13 Facts About Yu Zhijian

Yu Zhijian was a Chinese dissident from Hunan Province, known for his leading role in 1989 Mao portrait vandalism incident.

Yu Zhijian was charged with counter-revolutionary propaganda and incitement, counter-revolutionary sabotage, writing reactionary slogans, and destruction of state property, and received life imprisonment.

Yu Zhijian was admitted by Hunan Normal Teacher's College in the city of Xiangtan.

Yu Zhijian had to change schools several times because of his poor teaching and continuous criticism of the schools' administration, which finally led him to be demoted to a primary school in Tantou village.

Yu Zhijian emphasized the importance of political reform and necessity of going to Beijing.

Yu Zhijian talked about Fang Lizhi again to persuade the group to adopt the focus on democracy rather than two-track price system.

Yu Zhijian was excited and inspired by Wuer Kaixi's speech criticising Mao Zedong's symbolic power.

Yu Zhijian drafted a new speech and listened to the students' Voice of the Movement broadcast to keep pace with developments and show solidarity with students.

Yu Zhijian failed to join another group, the Dare-to-Die motorbike squad, that was formed by local merchants and workers, because he did not have identification from a Beijing work unit and a hukou proving right of residency in the city.

Yu Zhijian was under bad living conditions, placed in solitary confinement.

Yu Zhijian urged the new detainees to respond with one voice to demand an apology from the guards and staged a hunger strike.

Yu Zhijian was tortured in prison continuously, but he still managed to survive.

Yu Zhijian utilized his teaching in the prison to transfer out from the labour camp and this helped him with a commuted sentence.