Author Dr. Yan Mingxia Arrested for Promoting Traditional Chinese Culture

Dr. Yan Mingxia was arrested by officers from Liwan Police Station in Guangzhou City on May 2nd, 2014 for sharing her Shen Yun Performing Arts DVD. Her computer and personal belongings were taken, and she has been detained in the Liwan District Detention Centre.

Born into a Miao ethnic family in Tongren, Guizhou Province in 1968, Dr. Yan Mingxia is a Deputy Division Officer of the Guangdong Province Union Association. She also holds a position at Guizhou Ethnic University and is an associate researcher in Ethnic Studies.

Shen Yun Performing Arts, a New York-based classical Chinese dance company, aims to revive 5,000 years of Chinese culture through performing arts. Many overseas Chinese recognise the company as a cultural wonder as it transcends barriers of language, culture, and ethnic groups and brings the nearly-lost authentic Chinese culture to life on stage.

Dr. Yan strives to promote traditional Chinese culture. Her efforts to introduce Shen Yun drew the attention of the Chinese Communist Party, which led to her being arrested.

Please help Dr. Yan Mingxia return to her work.

Background:

Dr. Yan Mingxia received her Ph.D degree in Literature from Sichuan University in 2010. She did research on Literary and Artistic Aesthetics. The courses she has taught include “Studies of Culture Industry,” and “Chinese Modern Literary.”

Dr. Yan is very passionate about Chinese culture. She specialised in Paper Cutting, Chinese Yue Opera and the Lingnan Painting School. Her articles have been published in major magazines.

Dr. Yan Mingxia is the author of “Art of Paper Cutting (Guangdong Paper Cutting).” Comprehensively researched and verified, it thoroughly tells the origin of Foshan Paper Cutting, its characteristics and relation to the Yue Opera and other Lingnan Art, and the industrialisation process. She hopes her book will help preserve China's precious cultural heritage and awaken people's passion for China's traditional culture.