphemous to Sweden's democracy and freedom, and they asked China to issue an apology and an explanation. Local, national, and international media all reported on this incident, and people lined up to purchase tickets to see the show. Once again, the CCP has shot itself in the foot.

The Divine Performing Arts Chinese Spectacular appeared in Duisburg, Germany, on February 13 and 14, 2008, their first stop in Europe this year. The CCP regarded this as a critical situation. Earlier this year, a CCP official in Bonn saw flyers about the Spectacular in a Chinese restaurant and shouted: "This is Falun Gong, Falun Gong is our 'enemy'..." Afterwards, one of the organizers of the Spectacular in Duisburg disclosed that the CCP made an attempt to stop the show; however, it went forward as planned.

Discerning people understand at a glance that the CCP already has exhausted its repertoire of clumsy tricks in Germany. In May 2007, the media reported that a hacker from the CCP military invaded the computer system of the German Chancellor's Department. After German Chancellor Angela Merkel met the Dalai Lama in her office in September of last year, the CCP retaliated by canceling a meeting with a German high level official. They also attempted to pressure Mrs. Merkel to apologize for the meeting, but she adamantly refused. Her actions were praised by the German media.

There were many reports filed in Germany on the CCP's violations of their human rights. On January 24, 2008, four reporters from the German Channel 1 visited Yuan Weijing, the wife of blind human rights activist Chen Guangcheng in Shandong. They were violently driven away by police, and the German media were in an uproar. In April 2007, the influential papers Die Welt and Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) interviewed former Canadian Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific) David Kilgour and renowned international human rights lawyer David Matas. These two gentlemen were invited to Germany to talk about their independent report about organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners in China.

The evil nature of the CCP remains unchanged and those in charge won't stop their efforts because of this. They continue to put pressure on the Chinese people in Germany, especially Chinese international students. The Party attempts to stop them from seeing the show through bribes, threats, and payments.

One lady told her friend that practices Falun Gong that she wanted to see the Spectacular and judge for herself whether it is good or bad. Her son also wanted to go. The father was originally against it, but now he wants to see it, too. Another overseas Chinese said, "What is wrong with displaying excellent traditional culture, such as that of Yue Fei, who was totally dedicated to his country, and Mu Lan, who joined the army for her father?" After another person, who is often the target of the Chinese Embassy's "united front," learned the facts about Falun Gong, he was very surprised and said he, too, wanted to see the performance.

Lies don't travel far. I sincerely advise the embassy personnel, who work themselves to death for the CCP, to stop doing the wrong thing, stop slandering the performance, and stop persecuting Falun Gong.

(Clearwisdom.net) The big trend of withdrawing from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has entered into its third year. Three million Chinese people have already withdrawn their memberships from the CCP and/or its affiliated organizations, thereby breaking all ties to the Party. A student from Xi'an City said that the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong is "illegal" and "ruthless."

In regard to the severe persecution in China, this biology student told the reporter, "I have been paying close attention to the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong. During my first year in college, I found very limited information about Falun Gong through on-line search engines. Based on that, I came to the conclusion that Falun Gong was absolutely not what the CCP had depicted. Later on I met some friends overseas on the Internet and obtained software that helped me break through the Internet blockade, enabling me to gain access to a lot of precious information. Comparing this information with the CCP's denouncements against Falun Gong, I became convinced that my original conviction was correct. The CCP's persecution of Falun Gong is ruthless! When I deeply understood the truth about how Falun Gong was persecuted, I was profoundly shocked and stayed in shock for many days. I realized how indifferent I and the people surrounding me are."

The student went on to say, "I think every Chinese citizen has a responsibility and an obligation to understand Falun Gong and end the persecution. This is a real crime, and it is very severe. The fact that it could happen, shows that the political system is incurable. Amidst the CCP's insane persecution of Falun Gong, we should all ask ourselves if we have participated in it. Did we hold onto to our good values and refrain from helping the authorities do evil? If so, then the persecution would not have happened or lasted so long, and people would not have been so numb and indifferent.

He stated, "Regarding the Falun Gong issue, every Chinese person must conduct a self introspection and, accordingly, carry out his or her responsibilities. One not only should be responsible for him/herself, but also for others and the society. If we are indifferent, keep silent, and do nothing about the persecution, then there is bound to be a day when everyone in the system will become a victim. If we keep a blind eye toward the plight of others and refuse to hear about it, then when it's our turn to suffer, who will help and care for us? I call on all Chinese to take a look at themselves and see the persecution rationally. The CCP must stop the persecution."

In regard to the big trend of withdrawing from the CCP, he said, "The emergence of this movement lets people in the dark see the light. The rational, peaceful, and nonviolent way of dealing with this is very good. Only by disintegrating the CCP can China have a future and hope."

January 20, 2008

(Clearwisdom.net) On February 17, 2008, Falun Gong practitioners from Moscow and cities nearby held a small scale cultivation experience sharing conference.

Practitioners shared their experiences of clarifying the truth, studying the Fa, and looking inward.

The group exercises at the Fa conference

One new practitioner, who has been practicing for three months, had an accident a year ago, in which he fell from a tall ladder. His feet were badly injured and he still cannot walk well. He attended the Fa conference on February 17 and studied the Fa and did exercises with other practitioners. After the conference, when he was walking outside, all of sudden he found that his feet were not painful and he was not lame anymore.

This miracle of Dafa solidified his faith.

(Clearwisdom.net) Ms. Fan Shude, who is in her 50s, works at the Shuangcheng Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau in Heilongjiang Province. Before she practiced Falun Gong she suffered from heart disease and other health problems. Once Ms. Shude began practicing Falun Gong, her illnesses vanished. She frequently said that it was Falun Dafa that gave her a second life.

On July 20, 1999, when Jiang's group began persecuting Falun Dafa, Ms. Fan went to Beijing to appeal for justice for Dafa. During her eight years of validating Dafa and rescuing fellow practitioners, she was illegally arrested four times, and persecuted in forced labor camps twice. The first time she was imprisoned in Wanjia Forced Labor Camp she was injected with unknown drugs by the guards and criminals in the camp, causing her frequent nausea and dizziness.

In July 2007, Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Liu Yang from Lanleng Town, Shuangcheng City, who had been married only eight days, was living in Harbin City when he was arrested by policemen Zhao Chengyin, and Wang Wei, from Xinyi Street Local Police Station, and turned over to the Daowai State Security Division of Harbin City. Division chief Cai Qun illegally imprisoned Mr. Liu at a detention center in Harbin City (Yazijuan) with the intention of sentencing Mr. Liu Yang to a forced labor camp.

Upon learning this, Ms. Fan Shude became concerned, and on the afternoon of August 1, 2007, she took a letter that she had written, encouraging good behavior, to the Xinyi Street Local Police Station. As she entered the door to the police station, without saying a word several policemen, led by Wang Wei, attacked Ms. Fan Shude. The attack was so vicious that Ms. Fan suffered heart and brain damage. She then suffered a relapse of her old diseases, was unable to eat, and vomited continuously, at which point the policemen of Xinyi Street Local Police Station took her to Daowai State Security Division.

Division chief Cai Qun totally disregarded Ms. Fan's poor health and forcibly took her to Qianjin Forced Labor Camp in Harbin City where she is currently illegally imprisoned. Periodic news from Qianjin Forced Labor Camp in Harbin City indicates that Ms. Fan is unable to eat food being force-fed to her by guards in mostly unsuccessful attempts.

Ms. Fan has been imprisoned for nearly six months. She has endured torture that has brought her near the point of death. She is currently hospitalized at the eighth hospital ward on the sixth floor of cardiac internal medicine department of the first hospital of Harbin Medical College. Unable to eat, she has lost a lot of weight. Family members are caring for her while being monitored by policemen.

Fan Shude practiced Falun Dafa and regained good health, but because of the Chinese Communist Party's persecution, her life is now in danger. Her family pleads for her immediate release and the restoration of her good name, as well as compensation for wages lost and her mental and physical damage.

(Clearwisdom.net) Ever since the birth of Xu Langzhou's son in 1999, Xu and his entire family have been repeatedly persecuted. His nine-year old son does not get to see his father. Every year at the New Year holiday, the boy asks, "Will Daddy come home?" To protect the boy, his family members have not told him about his father's imprisonment.

Over the years, Xu Langzhou's mother, Ms. Peng Guangzhen, has repeatedly appealed for her son. After details of guard brutality against Mr. Xu were exposed to the outside world, Panzhihua National Security agents became enraged and threatened Ms. Peng several times.

At around 10:00 a.m. on March 28, 2007, Ms. Peng went to a local jurisdictional agency to complain about brutality at the Panzhihua City Police Department, especially how they tortured and framed her son. National Security agents and those from the East District stopped her outside the agency office and arrested her. The police also searched her home. The officers did not wear uniforms during the home invasion, nor did they provide a search warrant or even drive a police car. The whole event was a covert operation.

