Marathon victim's memory honored through photos

Updated: 2015-04-28 15:33

By NIU YUE in New York(China Daily USA)

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Wuyin means infinity in Chinese, and that is what those honoring Boston Marathon victim Lyu Lingzi wanted to convey when they organized a photography exhibition in her memory.

Lyu, a graduate student from China studying at Boston University, was killed by a bomb set by Dzhokhar Tsarnaev near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013.

On April 9, a US District Court jury in Boston found Tsarnaev guilty of killing three people and injuring 264 others at the marathon, and of killing a police officer four days later. The jury is currently deliberating whether Tsarnaev, 21, should be sentenced to death.

The photography exhibition and a silent auction were organized by the Boston University Chinese Students and Scholars Association and took place at the campus on Monday. All proceeds will be donated to the Lingzi Foundation.

The foundation was started in 2014 with the objective of helping other adventurous, ambitious students chase their dreams. The foundation provides scholarships and support organizations that share Lyu's passions and ideals, her family said.

Lyu's parents, from the northeastern Chinese city of Shenyang, attended a memorial a year ago for their only daughter, whose life was brutally cut short at age 23.

"It just feels like a knife stabbing the heart," her parents said in an interview at that service.

Wuyin began soliciting photos in January through social media. By the April 20 deadline, the organization had received more than 150 submissions from Chinese students and scholars from across the United States. Forty-eight pieces were selected for the exhibition and auction.

"We want to convey the concepts that photography is boundless, so is life, so is love," said Liu Yuxuan, a BU student and one of the organizers of the exhibition.

"There is no limit on what photographic equipment you chose to use, and no limit about the photos' theme. We just don't want to set any boundaries to the exhibitors."

The silent auction for the photos started with a minimum bid of $10.

Xiao Zi'ang, a Chinese student from University of Illinois, saw a mention of the exhibition on Wechat. Four of his pictures were chosen.

"I've always had a good impression of Boston, but the bombing just left an unrecoverable scar on it," said Xiao, who specifically chose several pictures he took in Boston before the bombings.

"But most importantly, the reason I participated in this activity is because it's for fundraising and in honor of Lyu Lingzi," he said.

Sun Wenbo, a Chinese student from Wake Forest University in North Carolina, went to high school in Boston. His photos also were chosen.

"I was in Boston when the bombings happened," he said. "I felt the terror was so close to me that I will never forget.

"It's very meaningful to remember Lyu Lingzi and to raise money to help those who need help in this way," Sun said.

Hong Xiao in New York contributed to this story.