Zhang Donghui, a young artist, was detained for more than three months and had to pay 3,995 yuan in compensation for writing the words "Three years, I have become numb." Favorite 

Zhang Donghui, born in 1992, is a native of Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, China. He graduated from the Sculpture Department of the Central Academy of Fine Arts in 2017. He has been living and working as a professional artist in Beijing since then.

On August 17, 2022, while walking on the streets of Chaoyang District in Beijing, he came across some COVID testing booths on the roadside. For reasons unknown, he stopped and spontaneously graffitied on eight booths, engaging in a performance, and wrote the words "Three years, I have become numb."

In that moment, he may have reflected on the three years of the pandemic, from the initial panic, tension, and confusion to the later efforts to adapt, leading to the current state of numbness. When such emotions reach their peak, they need an outlet.

After writing the words, he calmly went on for three or four days and posted a screenshot on his WeChat Moments on August 21st. Unexpectedly, writing those eight characters led to legal troubles for him. The next day, the police came to his door and took him away.

On August 23rd, the Chaoyang police detained Zhang Donghui on charges of provocation and troublemaking. This greatly distressed Zhang Donghui's family and friends. How could writing a few words lead to charges of "provocation and troublemaking"?

However, Zhang Donghui had casually graffitied on the booths belonging to PCR testing companies, and the claim of "damaging other people's property" was reasonable and undeniable. His family compensated four relevant owners with 3995 yuan and received a letter of forgiveness from the companies.

They initially thought the matter would quickly be resolved, and Zhang Donghui would soon be released. However, it wasn't until December 8th that Zhang Donghui, who had been detained for over three months, was finally released without any charges, regaining his freedom.