Peng Guangzhen was held at the East District Police Station, where she was subjected to intense interrogation and torture. The police tied her hands and feet to a metal chair for a long time. Then they tied her hands behind her with a rope and hung her up by the rope. Ms. Peng suffered severe pain and her body was soaked in sweat. Finally, several parts of her body cramped, her hands and feet lost sensation, and she almost had a heart attack. She was eventually taken to the Wanyaoshu Detention Center, where the threats continued. Each time those in charge interrogated her, the severe psychological pressure caused her to experience heart distress and body cramps, along with cold hands and feet. The guards actually feared she might not survive such torment and let her go home after 20 days of illegal detention.

Imprisoned Mr. Xu Langzhou is in his 30s. He was an officer in the Panzhihua City Traffic Police Division One. After Mr. Xu began practicing Falun Gong in 1994, he followed the principles of "Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance" in his daily life. Soon all of his health problems disappeared, and he became perfectly healthy. Prior to becoming a practitioner, he smoked, drank, and was violent toward other people. He would beat drivers who fled an accident site and were later captured. He always was quite open to accepting restaurant meals at the expense of others and took bribes and gifts unapologetically. After he learned Falun Gong, he abandoned all these bad and unethical behaviors. He stopped using violence, stopped accepting invitations to meals, and quit taking bribes.

His good conduct and hard work earned him many honors, including the yearly nomination "Outstanding Police Officer of the Year." Panzhihua City Television Station produced a program covering his inspiring turn-around. But sadly, after the Chinese Communist Party began the persecution of Falun Gong, this outstanding man became a subject of a prolonged and severe persecution.

Currently, Mr. Xu Langzhou is incarcerated at Guangyuan Prison, in Sichuan Province. His family lost contact with him after his first incarceration there in January 2005. They were forbidden from visiting the prison or talking to him on the phone. His family members repeatedly asked agents at the local 610 Office for a permission to visit, but were turned away every time. When they called the prison, as soon as the person answering heard the name "Xu Langzhou," he hung up.

According to inside information, those in charge at the Guangyuan Prison used extreme violence to torture practitioners. They limit the practitioners' food to rice only. Four or five criminal inmates are assigned to follow each practitioner around the clock on orders from the officials. These inmates hit practitioners with a spiked rod (wooden boards with nails), and they also used a belt buckle to hit practitioners. Some even poured boiling water onto their heads. Some practitioners sustained broken ribs from such violence. Guard Zhan Weiming was very gung-ho to enforce a 100 percent "reform" rate. Anyone who refuses to "transform" [give up Falun Gong practice] is subject to his "harsh treatment," including around the clock sleep deprivation. It was heard that Mr. Xu was tortured a great deal and became skeleton-like and dark skinned. He also suffers from constant stomachache and has trouble eating. He is extremely weak.

On July 22, 1999, the Communist regime's propaganda machinery rolled out a smear campaign against Falun Gong. Mr. Xu believed that all these reports were lies, aiming to defame Falun Gong. To explain the facts, Mr. Xu went to the Office of Letters and Calls in Beijing to complain. But he was arrested, sent back to Panzhihua, and placed in a detention center for several days. His employer gave him a choice--he had to give up Falun Gong or his job as a police officer. Mr. Xu said he wanted to keep both. Traffic Police Department officials fired him for his belief.

On November 23, 1999, Xu Langzhou went to the Panzhihua City government's Office of Letters and Calls to appeal. Before he had a chance to finish what he had to say, the officials called the police. He was arrested again by agents from the city "610 Office" and taken to Dadukou Police Station in the East District. The first day he was confined in an empty basement room for a whole night, without heat or winter clothing. The next day they took him to a detention center where he remained for a month, until his release.

In 2000, Mr. Xu Langzhou did the Falun Gong exercises outside his home. The police arrested him once again and took him to Panzhihua Detention Center. While there, he told the inmates the facts about Falun Gong. To punish him, the guards tied his wide-stretched arms and legs to a metal bed, with his chest restrained by a chain. He was restrained like that around the clock for 13 days. He did not even get breaks for meals or to to use the bathroom, and had to relieve himself on the bed. This was a very painful torture.

On March 15, 2000, Mr. Xu was sentenced two years of forced labor. Pronouncing the sentence were agents from the Panzhihua 610 Office system. They took him to the Mianyang City Xinhua Forced Labor Camp where he was mentally tormented and tortured.

To force practitioners to give up their beliefs, guards used high voltage electric batons to shock them, with the voltage set as high as 10,000 volts or even more. They badly burned people's skin with one touch. To force Mr. Xu to give up Falun Gong, several guards pinned him to the brick floor, tied him tightly, and stepped on his face. His face was bruised and bled, and the ropes cut into his flesh. The guards then threw him into the scorching sun, with the ropes still on him. After he left the labor camp, his scars and rope marks were still visible.

Mr. Xu was forced to make bricks in a high temperature kiln area. He had to pick up the bricks when they were still red hot. They were so hot that people could use them to light cigarettes. In the kiln area, worker's clothing became covered with red clay dust. Even during the hot summer months workers have to wear thick protective clothing near the kiln, and they still have to use pieces of used tires as extra protection. Most young people could stay in the kiln oven area for only two minutes. After they came out, most could not even stand, due to heat exhaustion. Dust covered their bodies.

Even during the hot summer days the guards refused to let practitioners drink fresh water. The practitioners were forced to drink collected rainwater. Sometimes the rainwater was already contaminated, smelled disgusting, and had already bred mosquitoes. But even the rainwater was sometimes in short supply. The practitioners had to drink from ditches when they were not watched. If caught, criminal inmates would beat them or were assigned to monitor them. The conditions were so bad that people often fainted from dehydration during lunchtime. According to people who experienced abuses at Xinhua Forced Labor Camp, the place is a sheer hell. After Mr. Xu had been there for two years, his sentence was extended by another nine months because he refused to give up Falun Gong.

Mr. Xu's wife could not endure the pressure during her husband's incarceration and divorced him. Following his release, Mr. Xu stayed at his sister's home for a year, where the police continued to harass him. He partnered with other people in a cloth business. But soon after the business took shape, the police started persecuting him again.

At 9:00 a.m. on April 9, 2004, Xu Langzhou was arrested at his business. Participating in the arrest were agents from the Panzhihua City Police. Policemen Qin Gang, Zou Yongjun, and Sun Zhiwen along with a dozen other officers all wore plainclothes. Without producing any legal documentation, they put a black bag over Mr. Xu's head and took him to the Jingu Hotel in the Yanbian County New Town Center.

Policemen Qin Gang and Zou Yongjun hung Mr. Xu up by ropes for a full day and night. They also deprived him of sleep for three days. Qin Gan, Zou Yongjun and Huang Jinyong worked in shifts to interrogate and torture him. They did not even dare to show him their IDs. At each note-taking session they did not record the time, location, investigator or name of the notetaker. They later forged the report, claiming that they questioned Mr. Xu once every four hours instead of around the clock. They also changed the location to the Yanbian County Police Department. They also coerced him to admit "forged evidence." When he refused to sign the statement, Qin Gang said, "I will kill you if you refuse." They forced him to sign a blank piece of paper, and then filled in the paper with wording they had prepared.

When they arrested Mr. Xu, the police seized his briefcase that contained a checkbook, [business] receipts and 3,000 yuan in cash. They said they found some Falun Gong flyers in the briefcase, but did not mention the money. To make their story believable, police officer Zou Yongjun even coerced a worker from Mr. Xu's coating company to provide false evidence to incriminate Mr. Xu.

On September 14, 2004, Yanbian County court officials held a hearing on Mr. Xu's so-called crime. Mr. Xu exposed how the police forged evidence with violence. He also declared that his statement made during the torture was null and void. Due to lack of evidence, the court did not dare sentence him, and the hearing was adjourned. But under intense pressure from the 610 Office, the court opened another hearing on November 1, 2004. This time the judge accepted the forged evidence, sentencing Xu Langzhou to eight years and six months in prison, based on forged statement from the 610 Office agents. Mr. Xu was taken to the Guangyuan Prison in January 2005 and has never left.

Panzhihua City Police Department Office:
Liu Huayun, deputy director of 610 Office, 86-13808142956 (Cell)
Zhang Bolin, director of 610 Office, 86-812-3350886 (Home), 86-13808147396 (Cell)

Panzhihua City Police Department, National Security Team:
Qiu Tianming, deputy team leader: 86-812-3323035 (Office), 86-13518414006 (Cell), 86-812-6901785 (Cell) (offender)
Duan Qing, policeman: 86-812-2223769 (Home), 86-13508232266 (Cell) (offender)
Zou Yongjun, policeman: 86-812-3323195 (Office), 86-812-3350081 (Home), 86-812-2223991 (Home), 86-13982366998 (Cell) (offender)

Guangyuan Prison office: 86-839-3956063
Guangyuan Prison: head, Wei Chengjun; deputy head, Xie Ping
Prison Ward Two: Political head Yao Baocheng, deputy head Ran Wei
Discipline section chief Ren Rui
Guards assigned to persecute Falun Gong practitioners: He Zhong, Tian Yong, Yang Jun

Guards at the Xinhua Forced Labor Camp:
Deng Gang: team leader and expert in the persecution of Falun Gong. He encouraged drug addict inmates to insult and exercise violence against practitioners. He was responsible for the death of practitioner Li Xingzhe. Because of his "hard work" he was promoted to deputy chief of the management section.

