Archive · 19 Jul 2026
Chinese Woman Nearly Cremated After Coma Rebuilds Life Through Painting
Once upon a time, there was a young woman named Chen Cuiju who moved from her poor rural home to work in a factory.
She worked very hard and got very sick.
One day, she collapsed by a river and was found unconscious.
People thought she was dead and took her to a funeral home.
Just as they were about to cremate her, someone noticed she was still alive!
She was taken to the hospital and, after a long time, she woke up.
A kind painter named Chen Zhonglian helped her learn to paint, and she became very good at it.
She won many awards and became famous.
She even went back to thank the people who saved her life.
Her story is about how she turned a very bad thing into something wonderful.
Chen Cuiju, 49, was mistakenly declared dead and almost cremated after collapsing and losing consciousness due to severe malnutrition and dehydration in 1995.
She was found by a boatman and taken to a funeral home, where a worker noticed she was still alive and alerted the authorities.
After more than three months of intensive care, Chen regained consciousness and was reunited with her family with the help of local authorities.
Painter Chen Zhonglian invited her to study painting in Jinhua, Zhejiang province, and offered to pay for her education and living expenses.
Chen won her first major painting award in 1999 and became recognized in China's art world, specializing in traditional Chinese painting.
- Who
- Chen Cuiju, a 49-year-old woman from Guizhou province
- What
- Was mistakenly declared dead and almost cremated, but survived and became a recognized painter
- When
- The incident occurred in 1995, and she won her first major painting award in 1999
- Where
- The incident happened in Dongguan, Guangdong province, and she later moved to Jinhua, Zhejiang province
- Why
- She collapsed and lost consciousness due to severe malnutrition and dehydration, and was mistaken for an unidentified corpse
- Name
- Chen Cuiju
- Age
- 49
- Hometown
- Guizhou province
- Occupation
- Painter
- Year of Incident
- 1995
- Mentor
- Chen Zhonglian
- First Major Award
- 1999
- Recognition
- National first-class artist in traditional Chinese painting