Overview
- AI Weiwei returned to Beijing in December for a three-week stay, marking his first visit since leaving China in 2015.
- He said border officers inspected and questioned him for nearly two hours at the capital’s airport before allowing entry.
- He traveled with his 17-year-old son and reunited with his 93-year-old mother, sharing photos and videos from the trip on social media.
- He reported taking no special precautions and described the rest of the visit as smooth.
- His return follows years of outspoken activism, including a 2011 detention and subsequent house arrest, after which he lived and worked across Europe on politically engaged projects.