Sanhe · Full chronicle and history

Chinese artist Gao Shen, who lives in New York, was sentenced to three years in prison by a court in Sanhe, Hebei Province, on the charge of infringing on the reputation and honor of heroes and martyrs, drawing major concern from the U.S. State Department.

On August 25, 2026, a court in Sanhe, Hebei, China, sentenced 70-year-old US-based artist Gao Min to three years in prison in a first-instance ruling on the charge of infringing the reputation and honor of heroes and martyrs. The charge stemmed from a satirical sculpture involving Mao Zedong that he created more than ten years ago.