Like so many others who played prominent roles in the student movement, Zhang Ming remains, even after 25 years, in limbo. But, having been caught up in the whirligig of history, he can never disentangle himself from it. Ironically, he had once seen himself as the person least likely to become involved in the student movement, since he had not the slightest interest in politics.
Zhang Ming was number 19 on the list issued by the Chinese government following June 4th of the 21 most wanted students.
For Zhang Ming, this has been the only way to alleviate the splitting headaches that are the legacy of his seven years in jail. The bruises were from baguan, or fire cupping, a Chinese medical treatment in which heated glass jars are adhered by suction to the skin to cleanse it of toxins. Indeed, the unexpected visual symmetry of the garish circles was so discombobulating that several times during our long conversations, I found myself addressing his purple forehead orbs. “Kids often think I have four eyes,” he said with a puckish grin.
On his forehead were two large, perfectly circular purple-red bruises, one above each eye. Skeletally thin, with cheeks sunk deep into his face, he walked gingerly across the cream-colored hotel lobby as if his limbs were made of glass. Zhang Ming has become used to his appearance startling small children.
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