Mainland rights activists are divided on whether blind dissident Chen Guangcheng would inspire future civil-rights campaigns.
Some hail his dramatic escape from captivity and bid for freedom as a galvanising influence, while others say Chen's case is exceptional and could not be replicated.
Wang Xiaodong , a Sichuan-based activist campaigning to expose substandard school buildings that led to numerous deaths in Sichuan's earthquake in May 2008, said Chen's escape dealt a heavy blow to the so-called 'stability maintenance mechanism'.
The mechanism allows local government officials and state security agencies to control dissidents and activists using various methods.
Wang said Chen had become an inspiration to activists for various causes.
'More people are now sympathising with him [Chen] and looking to him for inspiration when they need to stand up to injustice,' Wang said.