Switzerland: Zhang Cuiying’s Art Exhibition in Switzerland

After Zhang Cuiying’s art exhibition in Brugg Secondary School, Switzerland, came to an end on May the 3rd, another exhibition opened in Switzerland at Fribourg University. Swiss practitioners sent out invitation letters to various people in advance. When Dai Zhizhen and local practitioners went to speak to the media, they also invited them to the exhibition. The Freiburger Nachrichten newspaper took the lead in reporting details of the art exhibition and the story of Ms Zhang, a Falun Gong practitioner who was persecuted in China by Jiang Zemin's political regime. Another two media outlets reported on the exhibition, as well as giving a positive account of Falun Gong.

As the media had reported on the coming exhibition, many people from other cities were attracted and arrived by train in an endless stream. Amongst them were lecturers, teachers, university students and people from all walks of life. Dafa practitioners clarified the truth and handed out information with flyers and Video-CDs non-stop to everyone.

Many people were fascinated and came to watch Ms Zhang drawing a huge picture entitled “Heavenly Deities Showering Flowers”. Ms Zhang explained how she previously lost her ability to draw due to illness. It was Falun Gong that gave her a second life and enabled her to once again take up her brush. However, when this peaceful practice was suppressed by the Jiang regime in China, Ms Zhang was arrested and imprisoned for eight months simply because she spoke up for Falun Gong. Participants gasped in admiration at the Ms Zhang's paintings and were full of sympathy when they heard about her experience and the persecution of Falun Gong. Some immediately signed the petition supporting Falun Gong. Others liked the values of “Truth, Compassion, Forbearance” taught by Falun Gong and asked practitioners who knew calligraphy to write the words “Life needs truth, compassion, forbearance” as a memento. What made us especially happy was that those university students who understood the truth in turn told their classmates who did not know about it yet. When students from the law faculty learnt about the lawsuits against Jiang, who is being sued in many countries for committing terrible deeds of genocide, initiating the brutal crackdown on Falun Gong and causing the deaths of more than 950 people to date, they said, "That’s right, sue Jiang! We support you in suing Jiang!"

The Chairman of the student council busily organised this activity, and helped to hand out information and arrange the screening of the VCD portraying Ms Zhang’s experience in drawing and on the truth of Falun Gong. All members of the student council also had their photo taken with Madam Zhang in remembrance of a special occasion and fully showed their support for this activity.