Pictures of 1989: The Tragedy at Liubukou in the Morning of June 4, 1989

Tanks shoot tear gas as they charge into students at Liubukou.

Bodies crushed by tanks.

Bodies crushed by tanks.

Fang Zheng lost both of his legs after being run over by a tank.

The aftermath at Liubukou.

Pictures of 1989

Fang Zheng Enjoys New Life in America

Fang Zheng, who lost both his legs during the Tiananmen massacre, is enjoying his new life in America. In the picture above, Fang Zheng is celebrating his 45th birthday with his daughter, wife, and mother-in-law (photo courtesy of Feng Congde). The happy couple is also expecting their second child.

Fang Zheng was also granted his green card recently. He is currently studying in a local community college and has his own driver's license.

Fang Zheng is Driving

According to Radio Free Asia, Fang Zheng, who lost both of his legs during the Tiananmen Massacre, has now acquired his driver license and is able to drive around by himself.

Since arriving at America, Fang Zheng has received medical help which enabled him to stand up again and dance with his wife. Now he has gained yet another degree of personal freedom.

According to the report, the handicap car equipped with hand controls was donated to him by a Chinese student.

Chai Ling Lost Court Case Against "Gate of Heavenly Peace" Producer

A couple of years ago, former 1989 student leader Chai Ling, her husband and their company Jenzabar, filed lawsuits in a Massachusetts court against the Long Bow Group, the producer of famed documentary Gate of Heavenly Peace. In 1998, the court threw out claims for defamation, but the case involving a trademark claim dragged on.

This week, a trial judge summarily rejected the trademark claim.

This lawsuit had generated quite some interests. Chai Ling's supporters, led by his former husband Feng Congde, issued an open letter claiming to "defend the name of June 4th". That letter was co-signed by a few more 1989 leaders including Fang Zheng, Zhang Jian, Xiong Yan, Zhou Fengsuo, Cheng Zhen, Zheng Yi, etc.

On the other side, a group of intellectuals published an open letter supporting the Long Bow Group in the name of freedom of speech.

It is quite clear, however, that Chai Ling's lawsuit on the ground of trademark is nothing but a thinly wailed attempt to silence the Long Bow Group, whose use of her "Last Words" video record cast her in a controversial light. With this court ruling, it appears that she had lost this battle.

Fang Zheng is Dancing

This picture really says it all.

Fang Zheng was scheduled to be profiled on ABC's Nightline last night but was postponed at last minute. You can still read the story here.

Picture credit to CND.

Fang Zheng Plans to Dance with his Wife

In an op-ed piece published in the Wall Street Journal, David Feith disclosed that Fang Zheng, who is undergoing physical therapy, plans to dance with his wife for the first time. The October 7 occasion will be broadcast on YouTube.

Fang Zheng is Standing Up Again

Fang Zheng, who lost both of his legs when a tank ran over him in the early morning of June 4, 1989, is finally receiving proper medical treatment near Washington DC:

Chai Ling Makes Rare Public Apperance

After the release of documentary The Gate of Heavenly Peace in 1995, which caused a controversy on Chai Ling's character and motive in the 1989 movement, Chai Ling had rarely been seen or heard in public. She faded out from the exiled activist community, and as some of her former comrades said, "left the movement."

So, it is somewhat surprising to see her making a public appearance at a pro-democracy rally hosted by Yang Jianli at Boston. In the picture above, she is in a green shirt with Fang Zheng, who is in a wheelchair. In a brief speech, she said she has to come out to honor Fang Zheng. She urged the audience not to forget the tragedy.

As reported earlier, Chai Ling is also suing the producers of the documentary.

People of 1989: Fang Zheng (方政)

Fang Zheng was one of the hundreds of thousands students who had participated the 1989 student movement pretty much anonymously. Nobody probably would have noticed him if not for the few terrible seconds in the early morning of June 4, 1989.

