Sheng Xue or Reimonna Sheng (; born 1962), is the

pen name A pen name or nom-de-plume is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen name may be used to make the author's na ...

of Zang Xihong (), a Chinese-Canadian journalist and writer, and human rights activist.

Background

Sheng Xue grew up in Beijing, and moved to Canada soon after the

1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre The Tiananmen Square protests, known within China as the June Fourth Incident, were student-led demonstrations held in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China, lasting from 15 April to 4 June 1989. After weeks of unsuccessful attempts between t ...

. Xue is a member of PEN Canada, and also a member of The Independent Chinese PEN Center (ICPC), both of which belong to

International PEN PEN International (known as International PEN until 2010) is a worldwide association of writers, founded in London in 1921 to promote friendship and intellectual co-operation among writers everywhere. The association has autonomous Internati ...

. She is a member of the Writers in Prison Committee of ICPC. Xue is the Canadian correspondent of

Radio Free Asia Radio Free Asia (RFA) is a news service that publishes online news, information, commentary and broadcasts radio programs for its audiences in Asia. The service, which provides editorially independent reporting, has the stated mission of pro ...

and the North American correspondent of ''

Deutsche Welle (; "German Wave"), commonly shortened to DW (), is a German state-funded television network, state-owned international broadcaster funded by the Federal Government of Germany. The service is available in 32 languages. DW's satellite tele ...

'' (Voice of Germany). She is also a regular commentator or columnist for a couple of media. In 2001, she received the Canadian Association for Journalists Award for Investigative Journalism, and the Canada'
National Magazine Award
for an investigative report, "The Smuggler's Slaves", on the lives of Chinese boat refugees published in the Canadian magazine ''

Maclean's ''Maclean's'' is a Canadian magazine founded in 1905 which reports on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, trends and current events. Its founder, publisher John Bayne Maclean, established the magazine to provide a uniquely Canadian ...

''. She is the first Chinese Canadian to win such prestigious awards. In 2005, Sheng won the Journalism and Media Award from the National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada, for her outstanding achievements, contributions, and community service and in recognition of her efforts in promoting understanding the traditions and the interests of Chinese-Canadian communities, her leadership, courage and dedication for the promotion of multiculturalism, human rights, respect of human and cultural values, integrity and equality among all Canadians. In 2001, Sheng Xue investigated China's most prominent smuggling case and published a book (in Chinese), ''Unveiling the Yuan Hua Case'' (), which soon became a best seller in Chinese communities outside mainland China and created shock waves both inside and outside China. The

Central Propaganda Department The Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, also known as the Propaganda Department or Central Propaganda Department, is an internal division of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) ...

of the

Chinese Communist Party The Communist Party of China (CPC), also translated into English as Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is the founding and One-party state, sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Founded in 1921, the CCP emerged victorious in the ...

immediately banned the book. A collection of Sheng Xue's poems (in Chinese), ''Seeking the Soul of Snow'' (), was published in Jan 2008 by United Writers Press, Hong Kong. The poetry collection has also been banned by authorities in mainland China. United Writers Press also published a collection of Sheng Xue's essays (in Chinese), ''Lyricism From a Fierce Critic'' () in August 2008. This book has also been banned in China. She also starred two Canadian movies, ''Small Pleasures'' () in 1993,''Small Pleasures'' on www.imdb.com website
/ref>Yan Ming (): ''Pro-democracy activist becomes a star -- Sheng Xue and the movie she stars, Small Pleasures''] (), ''China Spring'' magazine , Sept. 1993, New York and ''Chinese Chocolate'' () in 1995.''Chinese Chocolate'' on www.film.com website
/ref> She also starred a stage drama (in Chinese), ''He Zhu Xin Pei'' (), in 1997.Ya Yi ()

(), ''China Spring'' magazine , July 1997, Page 74-82, New York Sheng Xue was the

Writer in Residence Artist-in-residence (also Writer-in-residence), or artist residencies, encompass a wide spectrum of artistic programs that involve a collaboration between artists and hosting organisations, institutions, or communities. They are programs that pr ...

Carleton University Carleton University is an English-language public university, public research university in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1942 as Carleton College, the institution originally operated as a private, non-denominational evening college to se ...

