(Minghui.org) Since early 2024, the Guangdong Province authorities have been using a newly opened high security prison to hold Falun Gong practitioners illegally detained for their spiritual belief.

Most of the practitioners were initially held in the 13th Division of Sihui Prison, but in recent years have been transferred to the 4th Division of the new prison, Huicheng Prison (located in Sihui City). The practitioners there have been subjected to physical abuse and brainwashing and they are forbidden to recount details of their persecution to anyone.

Huicheng Prison was opened on July 1, 2021. It was designed as a maximum security prison to hold inmates sentenced to 15 years or longer, serving a death sentence with reprieve, or convicted of serious and violent crimes. The authorities spent over 60 million yuan fortifying the prison. Beginning in 2024, they started taking in Falun Gong practitioners convicted for their faith.

Huicheng Prison has a “Cult Office,” which is responsible for planning the brainwashing sessions of Falun Gong practitioners. In late 2024, the “Cult Office” redesigned the 4th Division, turning a small lawn area into a “Labor Skills Training Base;” the library on the second floor into a “Psychological Counseling Room;” the workshop, warehouse and office behind the atrium on the third floor into the “Reading Room,” “Psychological Correction Room,” and “Police Analysis Room,” respectively; and the meeting room on the fourth floor into the “[Chinese Communist] Party Building Office.”

In addition, Rooms 02, 04, and 06 on the fourth floor were turned into “Conversation Rooms” and Rooms 07, 09, and 11 became the “Anti-collision Rooms.”

Currently, the warden of Huicheng Prison is Liao Qunfei and the deputy warden is Wang Jinhua. Liao was the director of the Prison Administration Department of the Guangdong Provincial Prison Administration Bureau and former deputy warden of Sihui Prison. Wang also worked at Sihui Prison before coming to Huicheng Prison.

Other leaders at Huicheng Prison include Liu Junjiang, Li Yuefeng, Yuan Guichang, Su Jinjun, Qiao Wei, Cheng Cunqing, and Deng Huakuang. Both Su and Yuan were transferred from Sihui Prison. Additionally, Xu Jianbin is the deputy director of the Political Department, Li Peizhong is the union chairman, and Li Baoze is the deputy director of the 4th Division.

Four Practitioners in Custody

Mr. Chen Hongyuan, of Jieyang City, was arrested at a private residence on June 14, 2020 while reading Falun Gong books with other practitioners. He was beaten while being held at the Jieyang City Detention Center. He held a hunger strike to protest the persecution and was hospitalized in September 2020 after he became very weak. He was sentenced to nine years and fined 80,000 yuan by the Jiedong District Court in late 2020. Mr. Chen appealed with the Jieyang City Intermediate Court, which ruled against him on March 18, 2021. He was taken to Sihui Prison on September 11, 2021 and was later transferred to Huicheng Prison.

Mr. Guan Yibo, 55, of Shenzhen City, was arrested on May 30, 2019 for using a portable wifi server to send information about Falun Gong to passengers’ cell phones. The Nanshan District Court held a video hearing on March 19, 2021. The judge sentenced Mr. Guan to eight years with a 5,000-yuan fine on July 28. His appeal was denied by the Shenzhen City Intermediate Court on September 18. He was admitted to Sihui Prison at the end of 2021 and was then transferred to Huicheng Prison.

Mr. Zeng Xingyang

Mr. Zeng Xingyang, a 51-year-old teacher in Guangzhou City, was arrested at his teaching studio on the morning of April 9, 2021. While ransacking his home, the police barred his then 4-year-old son and 74-year-old father from entering the apartment building. The family later learned that the police had arrested Mr. Zeng after suspecting him of making Falun Gong calendars. They had surveilled him for a year before making the arrest. A calendar stand and hanging rod confiscated from his home were used as “prosecution evidence.”

The Tianhe District Procuratorate approved Mr. Zeng’s arrest on May 17, 2021. He was tried by the Haizhu District Court on October 21, 2021 and was sentenced to five years with a 10,000-yuan fine on August 9, 2022. He was taken to Sihui Prison in early April 2023 and transferred to Huicheng Prison in January 2024.

