Yuzhang Academy is a Chinese school in Nanchang, China. The school is facing allegations of using cruel and inhumane methods to "cure" internet addiction in teenagers. Former students have reported being beaten with iron rulers, whipped with steel cables, and locked naked in windowless cells for extended periods. The camp charges a significant fee and targets parents desperate to address their children's internet addiction.[1] [2] [3] [4]
The privately-owned academy, managed by investors Wu Junbao and Ren Weiqiang, was shut down in late 2017 due to reports of student abuse and detention, resulting in five defendants being convicted for locking students in solitary confinement and sentenced to prison terms of two years and 10 months for Wu and two years and seven months for Ren, each accompanied by a five-year ban from the education sector.