Lithuania: Zhang Cui Ying’s Art Exhibition in Vilnius

On the afternoon of March 10th, 2003, Zhang Cui Ying's art exhibition opened in the UNESCO exhibition hall in downtown Vilnius.

Zhang Cui Ying is a Falun Gong practitioner and traditional Chinese painter, who was invited by the Lithuanian National Commission for UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) to display a 5-day art exhibition.

Before the opening of the exhibition, Lithuanian National TV interviewed Ms. Zhang Cui Ying for about 30 minutes. Ms. Zhang described the features of traditional Chinese painting and commented that the basis for creating a beautiful painting was to cultivate one’s mind and to elevate one’s morality. The reporter and the cameraman took a deep interest in the painter’s artistic achievments and her art with the cameraman taking close-ups of each painting and using the Dafa music, Pu Du as the background music for their broadcast.

At 5 p.m. about 100 people attended the opening, including local media, embassy officials, dignitaries, officials from National Cultural Education Department as well as famous artists. Delightful and passionate speeches were made at the opening. In her speech, Zhang Cui Ying emphasised that to live by the principles of
“Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance”, to cultivate one’s mind and to elevate one's morality was the spirit of artistic creation.

After the opening, people waited in line for the painter’s signature and inscription. There were also some waiting patiently to have their photo taken with the painter. Others enquired about Falun Gong and what cultivation was.

During the 5-day exhibition, thousands of visitors flocked to the exhibition hall, including one person who had downloaded Zhuan Falun [the main text of Falun Gong] and who read it several times. This 'new practitioner' came to the exhibition everyday to learn the Falun Gong exercises and later one he helped to hand out leaflets and give explanations to visitors at the exhibition.

On the second last day of the exhibition, practitioners found that they had forgotten to send a letter and materials to the Lithuanian president. However, the practitioners had to return home the following day and had no time to send the materials. This 'new practitioner' said, “Let me take care of that. I will send them to the president.” The seeds of Falun Dafa have already begun to grow in Lithuania.

During the 5-day exhibition, there were various groups attending the exhibition. Many representatives of which talked to Zhang Cui Ying. Several organisations invited the artist to display another art exhibition in Lithuania, including the Lithuanian library, Against Racial Genocide and Slaughter. Two sponsors came to the exhibition with deep concern and interest. They said that next time not only could the paintings be exhibited but also photographs of persecuted practitioners could be displayed so that Lithuanian people could understand the true facts of Falun Gong. On Saturday night, March 15th, Lithuanian National TV Station broadcast the interview with Zhang Cui Ying.

Before leaving Lithuania, Zhang Cui Ying wrote a letter to the Chinese Ambassador and his wife. In the letter, Ms. Zhang told them about the lawsuit against Jiang Zemin for committing genocide and slaughtering. She also told them about the international organisation to investigate the persecution of Falun Gong and that the investigation has already begun. Zhang sincerely asked them to treat Falun Gong with compassion.

The 5-day art exhibition successfully came to an end. Just as the audience said, “the paintings of Zhang Cui Ying brought the breeze of ‘Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance’ to Lithuania and planted the seeds of Falun Dafa in the minds of Lithuanian people.”

Chinese version available at http://www.yuanming.net/articles/200303/18447.html