Falun Gong: China’s Silent War on Faith
1. Origins and Founding (1992)
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, was introduced in 1992 by Li Hongzhi in the northeastern city of Changchun, China. Emerging during a period of spiritual awakening in the post-Mao era, it combined traditional Chinese practices like qigong, Buddhist compassion, and Taoist principles with Li’s own metaphysical teachings. The core premise was moral cultivation through aligning with the universal principles of Truthfulness (Zhen), Compassion (Shan), and Forbearance (Ren), which Li asserted governed both human character and cosmic order.
The 1990s saw a proliferation of qigong practices in China, many of which emphasized physical well-being. However, Falun Gong distinguished itself by placing heavy emphasis on spiritual morality and rejecting commercialization. Unlike other groups, Falun Gong did not charge fees, sell memberships, or promote political agendas. It focused on self-cultivation, both mentally and physically, and promised enlightenment and karmic cleansing to devoted followers.
Li’s public lectures across China drew large audiences. His teachings, initially welcomed by health departments and local governments, were soon compiled in books like Falun Gong and Zhuan Falun, which became spiritual manuals for millions. The practice quickly spread, aided by grassroots word-of-mouth and communal outdoor exercises.
At its core, Falun Gong was a personal and apolitical system of self-improvement. It did not seek confrontation with the Chinese state or compete for formal power. Ironically, this spiritual neutrality would later be interpreted by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) as covert subversion, paving the way for one of the largest religious crackdowns in modern Chinese history.
2. Core Beliefs and Practices
Falun Gong rests on three guiding tenets: Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. These are not simply ethical values but are believed to be cosmic laws governing all life. Practitioners seek to align their behavior, speech, and thought with these principles to purify their hearts and reduce their karma. Karma, in Falun Gong’s cosmology, is the spiritual root of all suffering and misfortune. Eliminating karma through discipline and suffering is considered essential to achieving enlightenment.
The practice involves both spiritual cultivation and physical exercises. The exercises consist of four standing movements and one seated meditation, similar in form to traditional qigong. Unlike religious rituals, these exercises are performed to regulate internal energy and facilitate the transformation of the practitioner’s body into a higher-energy substance, as described by Li Hongzhi. Falun Gong also emphasizes renunciation of modern attachments including fame, wealth, emotional entanglements, and even medical treatments. Illness, according to Li, often stems from karmic imbalances and can be resolved through spiritual cultivation rather than medicine. This belief, while central to the faith, has sparked criticism from outsiders for discouraging proper healthcare.
Li Hongzhi is regarded by followers as more than a teacher; he is viewed as a spiritually awakened being sent to offer salvation during an era of moral decline. His writings are treated as sacred texts, and any deviation from his words is considered a spiritual misstep. Practitioners often meet in small study groups to read his works and practice the exercises. The movement’s decentralized, non-institutional structure contributed to its fast expansion and grassroots appeal.
3. Rapid Growth in China (1990s)
Falun Gong experienced unprecedented growth in China during the 1990s, quickly evolving from a modest spiritual practice to a national phenomenon. Within seven years of its founding, official Chinese estimates suggested that up to 70 million people were practicing Falun Gong by 1999. Independent sources suggest numbers ranging between 30 to 100 million, with practitioners spread across every province and major city. Its popularity cut across demographics urban and rural, educated and working-class, even including high-ranking Party members and military officers.
Much of this rapid growth can be attributed to the vacuum left by China’s cultural upheavals and the collapse of traditional spiritual frameworks. After decades of Marxist materialism and the spiritual destruction of the Cultural Revolution, millions were seeking meaning, healing, and community. Falun Gong offered a clear moral code, a promise of spiritual enlightenment, and a structureless, non-bureaucratic path to self-improvement elements that deeply resonated with a spiritually hungry populace.
Practitioners could be found gathering in parks at dawn to perform synchronized exercises, reading Zhuan Falun in study groups, or discussing moral dilemmas and applying Falun Dafa principles to everyday life. Falun Gong required no temples, clergy, or central authority. This decentralized nature made it extraordinarily difficult to monitor, let alone control. While the government initially tolerated and even encouraged Falun Gong for its health benefits and promotion of social harmony, the scale of its following soon alarmed authorities. By the late 1990s, it had quietly become the largest spiritual movement in China, inadvertently positioning itself as a potential ideological competitor to the Chinese Communist Party.
4. Clash with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)
The peaceful image of Falun Gong was shattered in the eyes of the CCP by one pivotal event: the April 25, 1999 protest. Over 10,000 practitioners silently gathered near Zhongnanhai, the Chinese government’s leadership compound in Beijing, to petition against defamatory articles and seek legal protection. The demonstration was orderly and unarmed, yet it shocked the regime. It was the largest organized public gathering since the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests staged without a single Party directive, military unit, or state license.
President Jiang Zemin reportedly viewed the demonstration as a direct affront to Party authority. The fact that such a large and coordinated group could assemble undetected raised deep fears of a parallel ideological structure within the country. Falun Gong’s values compassion, truth, forbearance stood in stark contrast to Marxist materialism and Party loyalty. Moreover, its independence from state control was intolerable to a regime that demanded absolute ideological conformity.
