Australia: Local Government Hosts Painting Exhibition for Traditional Chinese Painter and Falun Gong Practitioner Zhang Cuiying

An art exhibition by Chinese traditional painter and Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Cuiying Zhang was held at the Blacktown Art Centre in Sydney on January 27. The organiser of the exhibition, Public Relations Director Mr. Leighton Farrell of the Blacktown government, hosted the opening ceremony.

Mayor Kelly gives opening speech	Falun Gong practitioners demonstrate exercises

The Mayor of Blacktown, Mr. Leo Kelly, Ms. Zhang and other guests made speeches at the meeting. After the speeches, Falun Gong practitioners demonstrated the five sets of exercises.

In her speech, Ms. Zhang said that before she learned Falun Dafa, she had severe arthritis in many joints. She could hardly eat or walk, much less paint. After practising Falun Gong, she regained her health and continued her life as an artist. Dafa gave her a second life, so when Jiang's regime began persecuting Falun Gong, she went to China in hopes of helping to stop it. But she was put into jail for eight months, where she suffered from being beaten up, tortured and humiliated with inhuman methods.

The Director of Public Relations of the City of Blacktown said that this art exhibition was part of the city's promotion of cultural diversity. Though Ms. Zhang was persecuted in China for practising Falun Gong, she has all the rights of an Australian citizen.

Ms. Zhang exhibited over 30 paintings. The exhibition is scheduled to go on for two weeks and will end on February 12. Two local newspapers, the Blacktown Advocate and City Sun, interviewed her.