Since July 1999, the local authorities of Shifu Town, Changyi City, Shandong Province have arrested and detained many Falun Gong practitioners. To force them to renounce Falun Gong, they have used various brutal means to torture the practitioners. Listed below are some of their torture methods.

1.     Confining a pair of male and female practitioners in a tiny cell

In February 2000, Wei Tiankui, a member of the Party Committee of Shifu Town, confined pairs of the detained male and female practitioners in a small dark cell, one pair at a time. The room is so tiny that the two practitioners had to sleep foot to face. As the room was locked, the practitioners were forced to relieve themselves there. Practitioners who have been confined there include Yu Shenghe, Zhai Xiuhua, Lin Yongshun, Li Xiufen, Wang Hongluo, Yang Meiqin, Wang Lizhen, and Li Xiulian.

2.     Forcing to climb stairs

On April 10, 2000, at around 10:00 p.m., Wei Tiankui became drunk and started to beat practitioners. He forced them to climb up a stairway of 49 steps on their knees. Wei kept kicking them from behind. The practitioners’ hands and feet were bleeding. Then he forced them to climb a steel ladder to the next floor. When the practitioners climbed close to the top, Wei pulled a rope, which was tied around practitioners’ ankles, to make them fall all the way back to the second floor. Several practitioners fell five or six times, and many were severely injured. Ms. Zhai Xiuhua lost consciousness when she fell down.

3.     Forcing to stand holding ice blocks in both hands

Around February and March of 2000, Shifu Town government officials arrested many Falun Gong practitioners. Those who refused to renounce Falun Gong were forced to stand with ice blocks as big as bowls in their hands. They were also forced to stand on snow or ice.

4.     Forcing to carry heavy items on the head

Falun Gong practitioners were forced to carry heavy items on their heads. Wei Tiankui and Gong Zhiqiang forced practitioner Wang Lizhen to walk down stairs in a squatting position with heavy rocks weighing more than 34 lbs. loaded on his/her head. Practitioner Ms. Li Xiufen was forced to walk around in a half-squatting position loaded with logs on her head.  Practitioner Mr. Yu Shenghe was forced to stand on gravel with five to six bricks on his head. Once Wei Tiankui placed a coal block weighing about 45 lbs. on Mr. Yu’s head. Wei also placed a basin of water on Mr. Yu’s head and then whipped him with an electrical cord.

5.     Poking with needles

Practitioner Ms. Li Xiufen was forced to kneel on logs while Shifu Town officials poked her feet with needles. One of her feet had three large wounds that would not stop bleeding. At the same time, Wei Xiankui whipped her face, head, and body with a leather belt. Wei and others also stripped off Mr. Yu Shenghe’s clothes, stabbed his body with needles, and struck his genitals.

6.     Public humiliation

To humiliate practitioners, Shifu Town officials placed boards, with the words “Evil Element” written on them, around the practitioners’ necks and then forced them to parade on the streets for three days.