Mr. Xie Yujun, 57, from Xingning City, was arrested on April 25, 2024 and sentenced to five years with a 70,000-yuan fine on December 20, 2024 by the Meixian District Court. He was first taken to Sihui Prison at the beginning of May 2025 and then transferred to the 4th Division of Huicheng Prison days later on May 7, 2025. He and other detained Falun Gong practitioners were tortured and forced to watch propaganda materials.

Six Practitioners Who Have Been Released

Mr. Liang Shunjing, 64, of Meizhou City, was arrested on December 11, 2015 and taken to the Meijiang District Detention Center. As a result of abuse in custody, he developed three huge tumors. He was sentenced to ten years and three months on March 29, 2016, and taken to Sihui Prison on August 23, 2016. He was later transferred to Huicheng Prison and released on medical parole in June 2024.

Mr. Wu Chunxiong, 39, who owned a small company in Jiexi County, Jieyang City, was arrested on May 22, 2017. The police had been monitoring him for some time after discovering Falun Gong-related information on his company’s WeChat account (WeChat is China’s largest social media platform, and is strictly monitored by the Chinese government). Prior to the arrest, Mr. Wu’s company experienced Internet outages, and some employees noticed plainclothes officers outside their offices.

After his arrest, Mr. Wu was forced to shut down his business operation, and many of his personal belongings were confiscated. He was tried by the Rongcheng District Court on March 19, 2019 and sentenced to 8.5 years with a 60,000-yuan fine in May 2019. He appealed to the Jieyang City Intermediate Court, which ruled to uphold his original verdict on July 25, 2019. He was taken to Sihui Prison in August 2019 and was later transferred to Huicheng Prison. He was released on September 21, 2024.

Mr. Huang Shengwei, a 53-year-old accountant in Shanwei City, was arrested on April 9, 2020, while studying Falun Gong teaching with other practitioners. He was sentenced to 5.5 years with a 20,000-yuan fine by the Shanwei City Court in January 2022. He was taken to Sihui Prison and was later transferred to Huicheng Prison. He was released in April 2025.

Mr. Zeng Jiageng

Mr. Zeng Jiageng, an 82-year-old former senior engineer in Guangzhou City, was arrested on July 10, 2019, after the police accused him of using his phone as a hot spot to spread information about Falun Gong. He was tried by the Haizhu District Court on August 17 and September 23, 2020. The judge sentenced Mr. Zeng to five years with a 10,000-yuan fine on July 28, 2021. He appealed to the Guangzhou City Intermediate Court, but lost. He was taken to Sihui Prison in December 2021 and was then transferred to Huicheng Prison. He was released on June 29, 2024.

Mr. Chen Hualiang

Mr. Chen Hualiang, of Huizhou City, was arrested at another practitioner’s home-based private school on May 11, 2021. The police initially charged them with engaging in “illegal business.” As the authorities couldn’t find enough evidence to support the charge, they changed it to “undermining law enforcement with a cult organization,” the standard pretext used to prosecute Falun Gong practitioners. The Falun Gong books confiscated from the practitioners were then used as prosecution evidence against them. Mr. Chen was sentenced to four years and fined 20,000 yuan by the Boluo County Court on October 27, 2022. He was first taken to Sihui Prison and then to Huicheng Prison. He was released on February 18, 2025.

Mr. Lin Zicheng, 72, of Shantou City, placed two Falun Gong pamphlets on a car in a residential neighborhood on July 28, 2020. A residential committee staff member reported it to the police, resulting in Mr. Lin’s arrest hours later. He was released on bail on August 18 after developing a medical condition induced by abuse at the local detention center. Despite his medical condition, Mr. Lin was made to stand trial in the Jinping District Court in late 2021 and was sentenced to 3.5 years with a 10,000-yuan fine. He appealed to the Shantou City Intermediate Court, which ruled to uphold his original sentence on January 17, 2022. He was first admitted to Sihui Prison in May 2022 and was then transferred to Huicheng Prison. He was released on October 31, 2024.