Zhao Yu: guard of the Fourth Division. Because of his devotion in persecuting Falun Gong practitioners he was promoted to political instructor. He masterminded many plots to torture practitioners. He also did not shy away from using violence himself to beat practitioners. Due to his tendency to use violence, his team earned the nickname "Devil's Team."

Dong: a team head for persecuting Falun Gong in the Sixth Division. He is a very violent and dangerous man. He once told criminal inmates to cover practitioners Xiang Quanguo and Yang Xinkuan with chimney soot. This man not only tortures practitioners, he also humiliates them with dirty tactics.

Tang Xufeng, guard from the Fourth Division. He used horrible tortures on practitioners. He also encouraged criminal inmates to humiliate practitioners, including covering them with chimney soot. For his "hard work" he was promoted to deputy head of the middle team.

Police branch head Zhao Chengyong and section chief Yu Xincai are specialists appointed by Xinhua Forced Labor Camp officials to torture practitioners. They are behind all the dirty plots, torture methods, and campaigns against practitioners.

February 3, 2008

(Clearwisdom.net) Bao Siqin-Gaowa, 30, was born in Baokang County, Kezuozhong Prefecture, Tongliao City, Inner Mongolia. She was an excellent student since elementary school, all the way to college. But she was deprived of her education in Heilongjiang University because she practiced Falun Gong. The police followed and persecuted her.

Gaowa was a physics student at that university and began Falun Gong practice during her second year there. Her parents then also became Falun Gong practitioners, which brought the three of them much happiness. Her parents' illnesses were cured without any medical treatment and Gaowa no longer suffered from physical ailments, and was an excellent college student, demonstrating great moral character and excelling in academics.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) banned Falun Gong in 1999, and Gaowa went to Beijing to appeal against the injustice. She became separated from fellow practitioners in a crowd. A police officer accosted her and asked, "Do you practice Falun Gong?" Gaowa answered, "Yes." The police officer confiscated her ID and informed her university. The school expelled her, six months prior to her graduation.

She returned to Baokang and could not find suitable employment because the police withheld her ID. Eventually she found a job as a typist that earned her a mere 150 yuan a month. She was actually under house arrest.

When Gaowa logged onto the Minghui website once, the police detected it. She was fired from her typist job and no longer had any income. From then on, police officers Song Shouan, Bai Yuhua, Xiao Zhong, Yu Qinglin, and He Bagen often went to her home to confiscate her Dafa books. They even took away a small card on which was written: I want to have a copy of Zhuan Falun. One time Gaowa held a small piece of paper with a selection of Master Li's teachings written on it. Song Shouan, with all his strength, forcibly took the paper from her hand. They put intense pressure on Gaowa's parents and made her parents beat her (Her parents had quit practicing because of the persecution). Her father almost broke one of Gaowa's legs, and it took her several months to recover. However, Gaowa still persisted with Falun Gong practice and saving sentient beings. A rumormonger from the police station said, "As a college student, she doesn't want to study or work, and her parents have to support her."

On January 16, 2003 [on the lunar calendar] Song Shouan, Bai Yuhua, Xiao Zhong, and Yu Qinglin from the Baokang Police Station captured Gaowa with a ruse. She was sentenced for one year in a forced labor camp two weeks later without proof or due process. The decision document lists merely two words: Falun Gong. The persecutors sent her to the Tumuji Forced Labor Camp, without notifying her parents.

Gaowa firmly refused to be "reformed" in the camp and persisted in Fa study and doing the Falun Gong exercises. She was cruelly beaten. This left her unable to move her neck, and she couldn't take care of herself, even needing fellow practitioners to help her to put on and fasten her shoes. She was confined in a small dark room by herself for 15 days without natural light and was deprived of sleep. She was forced to stand for so long that her feet swelled. Her parents went to see her and saw that she had been tortured. As Gaowa was young, the persecutors decided to send her to a secret concentration camp, but for an unknown reason, she was later sent back to the labor camp. The police knew that if Gaowa was sent there, she couldn't survive. Gaowa heard police say that she would be in great danger if she was sent there. One month later they released Gaowa, and she went home.

Three days later, 43-year-old police officer Yu Qinglin, who had taken part in the persecution, suddenly died with blood in his mouth. No one could determine what illness had caused his death.

At that point, Gaowa had been unemployed for five years. She wanted to make an independent living and went to the home of a fellow practitioner named Qu Liling in Jiamatu. She eventually helped them plow their fields and plant fruit trees. The police had followed her to Jiamatu from Baokang. Several days later, police station superintendent Zhang Xiwen, Li Guicai at Jiamatu, and Gao from Baokang went to Qu Liling's home. They jumped into the yard and went directly to the structure where Gaowa lived.

Gaowa spoke reasonably with them. The persecutors couldn't find any reasonable cause and had to leave. Several days later they deceived a 40-year-old man into saying that Gaowa and other practitioners had clarified the truth to him and distributed truth-materials. The man also lurked around the house and vandalized outside Gaowa's home.

When that man came back Gaowa didn't let him in. He took a shovel and broken a dozen window panes into pieces, and took a large wooden stick and shouted like a madman. Right then Qu Liling's husband returned and thought that a group of gangsters had invaded. He picked up the phone and reported the incident to the police. Police officer Bao Yuzhu arrived more than half an hour later, wandered around cursing, and left. The man claimed that people from police station asked him several times to come here to beat Gaowa. If he didn't do it, they would not leave him alone. He revealed the truth.

Then Gaowa went to the Jiamatu Police Station to speak to the superintendent Zhang Xiwen who was not there. Only deputy superintendent Li Guicai and another young man were at the police station. Qu Liling wanted to know why police station officials ordered someone to beat a person. Li Guicai said that he didn't do it. After a while Zhang Xiwen returned. Their real purpose was to make Gaowa come to the police station so they could take her back to Baokang. Several days after Gaowa left, Zhang Xiwen ordered some people to destroy Qu Liling's house. A person who had just bought Qu Liling's house happened to overhear this plan and said, "Don't destroy the house, I just bought it." Qu Liling and her husband then escaped from the disaster.

Once Gaowa was back in Baokang, Bai Yuhua started a new round persecution. He followed Gaowa everywhere, even to practitioner Li Guizhi's home on November 5, 2005. When the practitioner had just put several Dafa materials on a bed, Bai Yuhua suddenly intruded and called other people to come. The practitioners clarified the truth to Bai Yuhua, but she would not listen. Li Guizhi grabbed Bai Yuhua and let Gaowa escape. Gaowa then became homeless to avoid further persecution.

Gaowa missed her parents and called her family on her cell phone on June 4, 2007. Her phone had been tapped for a long time, and Baokang police traced the call and found her. She was arrested. Officers from Baokang and Jilin participated in the arrest. They sentenced her to two years in a labor camp and sent her to the Tumuji Forced Labor Camp for further persecution.

Baokang Police Station personnel have persecuted Gaowa for eight years and caused Gaowa financial losses of more than ten thousand yuan.

January 8, 2008

(Clearwisdom.net) Ms. Liu Fengzhi and Mr. Wei Youtong are a couple from Wanggezhuang Village, Songgezhuang Township, Laishui County, in Hebei Province. They took a contract farming on a vast piece of mountain land. They live on the mountain most of the time. Both practice Falun Dafa and enjoy great benefits in mind and body from the practice. Since the persecution began on July 20, 1999, they have been subjected to constant persecution from Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officers, police, and the 610 Office.

On August 30, 2002, under orders from the Laishui County 610 Office and Police Department, Li Zhiguo (male), director of the Songgezhuang Township Police Station, and half a dozen officers illegally arrested Ms. Liu and Mr. Wei. They took the couple to the police station, handcuffed Mr. Wei to a heating pipe and locked them in a room for interrogation. The couple refused to answer the questions. Li lashed them with a one meter-long seven-wire twist whip. As a result, Mr. Wei's back looked like a web of bloodstains, and Ms. Liu's back was also bleeding. In the afternoon, the couple were taken to the government offices of Songgezhuang Township and were forced to weed the gardens there.

On September 1, 2002, the officers of the Township government took them to the county police department. Mr. Wei was imprisoned at a detention center for almost four months, fined 5000 yuan, and was extorted of 600 yuan for meals during the detention. Ms. Liu was detained for more than four months, was fined 2000 yuan, and had extorted of 500 yuan for meals during the detention. Together the couple had 8100 yuan extorted from them. They were then released before February 1, 2003, the Chinese New Year.

On the morning of June 4, 2003, just after 10:00 a.m., half a dozen officers from the county 610 Office and the county police department illegally searched Mr. Wei's home. They threw teacher Li Hongzhi's picture to the ground and ransacked the house. They confiscated a tape recorder, a satellite dish antenna, a high frequency tuner, a closed-circuit television receiver, a DVD, a dozen Falun Dafa books, two copies of the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party and twenty truth clarifying discs. They left around noon. Township police station director Li Zhiguo and township CCP secretary Zhao (male, first name unknown) took Mr. Wei to the county police department. Mr. Wei was then imprisoned at the detention center for two weeks. Upon his release, Mr. Wei was charged 450 yuan for meals. Mr. Wei was released only after he paid 100 yuan cash and signed an acknowledgment of debt for 350 yuan.