In that fateful morning, Fang Zheng was walking near the tail end of student formation as they withdrew from Tiananmen Square and on their way back to campuses. At Liubukou, they crossed Chang'an Avenue and slowly walked along its wide bicycle path toward west. He met up with a female student from his school, Beijing Sports College, and they walked together as he comforted the frightened female. It was then they heard the rumble of approaching tanks. Looking back, he got a brief glimpse of several tanks charging in from behind while shooting teargas canisters. Terrified chaos erupted all around them. In the heavy smoke, the female student fainted. Fang Zheng struggled to push her onto the sidewalk, which was blocked by an iron fence. After a final desperate shove, he managed to get his companion onto the fence but that left himself no time to escape. The last thing he remembered was that both of his legs were caught under the tracks of a tank and separated from his own body.

Fang Zheng survived. The female student he had saved was under tremendous pressure from authorities and refused to validate the circumstances of his injury. He was expelled from school and left to survive on his own.

In 1992, he won gold medals in discus and javelin throwing in the All-China Paralympics Games. But his dream of playing in Special Olympics was crushed for political reasons. His story was recently profiled in The Independent.

Fang Zheng and his family finally arrived in America recently where they plan to start a new chapter in life. They are sponsored by Humanitarian China, a fund established by former student leaders including Zhou Fengsuo and Feng Congde. During a brief trip to San Francisco this weekend I had the pleasure to meet Fang Zheng and his wife, who had come to his side during his darkest years. Despite the hardship and an uncertain future, they displayed amazingly great spirits and optimism.

Updated on 9/3/2009: Fang Zheng is standing up again.
Updated on 10/8/2009: Fang Zheng is dancing with his wife.

Updated on 2/14/2011: Fang Zheng is driving.


People of 1989

Fang Zheng Arrives at US

Fang Zheng, who lost both his legs under the track of a crazed tank in the early morning of June 4, 1989, has arrived at San Francisco. He and his wife are sponsored by an organization called "Humanitarian China." It's not clear how long they will stay in the US.

Washington Post Looking For Traces of Tiananmen Massacre

Washington Post reports today that "In Tiananmen of Games, No Trace of '89 Massacre". It interviewed or reported the stories of Liu Xiaobo, Wang Dan, Ding Zilin, and Fang Zheng. The report mentioned that Liu Xiaobo has never returned to the Tiananmen Square since the night of the massacre, although he lives in the city of Beijing.

Neither Liu Xiaobo nor Wang Dan sees any hope for an open discussion of the events of the 1989 any time soon. Wang Dan was quoted saying that "The government lacks the confidence. It's very clear a crime was committed against the people. They're afraid of being blamed."

An Athlete With A Crushed Olympic Dream

On the eve of the Beijing Olympics, the Independent carried a profile of Fang Zheng (方政), a former athlete who lost both of his legs during the Tiananmen Massacre.

In 1989, Fang Zheng was a promising twenty-three-year-old discus thrower with a dream for the Olympics. In the early morning of June 4, he was with the students who had withdrawn from Tiananmen Square and on their way back to the campus area. On Chang'an Avenue at the Liubukou(六部口) intersection, three tanks suddenly rushed into the student formation. Fang Zheng was caught under while he was helping a female student. Fang Zheng had previously given a testimony of his experience. The gruesome scene at Liubukou, including Fang Zheng at moments after his injury, was captured in photographs and published in a French newspaper. Please be warned before following this link for the pictures.

As a double amputee, Fang Zheng continued with his athletic career in discus and javelin throwing. In 1992, he won gold medals in All-China Paralympics Game and qualified for international competition. But the government denied this opportunity from him.

In this report, Fang Zheng was quoted saying that he wishes the Beijing Olympics well and thinks that the Olympics will make China more open. But he does not plan to go to Beijing for the Olympics or Paralympics. "These days I live a very ordinary life. I am just an ordinary civilian."