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

, in the winter of 2007, the Writer in Residence at

McMaster University McMaster University (McMaster or Mac) is a public research university in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main McMaster campus is on of land near the residential neighbourhoods of Ainslie Wood, Ontario, Ainslie Wood and Westdale, Ontario, Westd ...

for the winter of 2009, and the Writer in Exile of

Edmonton Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...

during September 2009 – August 2010. Sheng Xue is a key leader of overseas Chinese pro-democratic movement and is an outspoken critic of the Chinese government's human rights record. She is the chairperson of June 4 Massacre Investigation; Vice-Chairperson of The

Federation for a Democratic China Federation for a Democratic China (FDC ) is a Canada-based political group that advocates the democratization of China through opposition of the Chinese Communist Party and the support of human rights. It was founded on September 22, 1989, in Par ...

, Board member of Forum for Democratization of China and Asia. She established a group "Ten Dollar Can" in 2004, which is to encourage people to donate Ten Dollars per month and send to writers and journalists in prison, as well as other political prisoners, in China. She is also a founder of China Rights Network, a coalition of a number of organisations united by their opposition to the policies of the Chinese Communist Party, including Falundafa Human Right Association,

Students for a Free Tibet Students For a Free Tibet (SFT) is a global grassroots network of students and activists working in solidarity with the Tibetan people for human rights and freedom. The group uses education, advocacy, and nonviolent direct action Direct act ...

, Taiwanese Human Right Association of Canada, Tibetan Women's Association of Ontario,

Tibetan Youth Congress The Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC) is an international non-governmental organization that advocates the independence of Tibet from China. With around 30,000 members in the Tibetan diaspora, it is the largest of the pro-independence organizations of ...

, Uyghur Canadian Association, World Federalists of Canada, and others. On September 29, 2012, during a function held in Sheng Xue's home by about 50 Asian political exiles to celebrate the

Mid-Autumn Festival The Mid-Autumn Festival (for other names, see § Etymology) is a harvest festival celebrated in Chinese culture. It is held on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar with a full moon at night, corresponding to mid- ...

, the

Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism The Minister of Multiculturalism and Citizenship was an office in the Cabinet of Canada from 1991 to 1996 and from 2013 to 2015. It was superseded in 1996 and again in 2015 by the Minister of Canadian Heritage. In 2019, Bardish Chagger was appoint ...

Jason Kenney Jason Thomas Kenney (born May 30, 1968) is a former Canadian politician who served as the 18th premier of Alberta from 2019 until 2022, and the leader of the United Conservative Party (UCP) from 2017 until 2022. He also served as the member o ...

, on behalf of the Canadian government, awarded Sheng Xue the

Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal () or The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal was a commemorative medal created in 2012 to mark the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's accession in 1952. There are four versions of the medal: one iss ...

. On October 8, 2012, during the FDC's 11th Global Congress held in

Budapest Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...

, Sheng Xue was elected as the Chairperson of

Books

*Unveiling the Yuan Hua Case (), Mirror Books, New York, USA, 2001. . *Seeking the Soul of Snow (), United Writers Press, Hong Kong, Jan 2008. . *Lyricism From a Fierce Critic (), United Writers Press, Hong Kong, August 2008. . All of these three books have been banned in China.

Starring

''Small Pleasures''
(), 1993 film, Canada. (Reimonna Sheng as Zhao Qing)
''Chinese Chocolate''
(), 1995 film, Canada. (Remona Sheng as Francis Huang) * ''He Zhu Xin Pei'' (), 1997 stage drama in Chinese, Canada. (Sheng Xue as He Zhu)

Family

Grandfather Zang Qifang (, 1894–1961) was the Mayor of

Tianjin Tianjin is a direct-administered municipality in North China, northern China on the shore of the Bohai Sea. It is one of the National Central City, nine national central cities, with a total population of 13,866,009 inhabitants at the time of the ...

from 1930–1931, and the president of Dongbei University from 1937–1947. He also held some other important government/academy positions in China before 1949, and in Taiwan after 1949. * Father Zang Pengnian () * Mother Li Guiqin () * Husband Dong Xin ()

References

External links

Litfest2009ARC:authors

Federation for a Democratic China Official Website

Shiyuan (10 Dollar) Relief Project

Sheng Xue's personal website

''Reimonna Sheng'' on www.film.com website

''Remona Sheng'' on www.film.com website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sheng, Xue 1962 births Living people 21st-century Canadian poets Canadian writers of Asian descent Canadian activists Canadian journalists Canadian women poets Charter 08 signatories Chinese democracy activists Chinese emigrants to Canada Naturalized citizens of Canada Writers from Beijing 21st-century Canadian women writers Canadian women activists Canadian women non-fiction writers