(Minghui.org) The Art of Zhen Shan Ren International Exhibition was held in Smolyan and Chepelare in Bulgaria from May 19 to June 30, 2026. In Smolyan, 22 paintings were on display at the Municipal Cultural and Educational Center, which is also home to its planetarium, one of the city’s main cultural attractions. In Chepelare, the lobby of the “Rodopska Iskra – 1880” Model Community Center had 21 paintings available for view.
Hundreds of visitors viewed the paintings in May and June, and some said in the artworks they saw find peace, hope, and a chance to reconnect with their own inner divinity.
The Art of Zhen Shan Ren International Exhibition is held at the Smolyan Planetarium and Observatory from May 19 to June 30, 2026. (Minghui.org)
The exhibition is held at the “Rodopska Iskra–1880” Model Community Center in the town of Chepelare from May 20 to June 30, 2026. (Minghui.org).
Smolyan Deputy Mayor: Falun Dafa’s Values Bridge Cultures and Religions
Deputy Mayor Marin Zahariev speaks at the opening at the Planetarium, May 19, 2026. (Minghui.org)
In his opening remarks in Smolyan, Deputy Mayor Marin Zahariev said that these values of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance were very much aligned with what the city of Smolyan seeks to promote in its own citizens.
“I believe that visitors to Smolyan can see that here, in the heart of the Rhodope Mountains, we have preserved many of the qualities that Falun Dafa teaches,” he said.
He said that the city prioritizes culture, education, the preservation of interpersonal relationships, and traditions.
Bulgaria has historically had Eastern Orthodoxy as its dominant faith. Yet, as the world becomes more interconnected and Bulgarians are exposed to different cultures, they are finding common values that they share with different faiths. Zahariev expressed confidence that everyone would find something in the exhibition that resonates with them and inspires them to become better.
Chepelare Deputy Mayor: Falun Dafa Has Common Ground With Our Beliefs
Ms. Agovska (in navy blue) presents a Certificate of Recognition to Professor Zhang Kunlun for his contributions to this cultural event in Chepelare. (Minghui.org)
Ms. Agovska, the deputy mayor of Chepelare, also shared a similar viewpoint while touring the exhibition in her city. She said that within Falun Dafa, she saw “common ground with Christianity, as the exhibition promotes Truth, Compassion, and Forbearance.”
She also expressed her sympathy when she saw the depictions of practitioners facing persecution by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for their faith, as she knows that many Christians have faced and are facing similar pressure under communism. “The goal [of this persecution] is precisely to break people’s way of thinking so that they stop believing in and practicing this teaching [Falun Dafa],” she said.
Ms. Agovska also presented a certificate to Professor Zhang Kunlun, the founder of the exhibition, to commend his efforts in creating an engaging cultural experience.
Olympians Express Support for Falun Dafa
The town of Chepelare prides itself as a ski destination, and is home to many world-class athletes. Some of them took the chance to visit the exhibition in their town and offer their support for Falun Dafa practitioners in China.
Ekaterina Dafovska visits the exhibition in Chepelare and says she would like to help stop the persecution of Falun Dafa. (Minghui.org)
Ekaterina Dafovska is an Olympic gold medalist in skiing, having won the world championship at the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano, Japan. She said that although this was the first time she heard about Falun Dafa and the persecution, she felt that the depictions of the practitioners’ faith was “different and moving” and that “there is a lot of pain in them.”
“This [persecution] is unacceptable in the 21st century, and I would do whatever I can to help stop it,” said Dafovska.
Nadezhda Alexieva said that Falun Dafa offers values that people need in today’s society. (Minghui.org)
Nadezhda Alexieva is also a ski Olympian, having been part of the Bulgarian team at the 1992 Winter Olympics. She expressed that Falun Dafa practitioners are “upholding values that we need more and more these days.
“The important thing is to connect with those people who follow Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, and for our thinking to become the same [as them,]” she said. “So that we can create a good community that we can expand and use to make the world a better and more beautiful place.”
Borislav Kiriakov (holding smartphone) films the exhibition in Chepelare. (Minghui.org)
Borislav Kiriakov is a 16-time Bulgarian champion in alpine skiing and participated in the 1984 Winter Olympics. He recorded the entire opening of the exhibition in Chepelare and uploaded it to his channel, and created another video on his own promoting the exhibition.
