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Ai Weiwei may be the best-known victim of severe crackdown on dissent in China.

After mounting international pressure, the authorities released the celebrated artist on Wednesday after accusing him of tax evasion. He has been effectively silenced by a series of restrictions on what he can say and do.

China's move to douse any flicker of protest began in February - a response, many believe, to the uprisings in the Middle East.

But human rights groups say that, despite the crackdown, there has been a surge of strikes, protests and disturbances nationwide.

Channel 4 News gained access to one city in the south east called Xintang. It was recently rocked by four days of rioting and is now under police lock-down. But its resident are increasingly willing to challenge the authorities.

In the People's Republic of China, stability is king. Dissent is forbidden. Yet many of its citizens are unwilling to toe the party line. A younger generation is increasingly frustrated and calling for change.

Two weeks ago the streets erupted in a city called Xintang. A pregnant woman who ran a stall was beaten by local police, say protesters. And the news travelled fast.

In scenes captured on a mobile phone, rioters overwhelmed and destroyed the police headquarters. And such disturbances are occurring more frequently, according to human rights groups.

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