On the eve of the 17^th CCP People's Congress conference in 2007, Songgezhuang Township CCP secretary Zhao and township police department director Li Zhiguo illegally detained practitioners Mr. Wei Youtong, Ms. Gao Binglan and Mr. Guo Fuyun for nine days in the county lodge. They said that it was to prevent them from going to the capital to appeal. The practitioners were released once the conference concluded.

Ms. Liu and Mr. Wei are asking the 610 Office, the police department and the township government to return all their property that was illegally taken.

February 7, 2008

(Clearwisdom.net) Ms. Wang Shuxia from Hujia Village, Tiefa Town, Diaobingshan City, Liaoning Province, is 45 years old. In January, 2000, she went to appeal for Falun Gong and was detained by Diaobingshan City Police. She suffered inhuman torture in a detention center. Jail policeman Jin Pengfei tortured her many times with electric batons and shackles. Ms. Wang could not bear the mental persecution and physical torture and soon developed a mental disorder. She was then released.

In 2002, the public security departments of Diaobingshan City arrested her because someone said she was doing Falun Gong exercises outside. They sentenced her to forced labor for three years and sent her to the Masanjia Forced Labor Camp. Here, Ms. Wang again suffered torture and her mental disorder got even worse. The forced labor camp then confined her to a dark and cold solitary compartment, with her hands hanging in the air. They did not allow anyone to be in contact with her. No one knows how she was able to survive. In 2005 she was released.

In November, 2007, she took a television and a DVD player and went to a popular market to play the a video explaining the truth about the persecution. Even before she played anything, she was arrested by police from Hongfang Police Station and was sent to the City Police Station State Security. Her daughter and others went to Zhang Fenglai, the head of the local State Security office and requested the release of Ms. Wang. Despite the situation, Zhang Fenglai handed Ms. Wang over to the judicial administration. On January 15^th, 2008, the Diaobingshan Court secretly put Ms. Wang on trial.

We call strongly for everyone's effort to stop this inhuman persecution and to release Ms. Wang Shuxia.

Main responsible person: Li Dejun - Vice Mayor, 86-410-6962560, 86-13804102925(Cell)
General Secretary of the Political and Legislative Affairs: Wang Jingxue 86-410-6865243. 86-410-6875100, 86-410-6925099, 86-13704103298(Cell)
Chief Judge Chen Chunming: 86-410-6879997, 86-410-6876866, 86-13470128777(Cell)

Police Station Director Fu Xiaodong: 86-410-6992018, 86-410-6992001, 86-410-6865388, 86-13591692111(Cell)
State Security Captain Zhang Fenglai: 86-410-6865445, 86-13941098399(Cell)
State Security Instructor Wang Xueping: 86-410-6992028, 86-13050814156(Cell)

(Clearwisdom.net) Today's News from China includes incidents of persecution that took place in 23 cities or counties in 14 provinces. In this report, 32 practitioners were subjected to mistreatment during their detention and at least 50 practitioners were illegally arrested.

At around 11:00 a.m. on January 31, 2008, Zhang Chen (male) and two other officers of the Jidong County Domestic Security Division arrived at Xinyi Village in Chengjia Group, Hada Town. They forced their way into practitioner Ms. Zhang Shurong's home while Ms. Zhang happened to be away. The officers conducted a search and confiscated copies of Zhuan Falun and other Falun Dafa books. They took out an arrest warrant and forced Ms. Zhang's husband to sign it. They also issued an order for him to take his wife and report to the domestic security division between 8:00 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. the following morning.

On January 29, 2008, Ma Yuliang (male), head of the Duozhuang Town 610 Office in Mengyin County, led officers to the home of practitioner Mr. Duan Dedao in East Duozhuang Village. The officers confiscated a notebook computer and Falun Dafa books. Mr. Duan Dedao's whereabouts are unknown.

On January 31, 2008, Li Zhaofa (male), head of Taoxu Town in Mengyin County, and other officers went to three practitioners' homes to harass them. The officers searched Ms. Lei Guiling's home in Ankou Village, Taoxu Town. They confiscated the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party and other books. Ms. Lei's whereabouts are unknown. Li Zhaofa and other officers also tried to harass practitioner Mr. Ji Yongxian in Xidoushan Village in Taoxu Town. Mr. Ji happened to not be at his home.

Li Guang (male), former head of the Duozhuang Town 610 Office: 86-539-4588566 (Home)
Qin Yuandong (male), deputy Party secretary of Duozhuang Town in charge of the persecution: 86-13516394369 (Cell)
Bian Dayong (male), in charge of the persecution of Falun Gong at the Mengyin County Police Department: 86-539-4274281, 86-13905392102 (Cell)
Li Baoyuan (male), director of the Mengyin County 610 Office: 86-539-4279189, 86-13953918936 (Cell)

Mr. Lu Jigui, a practitioner in the Wolitun area in Daqing City was turned in to the authorities for clarifying the truth to his former colleagues. At noon on February 1, 2008, officers of the Wolitun Police Department deceived Mr. Lu into coming out of his home. The officers took him into custody. Mr. Lu Jigui is being held at the Longfeng District Detention Center

On November 19, 2007, thirty Falun Gong practitioners were transferred to the Nanguanling Prison in a bus arranged by the Yaojia Forced Labor Camp in Dalian City, Liaoning Province. One practitioner shouted "Falun Dafa is great!" Bai Shiming (male), a deputy warden, knocked the practitioner to the ground. Several guards kicked the practitioner while others hit the practitioner with electric batons. Later, inmates were called in to drag the practitioner away.

Ms. Liao Zhiping, 62, is a retired official at the division level for a military organization in Tianjin affiliated with the General Staff Department. At around 8:00 a.m. on January 1, 2008, she was taken into custody near Binxi Road in Hexi District, Tianjin by officers of the Youyi Road Police Station. By the end of January 2008, Ms. Liao was unlawfully sentenced to eighteen months of forced labor. Both she and her family refused to sign the forced labor paperwork, in protest of the persecution.

Ms. Liao was unlawfully sentenced to two years of forced labor in August 2004.

Youyi Road Police Station: 86-22-88293369

Lei Shuqing (male), chief of the Wafangdian Police Department: 86-411-85616666
Head of the 610 Office: 86-13998512139 (Cell)

Practitioner Mr. Huang Yade has been sentenced to three and a half years of forced labor by the judicial system. On January 18, 2008, he was taken to the No. 4 Prison in Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia.

On January 24, 2008, Mr. Xing Fuzhen (almost 70 years old) from Shihe Town, Jinzhou District, Dalian City, was taken into custody. The following day, Mr. Xing was taken to the Ganjingzi Legal Training Center.

Xu Guangyue (male), police officer: 86-13942080777
Shihe Town Police Station: 86-411-87260219

On January 30, 2008, Mr. He She, a practitioner in the Guandimiao area in Dangshan County, was turned in to the police while he was distributing Falun Dafa truth-clarification materials at the Chenzhai Farm Market. Officers from the Zhulou Town Police Station took him to the police station, searched his home, and confiscated his computer, printer, and other items. The officers denied his wife's request to see Mr. He.

Earlier, officers of the Zhulou Town Police Station went door-to-door in the local Shaozhai Village to unlawfully gather truth-clarification materials distributed by Falun Gong practitioners.

Meng Gang (male), director of the Zhulou Town Police Station:86-13956861696 (Cell), 86-557-8022033-4201 (Office), 86-557-8024965 (Home)

At 6:30 a.m. on January 30, 2008, Ms. Chen Li, a practitioner in Donggezhaung Village in Guxian Town, Pingdu City, was taken to the police station.

At around 10:00 a.m. on February 1, 2008, officers from the Linqu County 610 Office and of the Anti-(slanderous word deleted) Division broke into practitioner Mr. Shi Mingchang's home in the family quarters of the Linqu County Branch of the China Construction Bank. The officers took Mr. Shi into custody, searched his home, confiscated a computer and a recorder, and took possession of 1,600 yuan cash. Mr. Shi Mingchang is being held at the Linqu County Detention Center.

Chen Qiang (male), director of the Linqu County 610 Office: 86-536-3114610, 86-536-3126088, 86-536-3166969, 86-13864676172
Xu Wenyuan (male), chief of police department: 86-536-3456678, 86-536-3456369, 86-13963686369

On January 29, 2008, practitioner Ms. Wu Fangling was on her way to work when domestic security officers in Yanqing County took her into custody. The following day she was unlawfully taken to a labor camp.

On the afternoon of December 19, 2007, Ms. Shan Shuling, a practitioner in Hanshiqiao Village in Yang Town, Shunyi District, Beijing, was taken into custody. The police searched her home. Some said that Ms. Shan was unlawfully sentenced to two years of forced labor.

On January 24, 2008, several practitioners, including Mr. Gong, Mr. Fang, Mr. Fu, and Ms. Jiao, were taken into police custody.

