Radio Free Asia: Zhang Cuiying Invited to Participate in the Renowned German Hessen State Festival

The German Hessen State Cultural Festival invited well-known Austrian artist Weber and the renowned Chinese artist Ms Zhang Cuiying, who lives in Australia, to hold a large-scale painting exhibition entitled “The European classical landscape painting vs. the Chinese traditional painting”. Zhang Cuiying is well known as a Falun Gong practitioner who was imprisoned for her beliefs whilst in China. She faced abuse and maltreatment in prison before being able to escape to Australia. Since then she has travelled the world with her painings, letting people know about the persecution she suffered and also letting them enjoy her traditional Chinese paintings. The following report is based on a tape recording by Tianyi, special correspondent of Radio Free Asia in Germany:

Ms Zhang Cuiying, the renowned Chinese artist, is currently living in Australia. She had been imprisoned and suffered brutal persecution just for appealing for Falun Gong in her homeland China. After being released and returning to Australia, she has held painting exhibitions in more than forty countries. Her paintings and her story aroused European society's wide concern. This week, the most important summer cultural activity in Germany, the Hessen State Cultural Festival, specially invited Ms. Zhang Cuiying to come to Germany to hold a large-scale art exhibition again. Before the opening of the art exhibition, a reporter interviewed Ms. Zhang and Ms Lei Fang who was assisting Ms. Zhang to arrange the exhibition. Ms Lei told the reporter that, the title of this exhibition can be translated as “the European classical landscape painting vs. the Chinese traditional painting”.

The opening ceremony of this exhibition was held on the evening of 17th June. On 18th and 19th June, Ms Zhang Cuiying and the renowned Austrian artist Weber will meet with the audience and also hold a seminar on the relationships between the humanistic spirit and the eastern and western paintings. Also the reporter understood that the reason for Hessen state to choose this topic at the cultural festival was that there are so many Chinese students studying here in recent years. This art exhibition was especially designed for students and German people to understand Chinese culture.