(Minghui.org) Nineteen Falun Gong practitioners in various districts of Dalian City, Liaoning Province, were arrested around the Lantern Festival (March 3, 2026), which marked the end of the Chinese New Year holiday season, as well as the annual “Two Sessions.”
Running from March 4 to 12, 2026, the “Two Sessions” are annual meetings of the National People’s Congress (China’s legislative body) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (the top political advisory body). The Chinese Communist Party is notorious for intensifying the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners around “politically sensitive” dates.
A number of the arrested practitioners are still in detention. Another practitioner, Ms. Wang Hui, escaped arrest as she was not in when five officers from the Youyi Street Police Station and the local street committee knocked on her door on February 28, 2026. The police waited in their cruiser outside her apartment building until 7 p.m. They returned twice the next day, first at noon and later in the evening, but she was still not in.
The following discusses the 19 arrests, including one practitioner who was arrested twice within days.
Six Arrested on February 28
Ms. Zhou Haiyan, 62, was arrested only four months after she finished serving an eight-year term for her faith. Her husband, who does not practice Falun Gong, was also detained. He was released hours later.
Another couple had a similar situation. Ms. Luo Yue’s husband, a non-practitioner, was also held in custody for several hours.
Ms. Zong Lirong, 64, had her rental place raided. Her Falun Gong books, laptop, cell phone, and 8,160 yuan in cash were confiscated. The arresting officers from the Yongzheng Police Station, the Xianjin Boulevard Committee, and the Dalian City Domestic Security Office, had been monitoring her for days after they spotted her talking to people about Falun Gong outside a bank and on a bus. Ms. Zong’s sister and daughter hired a lawyer for her. The lawyer visited her at the Dalian City Detention Center and noted that she was in good spirits. Ms. Zong was previously jailed for four and a half years because of her faith in Falun Gong.
Also arrested on February 28 were Ms. Yang Xiuqin, Mr. Xu, in his 80s, and a practitioner whose name is unknown.
Ms. Zhou, Ms. Luo, Ms. Zong, and Ms. Yang are all residents of Jinzhou District.
Two Arrested on March 1
Mr. Zhu Chengqian, 61, was arrested by officer from the Jinzhou District Police Department. He is currently on a hunger strike at the Jinzhou District Detention Center. Mr. Zhu previously served three forced labor terms totaling seven years and a prison term of five years and nine months.
A practitioner surnamed Zheng was also arrested on the same day and is held at the Dalian City Detention Center. Both he and Mr. Zhu are residents of Jinzhou District.
Four Arrested on March 2
Ms. Zhou Lijuan (a resident of Zhongshan District), Ms. Zhou Lizhu (a resident of Ganjingzi District), an elderly practitioner whose name is unknown, and a practitioner surnamed Liu were arrested at around 6:30 p.m. on March 2, as soon as they stepped out of a private home after studying Falun Gong teachings together. They were apprehended by more than ten officers from the Xigang District Police Department and the Beijing Street Police Station. It was said that someone had reported on the practitioners.
Ms. Zhou Lijuan and the elderly practitioner were soon released, while Ms. Zhou Lizhu and Liu are held at the Dalian City Detention Center.
Three Arrested on March 4
Ms. Yu Chunxiang was arrested at home by agents from the Xigang District Police Department and the Beijing Street Police Station. They took her to the police station for interrogation, where they searched her and ordered her to remove her shoes and socks. She refused to comply.
The police accused Ms. Yu of distributing Falun Gong materials. While there is nothing illegal about distributing such materials, she did not do so on the said day. The police took Ms. Yu to the Dalian City Police Department Case Processing Center and later, the Dalian City Detention Center.
Ms. Yu was found to have high blood pressure and was denied admission to the detention center. The police forced her to take hypertension medications and gave her three bottles of IV drips. She was made to sit on a wooden board in the police department for a whole night before being taken to the detention center again after 8 a.m. on March 5. The detention center admitted her and assigned her to Cell 7 of the Eighth Division. Prosecutor Song Jia from the Xigang District Procuratorate issued a formal arrest warrant on March 17, and mailed a notice of the warrant to Ms. Yu’s family.
Mr. Han Yindong and Ms. Han Yuhong were also arrested on March 1. Both were released after ten days of detention.
All three practitioners are residents of Xigang District.
One Arrested on March 5, Re-arrested on March 8
Ms. Liang Ying, a resident of Jinzhou District, was arrested at home around 10 a.m. on March 5, by two officers from the Huanghe Road Police Station. They targeted her because she was reported for putting up Falun Gong flyers at a local kindergarten. They took her to the kindergarten and ordered her to admit to her “crime.” She remained silent and was taken to the Jiajia Street Second Lockup. Her family posted bond, and she was released hours later.
The police took Ms. Liang back into custody on March 8 and gave her 15 days of detention.
Two Arrested at Unknown Time
Ms. Yang Ping, 59, and a practitioner surnamed Zhang, both residents of Jinzhou District, were arrested some time before March 5. Ms. Yang was released due to poor health. It is unclear whether Zhang is still in detention.
One Arrested on March 19
Ms. Shao Zelan (also known as Shao Zelai), in her 60s or 70s, is being held at the Dalian City Detention Center.
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