On January 17, 2008, Mr. Li Shaochen, a practitioner who lives on Xigu Street in Hongqiao District, Tianjin, was taken into custody at his younger sister's home. His son was taken in custody at the same time and was released several days later. Mr. Li Shaochen, an elderly practitioner surnamed Zhang, Mr. Guo Jindong, Mr. Li Lixin, Ms. Liu Shumin, a young practitioner with the last name Song, Ms. Su Guiling, Ms. Zhang Guizhen, and Ms. Li Hong have all been implicated for setting up satellite television equipment that receives signals from New Tang Dynasty Television.

Mr. Lu Jianbing, 41, is a practitioner in Shexing Village, Dongzhang Township, Linyi County. At around noon on November 17, 2007, he was turned in to the police for persuading others to quit the Communist Party and its affiliated organizations. Li Quanzhou, head of the Linyi County 610 Office, led several people to break into Mr. Lu's home. They grabbed Falun Dafa books, turned on the computer and found Falun Dafa related contents. The officers then forced Mr. Lu into the police vehicle. Later Mr. Lu Jianbing was sentenced to three years of forced labor. His term was reduced to one year after his case was reported to the regional authorities. On December 4, 2007, he was transferred to the Yongjiyu Township Forced Labor Camp. Mr. Lu's family visited him recently and learned that he was about to be taken to Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province.

Since July 20, 1999, at least a hundred practitioners have been taken into custody in Linyi County. A dozen were sent to forced labor camps. Exorbitant fines have financially ruined many practitioners and their families.

On January 21, 2008, elderly Ms. Xu Guilan in Songjia Village, Fujia Town, Zhangdian District, Zibo City was taken into custody. In the next two days, six more practitioners in Songjia Village were taken into custody. Practitioners were also taken into custody in neighboring villages, including Mr. Xu Shunxu (72) in Daxu Village, Mr. Cao Qifang (48) in Tianjia Village, and Ms. Yao Xiufang (66) in another village. It has been reported that these practitioners are being held at the Fujia Town Detention Center in Zhangdian District, Zibo City.

Zhao Zuocheng (male), director of the Fujia Town Detention Center in Zibo City: 86-533-2189727

Ms. Zhou Chunzhi and Ms. Liu Jiemei, among other practitioners, remain in custody at the Jiangsu Women's Forced Labor Camp. Ms. Rong Caizhen, Ms. Wang Haitang, and Ms. Zhu Guomei from Changzhou City, Jiangsu Province have returned to their homes. Ms. Guo Junzhen has returned home. Ms. Lin Jinfeng is on medical parole.

At around 10:00 p.m. on December 17, 2007, sixteen or seventeen officers led by Tian Junping (male), head of the Fenxi County 610 Office, and Chang Heping (male), head of the Xi County 610 Office, broke into practitioner Ms. Niu Aibao's home in Dongzhuang Village, Qingxiang Town, Fenxi County. They took Ms. Niu into custody and searched her home. The officers confiscated Falun Dafa books, truth-clarification materials, and two door hangings stitched with "Truthfulness-Benevolence-Forbearance" and lotus flower drawings on them. At around 11:00 p.m. the officers went to Mr. Guo Huisheng's home in Zuomuzhang Village in Qingxiang Town, Fenxi County. Mr. Guo was home alone. The officers took him into custody without telling his family. Mr. Guo Huisheng is being held at the Xi County Detention Center. Ms. Niu Aibao is being held at the Pu County Detention Center.

Tian Junping (male), director of Fenxi County 610 Office: 86-357-5123623 (Home)
Fan Yiqun (male), of the Fenxi County Police Department: 86-357-5123156 (Office), 86-357-2091953 (Home), 86-13835766090 (Cell)

On January 20, 2008, the police in Zhongshan City took into custody Mr. Lu Wenwei, his wife, and two other practitioners.

Practitioners Ms. Qian Zilian and Ms. Xu Jinghua have been prosecuted by the Lin'an City Procuratorate. A trial was held at the Lin'an Court on January 30, 2008. The court is in recess and sentencing has not been announced.

At around 9:00 p.m. on January 29, 2008, Ms. Li Xiuhua, a practitioner from Duyun City in Qiannan Prefecture, Guizhou Province, was taken into custody by the police while she was out distributing truth-clarification materials. By 1:00 a.m. the same night, six police officers went to her home for a search and confiscated some truth-clarification materials. Ms. Li Xiuhua is being held at the Duyun City Detention Center.

At around 1:00 p.m. on January 29, 2008, Ms. Zou Guiying and Ms. Wang Shumei were turned in to the authorities while they were clarifying the truth at the Xin'an Market. They were taken to the Yilan Police Station. At 2:00 p.m. Ms. Wang Shumei's home was searched. The two practitioners are being held at the Yanji Detention Center.

On October 29, 2007, Liang Shibin from the Domestic Security Division of the Jiangbei District Police Department and other officers went to Mr. Jiang Xing's home claiming that they were there to read the gas meter. When Mr. Jiang opened the door, the officers searched his home and took him to the Wangxiangtai Brainwashing Center. The officers refused to let Mr. Jiang's family know where he was being held. They further threatened his family not to tell others that Mr. Jiang was unlawfully taken into custody.

By the end of December 2007, Mr. Jiang Xing was transferred to the Jiangbei District Detention Center. That is when his family learned where he was.

Ms. Wang Xiuying, 62, was taken into custody by the Hailar Railroad Police Division on December 8, 2006. She was later sentenced to two years of forced labor and held at the Tumuji Forced Labor Camp.

Soon after Ms. Wang was taken into custody, she developed symptoms of severe illnesses. Her right leg is numb, her heartbeat has been above normal, and she also has high blood pressure. Ms. Wang faces danger due to her complications. The labor camp officials have refused to release her. Ms. Wang cannot come downstairs. Her meals have to be brought to her upstairs.

Mr. Zhang Hui is a practitioner who works at the Yunma Factory in Anshun City, Guizhou Province. On September 29, 2007, he was taken into custody while posting Falun Gong truth-clarification materials in Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province. He was later taken to the Sanshui Forced Labor Camp in Guangdong Province to serve an eighteen-month term.

On the morning of January 29, 2008, several practitioners from the Yingchun area were on their way to Yongfeng, Xiangyang, Qinghe, and other forest farms to clarify the truth. They were turned in to the police. Officers from the Yingchun Forestry Police Department took them into custody, including Ms. Wang Huachun and Ms. Mao Shufen, among other practitioners. It has been confirmed that Ms. Zhu Lianxiang, Ms. Wang Huachun, and Ms. Mao Shufen are being held at the Yingchun Forestry Department Detention Center.

On the morning of January 24, 2008, about thirty police officers from the Hepingli Police Station in Beijing went to the Jinkui Decorative Painting Company in District B1 in Dingxingzhuang Village, Heizhuanghu Township, Beijing to conduct a search. The officers took into custody and interrogated Mr. Han Ligang, Ms. Yu Yafang, Ms. Yu Yajing, Ms. Wen Jiaqi, Ms. Chen Jiaolong, and Mr. Liu Dalong at the Hepingli Police Station in Chaoyang District. The officers confiscated a notebook computer and several Falun Dafa books. The police held all employees in custody for 24 hours and suspended the production of the company. Several employees remain in custody. None of the Falun Gong practitioners' whereabouts are known.

Ms. Yang Meiying and Ms. Luan Cuixiang, practitioners in Zhaoyuan City, Shandong Province, are being held at a brainwashing center by the Zhaoyuan City 610 Office. They are under pressure to sign statements against their will, are fed Party propaganda, and are otherwise abused every day.

February 1, 2008

(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:

• Dafa Practitioners' Solemn Statements [9/22/2007]
• Solemn Declarations by Young Dafa Practitioners [9/1/2007]
• Solemn Declarations By People Who Have Awakened to the Truth about Falun Gong [9/23/2007]

Please click here for more Solemn Declarations

(Clearwisdom.net) I am a senior practitioner from Wuxue city, Hubei province in my sixties. Before I started practicing Falun Gong in 1998, I had frontal sinus cancer and paranasal sinus cancer. Meanwhile, I also suffered rheumatism, sciatica, kidney stone, urinary tract infection, lumbar vertebral proliferation and insomnia. My life was truly miserable.

Amidst this suffering, and thinking how to end my life, Falun Dafa was spread to my town. The date of lunar August 27, 1998 was my "Day of rebirth". On that day, I watched Teacher's video lecture for the first time at the home of a practitioner. Before I even started practicing the exercises, Teacher purified my body. I went to the bathroom twice on my way home and felt very well afterwards. Later when I practiced the exercises, I first did the fifth set - the sitting meditation. Ten minutes into my practice, I felt countless Falun spinning in my body. They spun especially fast in the area where I had severe diseases. Twenty minutes later, my head felt very comfortable as if I tasted some natural water or the mint in hot summer. I felt so good. When I finished the fifth exercise forty-five minutes later, all of my diseases had disappeared.

While I was unfolding my legs from the lotus position, I excitedly told other practitioners what had happened. I told them that Teacher cured my diseases. They were all very happy for me and were amazed by the miraculous effect of Dafa. From then on, my vision also improved. I can even read small words.

Now although I am older, I am very healthy. I feel healthier than when I was young.

