An Auckland organisation visited New Plymouth to raise awareness on the forced organ harvesting of Falun Gong followers in China.

When Hanwen Zheng recalls the torturous years she spent in a Chinese prison, tears stream from her eyes.

The Chinese immigrant was imprisoned for two years for practicing Falun Gong - a spiritual exercise and meditation regime - undergoing numerous forms of torture in that time.

"They bent my body at a 90 degree angle and tied my hands above my back until they went black," she said.

ANDY JACKSON/Fairfax NZ Sanpu He and Hanwen Zheng safely practice Falun Gong in New Zealand after escaping from the Chinese Communist Party.

"I passed out and they poured ice cold water on my body."

Zheng, along with nine other immigrants, visited New Plymouth on Monday as part of an awareness campaign aiming to spread the word on the horrors of forced organ harvesting occurring in China.

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ANDY JACKSON/Fairfax NZ Sanpu He, 67, and Hanwen Zheng, 64, were imprisoned, brainwashed and sent to labour camps for practicing Falun Gong, which is a spiritual exercise and meditation regime.

It was in 1999 when former leader Jiang Zemin ordered the eradication of the peaceful, yoga-like practice and about 100 million people were told to stop using it.

But as the chief nurse at a university hospital in Henan province, Zheng felt she could not do her job without it

"It heals the body. I can't help others without helping myself," she said.

ANDY JACKSON/Fairfax NZ Falun Gong followers came to the Huatoki Plaza in New Plymouth to spread awareness about organ harvesting in China.

Zheng appealed to the courts, but was denied repeatedly for two years until she was later arrested for resistance.

"I was beaten because I would not eat and then I was force-fed.

"I lost all my top teeth from the force-feeding," she said.

As she underwent two years of torture, she came to find out the real reason of her imprisonment.

"They wanted my organs," Zheng said.

"Those who practice are very healthy.

"I found out what was happening to other prisoners and I feared for my life."

A report released just four months ago found 60,000 to 100,000 organs were transplanted each year in Chinese hospitals while the government claims just 10,000 transplants occur in a year.

The reports said the gap was due to the lack of required reports for prison executions.

In 2003, Zheng managed to escape to Thailand and later immigrated to New Zealand.

Though safe from harm, Zheng feared for husband Sanpu He, who was kidnapped and detained for eight years.

He was able to escape and was reunited with Zheng in 2009.

The couple have been safe in New Zealand for a number of years and now connected with an Auckland organisation, the SOS Car Tour, which travels the world to spread awareness of China's forced organ harvesting.

Though the stop at the Huatoki Plaza in New Plymouth was brief, member Daisy Lee hoped the group could make a large enough impact and influence the New Zealand government to push for peace in China.

"Organ harvesting is still occurring today," she said.

"People are dying. It's a genocide."