Wu Chenmou

In 2009,
At the 60th anniversary of the Party-State of CCP,
Dr. Gao Yaojie,
An eighty-two-year lady,
Was forced to abandon her home and escape.
At that point,
Following the "thirty-six stratagems,"
Escape was the best option for her.
In China’s history,
As becoming the oldest female exile
She unfolded a legendary political refugee story.

The CCP falsely declares its service to the people,
The citizens have owned their happy life,
And share with the fruits of the development.
In fact, it’s a huge lie.
Since 1949,
The people have lost their freedom,
And then knelt down once again.
Only the CCP becomes rich,
But most of the people are still poor.

Historically,
In the imperial era,
Political exiles might be survived
By a modicum mercy of the emperor.
Although exiled in a remote place,
Most of them,
Could often be reinstated and returned,
Such as Li Bai, Su Shi, Lin Zexu,
And other intellectual elites.

Contrastingly,
In the captivity of CCP’s power,
A fate more sorrowful than under imperial reign.
Those who fight for human rights and freedom,
Loyal citizens, warriors, and valiant,
Since then,
They become homeless, wanderers,
Even be Political refugees.

Such as the refugees of
Tiananmen Incident in 1989,
Once, most of them
Were in the zenith of their vigor,
Temples are now adorned with gray hair.
With unwavering conviction and soaring faith,
They have no remorse for severe challenges.
Even one day,
They will die in a faraway land.

The absurdity of totalitarianism is that
When a tragic social disaster occurs,
The authorities do not pursue derelict officials' guilty,
But arrest those braves who have a conscience
To reveal the truth.
In the 1990s
The AIDS epidemic was like that,
Shamefully, in 2020,
During the COVID-19 virus was also again.
The authorities suppress the doctors
Who blew a warning.

The virus has invaded the soul of nation,
Because it could not be cleared,
Society and country are already terminally ill.
Those deep-rooted wicked habits,
If the CCP cannot be eliminated,
One day in the future,
Man-made tragedies will inevitably happen again.

In 1990s,
With great conscience and courage,
Dr. Gao Yaojie acted as an angel
To prevent HIV infection.
Now she died in New York,
Her soul is wandering in heaven,
But her nostalgia would like to cross
The Pacific Ocean to China.
Her last wishes and words were:
Returning to her homeland,
And scattering her ashes into the Yellow River.

An asteroid, No.38980 bears her name.
“Gao Yaojie Star” is orbiting in space.
As time progresses,
One day it will shine
In the night sky of Mainland China.
As the years unfold,
Gao Yaojie’s name,
Will be cherished more worldwide,
As a benchmark of conscience and courage,
And be a beacon of love and justice.

Attachment: "Gao Yaojie: Guardian of Faith, Upholder of Conscience"

02/22/2015

On February 21st, the third day of the Chinese Lunar New Year, in the late afternoon, a friend and I visited Dr. Gao Yaojie in her upper Manhattan apartment in New York. At the age of 82, Mrs. Gao immigrated to the United States in 2009, becoming a truly admirable and legendary figure.

As we emerged from Flushing in the morning, the weather was sunny and delightful. However, by the afternoon, a fierce snowstorm descended, enveloping the entire city of New York in a wintry mix. Exiting the subway, we found the city's streets muddy and slushy. Without umbrellas, we had no choice but to join the hurried crowd, braving swirling snowflakes.

After walking three blocks, we reached the entrance of the apartment building, our bodies already covered in snowflakes. Yet, upon entering the apartment, we were greeted by a warmth akin to spring, a cozy and tranquil haven.

Taking the elevator upstairs and knocking on the door, a stooped old lady answered. We later learned that the lady opening the door was 75 years old, caring for her 88-year-old sister, 13 years her senior. Their children were in China, and due to various reasons, couldn't join them for the Lunar New Year. Their ages mirrored of my own parents, and I also couldn't reunite in Mainland China with my family during the Spring Festival.

As the ancient saying goes, "People who are wandering into the same abjection at a remote place, why should they know each other very well before?" Witnessing these two elderly individuals, reliant on each other and stranded in a foreign land, stirred a poignant feeling in my heart.

After entering the house, the younger old lady hurried into the room to inform. A few minutes later, Mrs. Gao Yaojie walked out in a wheelchair with steady steps. She was strong and full of energy. We quickly bowed and saluted, and Mrs. Gao also immediately removed her hands from the armrests of the wheelchair, clasped her hands, and bowed in return, which made us very embarrassed. We quickly asked Mrs. Gao to sit down.

During the conversation, as Mrs. Gao's hearing was not very good, we had to frequently write on paper to communicate with her. Despite this, her eyesight was clear, her thinking sharp, and her memory amazing. When Mrs. Gao learned that I was studying <The Book of Changes>, she became even more enthusiastic in conversation, and our conversational folders opened up at once.

She spoke gently and calmly, mentioning that she was born into a poor family, but her ancestral family was very famous and prominent. One of her uncles was a Hanlin scholar, which is the highest degree in the Qing Dynasty. She was adopted by her uncle and had the opportunity to study.
During her childhood, she delved into traditional classics such as <The Book of Songs> and <The Classic of Filial Piety>, but she never studied <The Book of Changes>. The private school teacher had told her she couldn't learn it yet because she was too young to understand it. What is very mysterious; she wouldn't comprehend.

Then, she began reciting poems from <The Book of Songs>. She recited not just a few sentences but the entire poem, stringing together many poems in one go. I felt ashamed, realizing I had only studied or understood a small part of these ancient poems.

Mrs. Gao also pointed out that the current version of the <Three Character Classic> has been tampered with. Chinese culture is huge profound and very deep, but unfortunately, it has been eroded in recent decades.

In conclusion, she sincerely expressed her hope that young people like us would inherit and spread China's excellent culture. Hearing this, we immediately felt a sense of responsibility in our hearts and the weight of a profound duty on our shoulders.