(Clearwisdom.net) Falun Gong practitioners' righteous thoughts are based on their long-term study of the Fa. The righteous thoughts come from Dafa and from our true selves, and are a manifestation of lives that are improving themselves by letting go of selfishness and letting go of life and death. Through cultivating Dafa, a practitioner discards ordinary human thoughts, common views, and establishes godly thoughts. As human thoughts get fewer and fewer, one will become auspicious and benevolent--seeing clearly the happenings around us with a pure mind and observing the numerous and diverse worldly events in tranquility while not getting involved in them. One will have a joyful feeling of tranquility and happiness. "Dafa Disciples' Righteous Thoughts are Powerful."

When sharing with fellow practitioners, I have occasionally heard such statements as, "Oh, what should I do if I have carsickness?" or "Oh, I can't eat cold food; otherwise, I will have stomach ache" and "My backache is getting worse in winter." Discarding human thoughts is extremely critical for moving towards godhood. When one's own condition "is not good," he should look inside for the reason why. He should think with a calm mind whether he has some incorrect thoughts. Each time a human thought is corrected (that is, a human thought is discarded, and godly thought is established), he is one step closer to becoming a divine being.

Practitioner A, after getting out of prison, told me about many of his experiences in that evil, brutal and dirty environment. He said, "Without righteous thoughts, one cannot walk out of there." He said, "During one period, I felt especially troubled in my mind. I thought that I couldn't go on like this; I must learn the Fa." He quietly asked Master in mind, "Master, I am your disciple and I want to learn the Fa. Please help me." Several days later, when he was on the drill ground, he by chance met a fellow practitioner who was arrested from another city. He asked the fellow practitioner from the other city, "Did you memorize the Fa?" This fellow practitioner wrote down from his memory the poems from Hong Yin and some other of Master's short teachings. Practitioner A then read and memorized one article after another one, and he felt substantially better in his mind. Sometimes, when he woke up in the morning, he naturally recited the article in his mind and felt energetic with a clear mind. He said, "At that time, I only had one thought--of wanting to learn the Fa, and Master helped me so that I could pass through that period with righteous thoughts and deeds."

Practitioner A said, "During one period, I did not feel well and had some symptoms of eliminating sickness karma. I thought that I could not continue like that and that I must do the Falun Gong exercises. Then I started looking for the environment and chances to do the exercises, and Master saw my thought. In several days, the two criminal inmates who were cooking in the cafeteria had a fight and were transferred away. Normally, working in the cafeteria is a lucrative position and inmates could not get a position there even by seeking connections and bribing with presents. However, the management wanted me to go there. I did not realize at the beginning that this was my opportunity, and I did not want to work there after I tried it for only one day. The guards insisted that I must work there. After I started working there, I found that the environment there was very suitable for me to do the exercises. I got up at four o'clock in the morning, started the cooking fire and filled the cooking pots with water. I then started doing the exercises. By about five o'clock, I had completed my exercises, and this is when everybody else woke up."

Practitioner A said with deep feeling, "What does our Master look at? He looks at the thoughts we have. Master does not want anything else from us, he only wants us to have a heart of diligence. Even under that evil and difficult environment, Master created the environment for me to do the Falun Gong exercises. One righteous thought can really bring miracles."

In the prison, the inmates were very defensive against one another; they were afraid of being reported by others. Practitioner A thought, "Are there any predestined people here whom I should help to save? If I run into them, I will explain the truth to them so that they can be saved." After he had this thought, one day two inmates nearby suddenly started arguing about Falun Gong. However, what they said was all from the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) propaganda. Practitioner A thought that the opportunity had come. The two inmates walked toward him while arguing. They said, "You practice Falun Gong. You tell me what the self-immolation, murder and participating in politics is about." The inmates came to look for the truth; they were of course the people to be saved by Master's arrangement. Then practitioner A, with a calm mind, explained to them with reasoning and facts about Falun Gong. He exposed that the CCP, with its wicked tricks, had fabricated lies and rumors to slander Falun Gong. He also told them that believing in Falun Gong can bring them good rewards. Finally, the two inmates walked away happily.

Practitioner A said, "As long as our thoughts are righteous in cultivation and we can come to righteous understanding, Master can do anything for us."

Fellow practitioners, we must treasure our environment and be diligent, and follow our Master to return to our true home.

(Clearwisdom.net) On the first day of the Chinese New Year, I read Teacher's new article entitled "Greetings" on the Internet, and was very shocked. When I read it for the first time I was very grateful to Teacher. Then I copied it down, and shared it with my children, who are also practitioners. I memorized the article during the evening. The following day, I was able to recite it fluently. I am a veteran practitioner who attended Teacher's Fa-lectures in Jinan City. All my family members are practitioners, and I am the one who was least diligent. Over the last ten years or so, I have wasted much precious time for cultivation. I have managed to stay the course this far; however I have not lived up to Teacher's expectations and the benefits that have been bestowed on me.

When reading the new article "Greetings" I felt very ashamed and regretful.

"Fa-rectification is sure to succeed, and Dafa disciples are sure to achieve Consummation."

To a not-so-diligent practitioner like me, the recent article "Greetings" was like receiving a head-on blow. The re-creation of heaven and earth are rapidly coming to a close. Therefore we must awaken and become aware immediately. At the time, as I was realizing my own faults, I also became determined to make the best use of the limited time that left to do the three things well, constantly increase my "mighty virtue" in order to fulfill my great prehistoric vows, make good on the pledges I made and return home with Teacher!

When I began sharing the new article with my children, we found that we all had the same reaction. When each of us read the "Greetings" article we all felt very excited and happy, and the joy came from the bottom of our hearts.

I can imagine the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) operatives trembling with fear when they read "Greetings." It's been nearly nine years since the beginning of the persecution of Falun Gong, which started on July 20, 1999. During this period of time the CCP has created a hell on Earth, and countless kindhearted practitioners have been subjected to inhuman physical and mental torture, to an extent that has never been observed throughout human history. A handful of wretched creatures on Earth thought that by using and controlling the media outlets and the police, they could eliminate Falun Gong. However, the will gods' cannot be resisted.

"What do a handful of wretched creatures above or on the earth amount to?" ("Greetings")

Their actions opposing the will of heaven have created a huge amount of karma, and can also be described as committing monstrous crimes. The old forces and the wretched CCP creatures are facing the extinction of both body and soul. This is the gods' will and an inevitable outcome based on the law that doing good deeds is met with good rewards, and being evil is met with evil returns.

"Greetings" is a compassionate warning to those who have still not awakened and continue to persecute practitioners. Because the CCP has instilled "atheism" in the populace since it came into power, and reinforced it with brainwashing, some people who obstinately cling to the wrong path have willingly become accomplices of the CCP by persecuting practitioners. The CCP's organizations involved in persecuting Falun Gong include the 610 Office, the National Security Bureau, the police and armed police to commit genocide. The new article "Greetings" said,

"When Heaven dictates change, no one can stop it!"

I think the article has sent a clear warning to these people. Starting now you must immediately stop persecuting practitioners! Otherwise you will have much more to regret when the time comes."Greetings" sounds a death knell, announcing the disintegration and elimination of the old forces and the wretched creatures.

"The Fa's rectification of the cosmos and the re-creation of heaven and earth are coming to a close. The reformation of the vast firmament is charging forward rapidly and powerfully."

Those Chinese people who still have not awakened, please take immediate action to quit the CCP, the Youth League and the Young Pioneers, and repeat silently and earnestly "Falun Dafa is good!" "Truthfulness, Compassion, Tolerance are good!" By doing so, you will be protected by deities and Buddhas. You will be an eye-witness to soul-stirring changes, and you will feel so fortunate to have chosen the right path.

(Clearwisdom.net)

I believed in Buddhism and Taoism when I was very young, and marriage reinforced my belief that life has its extraordinary mysteries. Although my work and family were satisfactory, I was not happy. I worried a lot and often shed tears alone for no reason. I thought that I should have another kind of life, as too many questions in my mind were left unsolved. With all the unanswered questions I converted to Buddhism, hoping to find answers to my questions. But after several years of groping in Buddhism, I didn't find anything.

I saw the book Zhuan Falun at a colleague's house at a time when I was perplexed and desperately seeking answers. I took the book home and finished reading it in one day. I sensed a great power encouraging me to upgrade my moral standard. It gave me courage to return to my true self in this immoral and corrupt society. I am so immensely grateful for Great Master, who took me out of Hell and guided me back home when I was lost in this world. Tears come to my eyes whenever I think of this.

I experienced the the joy of practicing and cultivating after I obtained Dafa in January 1999. I went to Fa-study every night, studying the Fa and sharing experiences in cultivation. Most of the practitioners in this Fa-study group were veteran practitioners who could sit cross-legged in the full lotus position for an hour. I was worried about my own situation, so after going back home, whenever I had time I sat in the lotus position. I crossed my legs when I read books or while I helped my child do his homework. I filled a bag with books and placed it on the top of my legs when sat in the lotus position. I set a time and determined that I would not uncross my legs before time was up. In the final ten minutes, the pain was unbearable. It felt like my legs were broken and I burst into tears. My husband and my child heard me sobbing so they ran into the room to see what happened to me. Indeed, sitting in the lotus position had been a barrier preventing me from fully practicing the sitting meditation, and I was determined to do it well.