The CCP responded by launching a massive propaganda campaign. State media labeled Falun Gong a “cult,” accusing it of brainwashing, encouraging suicides, and undermining social harmony. Behind the scenes, Jiang Zemin established the 610 Office, a shadowy agency tasked with the surveillance, suppression, and “re-education” of Falun Gong followers across China. Thus began a nationwide campaign of persecution rooted not in public safety concerns but in ideological insecurity. Falun Gong had never advocated violence or regime change, but its mere existence outside Party control triggered a deep authoritarian panic, setting the stage for mass repression.
5. 1999 Crackdown and Ban
On July 20, 1999, the Chinese government officially banned Falun Gong and launched a nationwide crackdown. Practitioners were rounded up in mass arrests, books were confiscated and burned, and media launched a relentless campaign portraying the practice as a dangerous cult. The CCP alleged Falun Gong promoted anti-science superstition, incited public disorder, and undermined Party rule. The state’s messaging was aggressive, repetitive, and designed to isolate the movement from the general public.
The ban wasn’t merely legislative it was systematic and punitive. The newly created 610 Office, an extrajudicial secret police agency, coordinated efforts across security forces, schools, workplaces, and communities to root out practitioners. Those who refused to renounce the practice were subjected to administrative detention, “thought reform” sessions, forced labor, and in extreme cases, torture. Families were broken apart, children expelled from school, and employees dismissed from jobs. Loyalty to the CCP had to come before belief.
Falun Gong practitioners responded with an unusual level of nonviolent resistance. Many continued to meditate in public parks, distribute leaflets, or attempt to petition the government legally. Others took to digital dissent, circulating underground videos and testimonies about the repression. The government doubled down, creating a blacklist of practitioners, setting up re-education camps, and censoring all internet content related to Falun Gong. This crackdown was one of the largest campaigns of ideological suppression since the Mao era. It revealed the depth of the Chinese state’s fear of uncontrolled belief systems, and marked the beginning of Falun Gong’s transformation from a domestic spiritual practice into an international human rights issue.
6. Human Rights Violations and Persecution
The CCP’s campaign against Falun Gong has become synonymous with some of the most disturbing human rights abuses in modern China. Since 1999, thousands of practitioners have been detained without trial, tortured, or even killed in custody. The persecution has been thorough, long-lasting, and brutal, targeting every level of society. Police beatings, solitary confinement, sleep deprivation, and electroshock torture are among the widely documented abuses used to force practitioners to recant their beliefs.
One of the most shocking allegations is state-sanctioned forced organ harvesting. Multiple investigations most notably those by David Kilgour and David Matas, and the findings of the 2019 China Tribunal conclude that Falun Gong detainees have been used as involuntary organ donors. Victims are selected for tissue compatibility, executed on demand, and their organs sold in a billion-dollar transplant industry. The short waiting times in Chinese hospitals for transplants raise strong suspicions about a ready pool of living “donors.”
International human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have extensively documented these abuses. Former detainees have provided harrowing testimonies about life inside China’s “black jails” and labor camps. Families are often denied information about their loved ones’ whereabouts or health, and many deaths are labeled “suicide” or “accidents” without investigation. Despite decades of persecution, many Falun Gong adherents continue practicing in secret. Their resistance has come at great cost, but it has also spotlighted China’s expanding authoritarianism and has made Falun Gong a symbol of spiritual resilience in the face of state tyranny.
7. International Response and Advocacy
Falun Gong’s repression has galvanized widespread international criticism, although political responses vary due to the geopolitical weight of China. In democratic countries, Falun Gong practitioners have taken to the streets, international forums, and media platforms to expose the atrocities and press governments for action. Western parliaments particularly in the U.S., Canada, and the European Union have passed resolutions condemning the persecution and calling for sanctions against Chinese officials involved.
The United Nations Special Rapporteurs have raised concerns about torture, arbitrary detention, and organ harvesting. Although many of these appeals have been met with denials or obfuscation from Beijing, the global documentation has grown more robust. International human rights lawyers have even filed universal jurisdiction cases in various countries, accusing Chinese officials of crimes against humanity. While few have gone to trial, they’ve created diplomatic pressure. Practitioners abroad organize large-scale events such as peaceful parades, photo exhibits, and documentary screenings to raise public awareness. Outside Chinese embassies and consulates, silent vigils have become regular sights. Online, they’ve built archives of censored information to inform Chinese citizens through circumvention software.
However, economic concerns have often limited stronger action. Many governments fear retaliation from Beijing in the form of trade penalties or diplomatic hostility, leading to cautious language or silence. International corporations, too, have hesitated to acknowledge the issue. Nonetheless, Falun Gong has succeeded in internationalizing its struggle. From the U.S. Capitol to the halls of the European Parliament, the plight of Falun Gong has become a flashpoint in the global debate on religious freedom and authoritarian repression.
