Liu Xia (poet) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Liu Xia
刘霞
Liu Xia in 2024
Born	(1961-04-01) 1 April 1961 (age 64) Beijing, China
Nationality	German
Occupation	poet, painter, photographer
Spouse(s)	Liu Xiaobo ​ ​ (m. 1996; died 2017)​

Liu Xia (Chinese: 刘霞; born 1 April 1961) is a talented Chinese artist. She is known for her painting, poetry, and photography. Liu Xia was kept under house arrest in China for many years. This happened because her husband, Liu Xiaobo, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010. She was finally allowed to leave China on 10 July 2018. She traveled to Germany to get medical help.

About Liu Xia's Life

Liu Xia used to work for the government in Beijing. In the 1980s, she met her husband, Liu Xiaobo, in Beijing's writing community. They got married in 1996 while he was in a labor camp in China.

Liu Xia liked to live a quiet life, focusing on her art. But because her husband was a well-known activist, she often had to speak for him in public. People called her his "most important link to the outside world." She faced pressure from Chinese officials for sharing her thoughts. She was watched constantly after her husband was arrested. Even with these challenges, she tried to live a normal life. She also continued to speak out about human rights.

Her Husband's Work and Nobel Prize

Liu Xiaobo was sentenced to 11 years in prison. This was because he helped write a document called Charter 08 in 2008. This document asked for more freedom and different political parties in China. Liu Xia had asked him not to be part of it. But he decided to go ahead. He spent three years writing it. Many important people and internet users later signed it.

When her husband won the Nobel Peace Prize, Liu Xia said he had always told the truth about China. She said this was why he had lost his freedom many times. She planned to visit him in jail and give him a hug. After her visit, she was placed under house arrest. Her phone was also turned off.

International Support for Liu Xia

Many groups and countries spoke up for Liu Xia. In 2011, a group from the United Nations said her house arrest was wrong. They asked for it to end right away.

In late 2012, some reporters visited her apartment. A video of another visit was put on YouTube in December 2012. In April 2013, she was allowed to go to her brother's trial. She felt the trial was unfair and political. During this short time outside, she told people, "Tell everybody that I'm not free." She also said, "I love you. I miss you."

In November 2013, she asked for her husband's case to be looked at again. This was a big step that brought attention to human rights in China. Her lawyer said she had her husband's approval for this. By December 2013, friends said that three years of house arrest had made Liu Xia very sad. She was taking medicine for depression.

Her Art and Writings

Liu Xia created a collection of 25 black-and-white photos called The Silent Strength of Liu Xia. She took these pictures between 1996 and 1999. This was when her husband was in a labor camp for the second time. A friend helped bring these photos out of China. They were shown in an exhibition in the United States.

In 2015, a book of her poems was published. It was called Empty Chairs. The poems in the book were written from 1983 to 2013.

After Her Husband's Death

Liu Xiaobo passed away on 13 July 2017. For six months after his death, no one knew where Liu Xia was. The Chinese government said she was free. But on 2 September 2017, it was reported that she was back home in Beijing. A founder of a human rights group in Hong Kong spoke to her on the phone.

Her House Arrest Continued

Liu Xia was not an activist like her husband. She was never accused of any crime. Yet, she was under house arrest without charges since 2010. She was watched 24 hours a day. This went against China's own laws about freedom of movement and communication. She could not use a phone or computer.

After Liu Xiaobo's sea burial, Liu Xia was not seen for a while. Reports said she was forced to go on vacation. This was so she could not attend a memorial for her husband. Friends in China who tried to hold memorials were also stopped. Reporters trying to visit Liu Xia's home were blocked by guards.

Many foreign leaders and groups asked China to free Liu Xia. These included Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, and Boris Johnson, the British foreign secretary. Chinese officials kept saying Liu Xia was free. But this was different from what Western news and Liu Xia herself said.

Experts in Chinese law, like Jerome Cohen, believed China did not want to release Liu Xia. They feared she might become a symbol of resistance. He said foreign governments should push China to let Liu Xia leave the country. If she chose to stay, he said China should lift all restrictions on her.

The UN Human Rights chief also said he would talk to Chinese officials. He wanted to make sure Liu Xia could leave China. U.S. Senator Marco Rubio wrote an open letter to Liu Xia. He asked the U.S. Ambassador to China to meet with her. He wanted to understand her situation and wishes.

Moving to Germany

After her husband's burial, Liu Xia stayed in Dali City for a while. Her friend, Liao Yiwu, a Chinese poet living in Germany, said this. When her friends said she was back in Beijing, German and US diplomats tried to visit her. But guards stopped them. German diplomats said they would keep trying to get her freedom of movement.

In May 2018, Liao Yiwu shared that Liu Xia was suffering from severe depression. This was because the Beijing government kept breaking promises to let her travel. Even an arrangement made by the German Foreign Minister, Heiko Maas, in April 2018, did not work.

Liao Yiwu spoke with Liu Xia on the phone in April 2018. She cried, saying she had no computer or smartphone to write an application to the German Embassy. Liao Yiwu promised to get help from German politicians and artists. He later published their phone call to pressure people to help her.

Liu Xia finally left China and flew to Germany for medical treatment on 10 July 2018. Her younger brother, Liu Hui, stayed in China. He wrote online that Liu Xia was starting a new life in Europe. He thanked everyone who helped her. Liu Hui had been in prison for fraud but was released on bail. Human rights activist Hu Jia said Liu Hui was kept in China as a hostage. Liu Xia had always wanted her brother to leave with her. She feared he would be used to control her freedom of speech abroad.

Images for kids

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  The Nobel Peace Prize 2010 ceremony: empty chair on the stage booked for Liu Xiaobo, who was in prison on that time; Chinese government also didn't allow Liu Xia travel to Oslo, putting her under house arrest.

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  Hong Kong Christmas Parade near the Liaison Office demanding the release of Liu Xiaobo. Photograph: 5 February 2017

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  First hospital of China Medical University in the northeastern city of Shenyang where Liu Xiaobo died on 13 July 2017. Photograph: 14 July 2017

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  Citizens of Hong Kong gathered to remember Liu Xiaobo who died on 13 July 2017. Photograph: 17 July 2017

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  Chinese writer, oral historian, folk musician, Liao Yiwu

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  German writer Herta Müller won the Nobel Prize for literature in 2009 for story of hard life in authoritarian Romania during communist rule.

See also

In Spanish: Liu Xia (poeta) para niños