Six months later I went to the countryside to spread the Fa and to participate in a Fa-study experience sharing conference. My mind was purified in the Fa. Under the guidance of Great Master, I didn't lag behind due to my lateness in obtaining the Fa. I transcribed the Fa every night when I returned home from group Fa-study. Before the persecution started on July 20, 1999, I had transcribed Zhuan Falun once, Essentials for Further Advancement once and memorized Hong Yin from cover to cover, all of which laid a good foundation for my future cultivation.

The persecution of Dafa started six months after I began to practice. I was determined to stick to Dafa since the day I began practicing, so I was not deceived by the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) propaganda and I strongly believed that my choice to practice Dafa was right. I felt sad for my Great Master being attacked and slandered so unreasonably. Because I refused to renounce Dafa, I was forced to stop working and write reflections on my "mistakes." In late September 1999, two practitioners and I went to Beijing determined to appeal for Falun Gong. We were illegally arrested and detained for more than two months before being released to return home.

For eight years on the cultivation path, every Dafa disciple has endured the evil persecution. All the trials and tribulations have made us even more mature. All Dafa disciples are making good on the pledges they made and are fulfilling their own prehistoric great vows by clarifying the truth and saving sentient beings.

One day in Fa-study I read in the Third Talk,

"...since I'm among ordinary people, I am doing something intentional, saving people, and my mind is on saving people. But how still were their minds? So still it was scary. It wouldn't have been a big deal with just one person that still, but with four or five people sitting there, and all of them that still, like a pond of still water, there was nothing... I tried to feel them but I couldn't. During those days I really felt discomfort. I had that kind of sense. It was something most people couldn't imagine and couldn't feel--it was completely nonaction and it was empty."

A sense of duty suddenly came to me. I understood the importance of what Great Master told us about saving sentient beings. There's no way for me to be indifferent and listless. I quickly gathered together with several fellow practitioners and shared my understanding with them. Our righteous thoughts were reinforced after sharing and we better understood how heavy the load was on our shoulders and how sacred our cultivation road is. Thereafter we committed ourselves to validating Dafa, fulfilling our holy mission to assist Master to verify Dafa and save people.

In late 2005 the supply of truth-clarification materials was scarce because the large materials production sites had been destroyed several times and the practitioners running them had been arrested. My husband (also a Dafa practitioner) said to me, "Let's buy a computer and printer and make the materials ourselves." The same idea had come to me too. Maybe that is my prehistoric vow. I had found Dafa and it's Great Master that saved me. I'm supposed to do what Dafa requires of me, unconditionally. Thereafter we took the responsibility to supply truth-clarification materials to our local fellow practitioners.

Neither of us knew much about computers except how to turn them on and off. After we got all the equipment ready, a fellow practitioner taught us, as patiently if he were teaching elementary students. He taught us step by step and we wrote down one item after another and then operated it exactly as we had been taught. At the beginning we didn't know how to surf the Internet. It was not convenient for fellow practitioners to exchange information on discs every week and the materials we made had a lot of limitations. Later, we learned how to access the Internet with our fellow practitioner's help. Now we can make truth-clarification materials all by ourselves and fix the common issues of the computer. What's more, we learned how to cherish the machine. After all, it is a tool to save people. The process of studying how to operate a computer and how to make truth-clarification materials is also a process to upgrade one's xinxing and to let go of human attachments.

We are responsible for sending out the list of names of people quitting the CCP. Sometimes we get hundreds of names, and every time we verify them carefully. We do not miss a single one or make a mistake with any one. Some of the practitioners' handwriting is very hard to read, and so the two of us go over it carefully. Sometimes we have to find the person who supplied the names for help if we cannot identify the name. Behind each name are the great efforts and hard work of fellow practitioners. We have no reason or right to handle this carelessly.

Words cannot convey my gratitude to Great Master. I believe that every Dafa disciple realizes that Master has given us so much over these eight years of stormy cultivation practice. I feel deeply that time in our human lives doesn't belong to us any more. It is the time Master has given Dafa disciples to save sentient beings. It's my duty and responsibility to save more people in the limited time remaining.

(Clearwisdom.net) Because I was persecuted for practicing Falun Dafa, my husband divorced me. For the last two years, I have been harassed constantly by the police, and I realized that it was because my dimensional field was not pure enough. During my cultivation, the more pure I was, the less harassment I suffered. Eventually, there was basically no more harassment.

I recently received a text message from someone telling me that he was out of town, and that he would be back for the Chinese New Year and he wanted to visit me. I knew that he did not get along with his wife very well, so I replied, "It would be better if you sent this message to your wife." Several days later, he sent me a very common text message of new year greetings. I know that if I replied, he would probably ask about visiting me again. Should I meet with him? I knelt in front of Master's photo and thought it over quietly.

I thought that first of all, I should determine whether it is part of my path arranged by Master. The path that Master arranges for me is for saving sentient beings and validating the Fa. If it is Master who arranged for me to save him, is it possible for us to meet during the night? Is it possible for him, a person who does not get along well with his wife, to come to my (a single woman's) house at night? If my path is awry, then the old forces will make use of the loophole and keep him from learning the truth. So, if it is not Master's arrangement, then it is interference from the old forces.

When I thought about in that manner, I decided to send forth righteous thoughts. I thought, "I am a Dafa disciple. The old forces do not deserve to control an ordinary person to test me. The old forces are not allowed to persecute sentient beings or to do anything that interferes with a Dafa disciple's cultivation. If this person needs me to save him, I will save him openly, using more wisdom. The way should be in accordance with the ordinary people's principles. Let me completely eliminate the interference and persecution of Dafa disciples." After I sent forth righteous thoughts, I replied with a polite text message of new year's greetings.

Later, when I looked inward, I found there were some loopholes in my xinxing. That is, I was measuring his character with everyday people's notions. I was thinking, "He is simple, honest, humorous and kindhearted. I feel sympathy that his wife does not treat him well." These notions are filled with emotion. If I have emotions, I will be affected by them.

I realize that as a woman, I longed to have a good marriage, and to be understood and protected. I am lured by the dream of a harmonious relationship between a couple. These are attachments that I should try to take lightly and further let them go. If I still have any of these human notions, the old forces will make use of them, and magnify them. If I am interfered with by emotions, then I could not see things from the Fa. I will not know if I am on a forked road, and could slowly walk further away until I am dragged down.

Dafa is sacred. As Dafa disciples who validate Dafa in the human world, we should let the sentient beings know how noble and pure Dafa is. If we are reluctant to let go of our attachments, or there is an attachment that goes unnoticed, then the sentient beings may have a bad impression of Dafa. It is not a matter of whether we could cultivate to consummation. Instead, it is about whether a huge number of people can be saved. Cultivation is very serious. It is very urgent to save human beings. I hope any practitioners who have these kinds of problems will awaken.

February 6, 2008

(Clearwisdom.net)

When I clarified the truth, some people have told me, "Now the government has basically stopped saying anything about Falun Gong. It means that the government has already admitted its mistakes. That should be enough. Do you really want the government to offer a public apology? That has never happened." Others said, "Everybody knows that the Communist Party is bad and hopeless. You want to reason with it? It turns hostile to you. I have learned too many lessons at my age. The Communist Party is sure not easy to deal with."

When sharing with fellow practitioners, we all understand that other people are afraid of the control the evil Party has. They may clench their teeth and berate the Communist regime, but it can be very difficult to persuade them to withdraw from the Party. Some people took the advice and decided to withdraw from the Party in the morning but they withdrew their decision in the afternoon, because they were afraid that Communist regime agents would cause them trouble later on. It can be seen that living under the control of the CCP, people's fear is deeply rooted. To awaken their conscience we need to use wisdom and be patient. Doing things with undue haste or giving up the effort to save them is not the attitude that Falun Gong practitioners should have. As practitioners following Master in the Fa-rectification period, we should send righteous thoughts to eliminate the barriers and save lives with benevolence.

Practitioner A said, "I know that sending forth righteous thoughts is very effective. One time when I wanted to distribute truth clarification materials, there were four to five people chatting by the building entrance. I found a place nearby and sat down. I sent forth a righteous thought, "Let them go do whatever they're suppose to do and not interfere with me." I also asked Master for strength. Fifteen minutes later, I went back and they were all gone. There were also several other times that, as long as I remembered to send forth righteous thoughts, it was effective."

Practitioner B said, "Last year while my older brother was loading a truck, he was knocked off the truck by a crane clasp. He fell to the ground head first and lost consciousness. He was taken to the hospital for emergency treatment. Our family members were anxious but did not know what to do. I told them to think, 'Falun Dafa is good' and 'Truthfulness-Benevolence-Tolerance is good' in their minds, and I asked Master to save my brother. At the same time I also sent forth righteous thoughts. Three days later my brother woke up. After three months he was completely recovered. My brother told me afterwards, 'I could hear when you called me, but I could not move. I heard the two phrases you said and I also concentrated on the two phrases ('Falun Dafa is good' and 'Truthfulness-Benevolence-Tolerance is good') in my mind. I sincerely thank Master Li for saving me. I also sincerely thank practitioners for helping me continuously eliminate those bad things.'"