He said he read about Falun Dafa books and is supportive of Falun Dafa’s teachings, as well as the practitioners standing up against oppression.
“I’m directing a small part of my energy toward [the practitioners], so that they may always be this way—brave and active—and continue to stand firm. And I believe the world will learn of their deeds. As the saying goes, ‘Judge them by their deeds,’” said Kiriakov.
Planetarium Director: This shows the elevation of the spirit towards love
Tsvetelina Gencheva, the director of the Smolyan Planetarium. (Minghui.org)
Tsvetelina Gencheva holds a master’s degree in astrophysics and astronomy and is the director of the Smolyan Planetarium. After viewing the exhibition, she said that in these paintings, she saw universal and timeless themes within that moved her greatly.
“I was deeply impressed by the painting ‘Entering the Divine Kingdom with Purity.’ In it, I see the cosmos and, in fact, the soaring of the spirit toward the universe and toward infinity, which is, in essence, love,” said Gencheva.
Art Museum Curator: There Is a Connection With Our Orthodox Faith In These Paintings
Georgi Stoykov is one of the curators at the Smolyan Art Gallery. He carefully examined each painting at the exhibition in Smolyan.
“I see a connection with our own [faith], the Orthodox, in spirit as well,” said Stoykov. He also said he admired the depictions of the practitioners’ faith and resilience. “There is a certain similarity; [the art] touches on the themes of retribution, death, and transcendence.”
He observed that many of these paintings were collaborations by multiple artists, and called them unusual and distinctive.
Community Center Chairman: Exhibition Presents Universal Values
Mr. Nikolov read a congratulatory message to the organizers of the exhibition and presented it to the coordinator of the event. (Minghui.org)
The chairman of the “Rodopska Iskra-1880” Community Center, Angel Nikolov, expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to host the exhibition at his center. He said that the paintings “reveal a much deeper meaning, from another culture and another dimension.”
Nikolov was especially impressed by the theme of “good is rewarded with good, while evil meets retribution” conveyed by the Falun Dafa practitioners. He said that it reminded him of the importance of choosing the good path.
He supported the practitioners’ beliefs, saying that it is good to follow something that teaches “a message of goodness and truth and teaches patience and many other virtues. And to believe in that.”
To convey his gratitude, he also presented the organizers with a letter. In it, he wrote, “It is a powerful cultural and humanitarian bridge that conveys timeless universal human values directly into the hearts of the audience.”
Ad Agency Owner Wants to Learn Falun Dafa
Vili Dimitrova says that she would like to try Falun Dafa. (Minghui.org)
Vili Dimitrova owns an advertising agency. As she viewed the paintings in Chepelare, she took an interest in the philosophy behind the artists’ faith and began to read the book Zhuan Falun to understand Falun Dafa more.
Before leaving, she shared that she was impressed by the messages in the paintings, that, in her view, everyone needs purification—spiritually, emotionally, and physically—and that everyone is searching for their own path to achieving perfection, inner peace, balance, and the fulfillment of their goals.
“This teaching, which I am about to learn about, may be exactly what achieves this—that people who engage in such practices could attain such inner peace. I have a desperate need for it. I will learn about this teaching, and I might become a potential follower,” she said.
Former Deputy Governor: The Exhibition Is Inspiring
The former deputy regional governor of the Smolyan area, Maria Sotirova-Stancheva, came to the exhibit in Smolyan twice. The first time, she said she and her two companions were inspired by the power of the spiritual person conveyed as a theme in the paintings. The second time, she left a comment in the guestbook, calling the exhibition enlightening.
“Thank you for the inspiration and dedication,” she wrote. “May we be better, more humane, and more humble.”
Elsa Greive and Georgeta are happy to see the Zhen Shan Ren exhibition again after eight years. (Minghui.org)
Elsa Greave and Georgeta are instrumentalists with the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra and are very surprised to see the exhibition again, especially in the small town of Chepelare, while they were on vacation. They recognize the paintings that had impressed them eight years ago, when the exhibition was hosted at the Sofia Philharmonic’s creative center—Hall Bulgaria—back in 2018.
Local Media Covers the Event
24 Smolian’s online article about the Zhen Shan Ren exhibition (Minghui.org)
A regional media outlet, 24 Smolian, covered both events in Smoylan and in Chepelare.
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Category: Art & Photo Exhibits
