Taiwan: Zhang Cuiying's Art Exhibit Well Received in Tainan

An international Art Exhibit by Australian artist Zhang Cuiying was held at the Art Gallery of the Tainan Municipal Library from December 26, 2003, to January 1, 2004. The Mayor of Tainan, two city councillors and the Library Director went to her art exhibit and extended their greetings.

Ms. Zhang Cuiying presents one of her paintings as a gift to the Mayor.	The Mayor and the Council Chair at the art exhibit
Ms. Zhang signs her autograph for the public.	People at the art exhibit

Ms. Zhang is a Falun Dafa practitioner. Before practicing Falun Dafa, she had severe arthritis, which made it impossible for her to continue painting. She recovered by practicing Falun Dafa and resumed her art career.

Jiang's regime launched the persecution of Falun Dafa in China in 1999. Ms. Zhang went to China to appeal for Falun Dafa but ended up being imprisoned for eight months where she swallowed all kinds of insults and torture. With the Australian government and public’s help, she eventually regained her freedom. Having experienced the agony of the persecution, Ms. Zhang decided to do her best to help her fellow Falun Dafa practitioners in China. In the past two years, she has brought her artwork to over one hundred cities in more than forty countries. Through her art exhibitions, she has told more and more people about Falun Dafa and the persecution of Falun Dafa practitioners in China.

At the opening ceremony for the art exhibit, Mayor Xu expressed his admiration for Ms. Zhang's spirit of the Falun Dafa principle of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance, which she has relied upon during the over two hundreds days of misery. He said that Ms. Zhang's beautiful and refined paintings were like blossoms after snow storms and they symbolized the artist's noble character. The peacefulness and happiness portrayed in her paintings were calming and comforting.

Ms. Zhang created a painting of rich peonies at the exhibit as a gift to the Mayor to thank him for his support of Falun Dafa and to express her best wishes to people in Tainan.

A press conference and a forum were held jointly with the art exhibit. Reporters, local artists and residents took these opportunities to learn more about the cultivation practice of Falun Dafa.

Ms. Zhang was very moved by the warm response of the Tainan city government and public. She said, "There is such a big difference, though we are all ethnic Chinese. I was tortured both mentally and physically for saying ‘Falun Dafa is great.' But across the strait in Tainan, I see people enjoy the freedom of practicing the Falun Dafa exercises with the government's support. They enjoy good health and happy lives. I hope the people in Mainland China will regain their freedom to practice Falun Dafa someday."