Practitioner C said, "One afternoon when I came home, I saw a group of people nailing propaganda signs praising the evil Party to the wall of my house. Each of the signs was about one square meter. I disliked what they were doing very much and said to them, 'Who told you to install the signs? They are so dark and ugly. Remove them quickly, otherwise I will talk to your boss.' As soon as I got back in my home, I sent forth righteous thoughts to eliminate the evil CCP spirit behind them and make them unable to install the signs. I also asked Master to strengthen me. Half an hour later I went out to take a look and saw that they were removing the signs from my walls. I thanked Master in my mind."

I came to understand that the thoughts practitioners have when encountering situations ought to be righteous and that a practitioner should remember to send forth righteous thoughts. Actually, as long as a practitioner has the wish, Master is doing everything. As long as the practitioner pays attention to sending forth righteous thoughts, the righteous thoughts will be powerful. If every practitioner can have righteous thoughts and cooperate with other practitioners, leaving no chance for the evils to recover, the evils will disintegrate right away.

The key to sending forth righteous thoughts well is to learn the Fa well. To do the three things, Master asked us to work with one another, and none of the three things should be neglected. As Falun Gong practitioners we should do all the three things well. When facing the evil with righteous thoughts, one should also handle the situation with wisdom. Wisdom also comes from the Fa. Now is the critical period and to save lives with all means possible is the biggest thing for Falun Gong practitioners to do. Time is passing quickly. Everyone, please treasure the critical moment. The opportunities, once passed, will not return!

My understanding is limited. If fellow practitioners find anything improper, please point it out.

February 1, 2008

(Clearwisdom.net) Zhao Bian was from the Qu County of Zhejiang Province during the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD). He passed the national exam to become a government official when he was at the young age of 27. He served during three regimes: Emperor Ren, Emperor Ying, and Emperor Shen. He was well known for being upright, generous with the people, and careful with his own conduct,.

When Zhao was the General Secretary of the Royal Court, he was devoted to his job and responsibilities. He was said to be "fearless of those in power" and spoke with authority, and was nicknamed "Iron-Faced General Secretary."Emperor Ren appointed Chen Xu, who was a sycophant, to be the vice premier. Zhao immediately wrote a letter to the Emperor and pointed out that Chen "lied to the Emperor, took advantage of his public post for personal interest, and only tried to please those around the Emperor." When the Emperor ignored his letter, Zhao wrote 17 more letters in the next few months to explain the principles of ruling a country and hiring officials, to list evidence of Chen's corruption, and to persuade the Emperor that having Chen in that post would result in disasters for the country. He kept writing until Emperor Ren fired Chen.

Zhao always put the public's interest first. When discussing policy, Fan Zhen, another official, often debated with Zhao. Most people thought the two did not get along. Once, Emperor Shen openly criticized Fan for his errors. The Emperor then asked the other officials about their opinions of Fan. Zhao said, "Fan is very loyal."The Emperor asked, "How do you know?" Zhao said, "When Emperor Ren was ill in bed, Fan was the first to advise the Emperor to name a crown prince, to settle the public's anxiety. It took the emperor 100 days to approve Fan's proposal. The delay made Fan so anxious that all his hair and beard turned white. Isn't he a loyal official?" After leaving the Royal Court, another official asked Zhao, "Fan is always opposing you. Why did you speak in his favor?" Zhao said, "Our debates are for the interest of the public, not our self interests. How could I put my self interest ahead of that of the public?"

Later in his life, Zhao was demoted to a post in a local government because he did not agree with certain powerful politicians. However, Zhao did not mind his demotion and was devoted to serving his people. He was very honest and frugal. Whenever he traveled, he always went on a horse by himself, only carrying his zither and a crane. That's why today, the expression, "one zither and one crane" is often used to refer to an honest official. When he was posted in central Sichuan Province, he founded many schools and focused on education. He often taught classes himself. As a result of his good leadership, the people of central Sichuan Province were content, and many residents of neighboring areas moved to central Sichuan. Before Zhao became the administrator of Qingzhou, Qingzhou suffered from a drought and a locust plague. After Zhao's arrival, there was a great wind that blew all the locusts into a river, and rain began to fall. People all said this was a result of Zhao's virtue.

Zhao's honesty was reflected in his conduct as a person and as an official. Every evening, he prayed to the heavens and examined the things he did that day. He believed in Buddhas his whole life. He also told others to do good deeds, be diligent in pursuing the Tao, and cultivate virtue to keep a kind heart. He understood that the true purpose of this life is to return to one's original, true self.

• Download all files in this package (zip)

Feb. 11

• Ms. Li Li Persecuted in Jiangsu Province Women's Forced Labor Camp

On March 19, 2007, police arrested Ms. Li. She suffered severe persecution for refusing to renounce Falun Gong and is currently detained in the Jiangsu Province Women's Forced Labor Camp; she has been on a hunger strike for more than 15 days. Her physical condition is very weak.

• Three Falun Gong Practitioners Including Ms. Lu Xueqin Detained at Liaoyuan Road Police Station, Qingdao City, Shandong Province

Feb. 12

• "Restricted Rooms" Used to Torture Falun Gong Practitioners at Heizuizi Women's Forced Labor Camp

The authorities at Heizuizi Women's Forced Labor Camp in Changchun send Falun Gong practitioners to "restricted rooms" in attempts to force them to write the so-called guarantee statement. In the room, the practitioenr is restricted to the wooden bed with handcuffs and specially-manufactured leather belts, had to relieve herself on the bed and not allowed to clean herself.

• Six Falun Gong Practitioners from Acheng District of Harbin City Arrested in January

On January 24-26, 2008, six Falun Gong practitioners from Acheng District, Harbin City were illegally arrested. This was another series of arrests after five practitioners were arrested on December 26, 2007.

Feb. 13

• Mr. Liu Qingyu in His 70s Suffers Mental Breakdown from Torture at the 2nd Labor Camp in Shandong Province

After Mr Liu was arrested in November, 2007, his family could not get consistent information from the authorities as to his condition and location. According to independent reports Mr Liu is in a labor camp and has suffered a mental collapse.

Feb. 14

• Falun Gong practitioners Force-Fed Drugs, Exposed to Swarms of Mosquitoes at the 2nd Women's Prison in Yunnan Province

A recently released practitioner reveals the living conditions and persecution methods used at the 2nd Women's Prison in Yunnan Province. Regular criminal inmates are encouraged to abuse Falun Gong practitioners.

• Tortures at Tilanqiao Prison in Shanghai (Illustrations)

Certain wards of Tilanqiao Prison are set up specifically for torture. The prison even manufactures and sells a specially made, painful to sit upon stool that prisoners are made to sit upon for long periods.

Feb. 16

• Psychiatric Hospital Used as a Tool for Persecuting Falun Gong Practitioners

An account of four Falun Gong practitioners from different backgrounds who have been kept in a psychiatric hospital and abused while not suffering from menntal illness.

Feb. 17

• Mr. Huang Fujun Tortured to Death, His Family Seeks Justice to No Avail

Falun Gong practitioners Mr. Huang Fujun was tortured to death by the police in Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province. Ignoring the evidence, local CCP authorities claimed Mr. Huang died of suicide. His family tried to sue the police, but there is nowhere for them to find justice.

• Torture, Brainwashing and Slave Labor at Nanmusi Women's Forced Labor Camp in Sichuan Province

• Falun Gong practitioners Enslaved at Qianjin Forced Labor Camp in Harbin City

At Qianjing Forced Labor Camp in Harbin City, Falun Gong practitioners were enslaved to make product in horrible hygienic conditions from 6am and 8pm. Some of the product are output to overseas markets.

Clearwisdom.net and its Chinese-language sister-website (minghui.ca) provide first-hand reports about the horrors of the persecution of Falun Gong in China. Dozens of reports are received every day from the victims of torture, the wrongfully imprisoned, and families crippled by the senseless hardship and grief for their loved ones imposed by the persecution. In contrast, the websites also report positive news and events from the more than 80 countries around the world where Falun Gong is practiced, and serve as an online forum for practitioners to share stories of the good things Falun Gong has brought to their lives. For more information, please contact editor@clearwisdom.net.

The Clearwisdom Review is a weekly newsletter, which highlights current information about the persecution, practitioners' activities worldwide, and the benefits of Falun Dafa. The purpose of the newsletter is to provide current and updated information about Falun Dafa in a brief and easily accessible format. Through new articles each week, the newsletter will strive to provide a balance of coverage on a range of topics relevant to Falun Gong. The newsletter can be downloaded in PDF format for viewing or distribution.

Download Clearwisdom Review 2008 Issue 3:

PDF Format (0.2 MB)

Table of Contents

• Two Practitioners Die after Enduring Years of Persecution
• Falun Gong Practitioners Gain Political Asylum in South Korea for the First Time
• My Psoriasis Was Cured after Practicing Falun Gong
• San Diego Professor:"My heart was carried away with the Erhu Music!"
• Introduction to Falun Dafa
• About Clearwisdom