8. Falun Gong in Exile and Global Outreach
After being banned in China, Falun Gong re-emerged as a global grassroots movement. Practitioners in exile, especially in North America, Europe, and Australia, reorganized into advocacy groups, spiritual networks, and media platforms. Their goal shifted from spreading spiritual teachings to exposing human rights violations and resisting the Chinese Communist Party’s disinformation campaign.
One of the most visible arms of Falun Gong’s global strategy is its media network. The Epoch Times, founded by practitioners in the U.S., started as a platform to report on the persecution but has since evolved into a multi-language news outlet with international reach. It often takes a strongly anti-communist editorial stance and covers Chinese politics, U.S. domestic issues, and global authoritarianism. Alongside it, New Tang Dynasty Television (NTDTV) and Sound of Hope Radio provide Chinese-language content that bypasses CCP censorship and promotes Falun Gong teachings.
Culturally, Falun Gong has also launched Shen Yun, a touring performing arts company that seeks to “revive 5,000 years of Chinese civilization.” Each performance interweaves traditional Chinese dance with narratives of CCP repression, often ending with spiritual redemption through Falun Dafa. These tools have helped Falun Gong maintain visibility and build public sympathy. Practitioners continue to hold regular meditation sessions, host cultural exhibitions, and organize protests. Many remain committed to daily truth-clarification efforts whether through street flyers, petitions, or social media outreach.
9. Controversies and Criticism
Despite being a victim of persecution, Falun Gong has not escaped criticism, particularly in the West. Detractors raise concerns about the movement’s doctrinal rigidity, leader veneration, and ideological positions that seem out of step with modern liberal values. Founder Li Hongzhi has made controversial statements regarding interracial marriage, homosexuality, aliens, and apocalyptic visions, which critics say border on cult-like dogma.
The group’s reverence for Li can appear excessive, with his writings treated as scripture and deviation from his teachings discouraged. This raises questions about the space for dissent within the movement. Moreover, Falun Gong’s stance on medical treatment often encouraging reliance on spiritual purification over pharmaceuticals has been flagged by health experts, especially when it leads to avoiding critical care. Politically, Falun Gong’s affiliated media most notably The Epoch Times has drawn scrutiny for its alignment with far-right and conspiratorial content in recent years, particularly in U.S. politics. This perceived partisanship has alienated some potential allies and undermined their claims of journalistic neutrality.
Furthermore, its intense anti-communist rhetoric can be seen as overly militant, even by critics of the CCP. Scholars have noted the group’s use of propagandistic visuals and messaging, sometimes blurring the line between fact-based advocacy and ideological warfare. Nonetheless, even vocal critics agree that no belief system warrants persecution, torture, or execution. Whatever controversies surround Falun Gong’s worldview or strategies, they pale in comparison to the scale of state-sponsored abuse it has endured. It remains a case where human rights must be defended, regardless of ideological discomfort.
10. Current Status and Legacy
Today, Falun Gong occupies a paradoxical position. In China, it remains an underground and highly persecuted faith its name censored, its practitioners imprisoned or driven into secrecy. Outside China, however, it has become a persistent and vocal transnational movement, defying attempts at eradication. This dual existence defines Falun Gong’s unique place in the 21st-century human rights landscape.
The Chinese government continues to treat Falun Gong as an existential threat, maintaining its 1999 ban and enforcing ideological conformity through censorship, surveillance, and repression. Despite this, underground practitioners still circulate banned literature, access censored websites using VPNs, and risk everything to maintain their faith. Internationally, Falun Gong’s transformation is remarkable. From a qigong spiritual discipline, it has evolved into a multifaceted force encompassing media, cultural diplomacy, advocacy, and spiritual outreach. Its influence on global perceptions of China is substantial helping shift narratives around censorship, authoritarianism, and state terror. It has arguably laid groundwork for how the world would later interpret similar abuses in Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong.
For human rights advocates, Falun Gong has become both a symbol of resilience and a complex case study. It challenges assumptions about spiritual dissent, diaspora resistance, and the role of ideology in modern China. While debate continues over the group’s beliefs, its commitment to nonviolence and exposure of CCP abuses is undeniable. In many ways, Falun Gong’s legacy is not merely about spiritual practice it’s about what happens when personal faith collides with state power, and how even the most persecuted voices can echo globally.
References:
U.S. Department of State, 2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: China – Condemned China's suppression of Falun Gong but made no mention of U.S. operational support.
Source: State.gov - China Religious Freedom Report 2022Amnesty International, Falun Gong: Torture and Ill-Treatment of Practitioners in China (2000) – Documented widespread abuse, not foreign connections.
Source: Amnesty International Report on Falun Gong 2000Human Rights Watch, Dangerous Meditation: China's Campaign Against Falungong (2002) – Detailed persecution, no evidence of CIA ties.
Source: Human Rights Watch Report on Falun GongDavid Ownby, Falun Gong and the Future of China (Oxford University Press, 2008) – Scholarly analysis concludes no proven CIA or intelligence links.
Source: Oxford Academic - Falun Gong and the Future of ChinaEthan Gutmann, The Slaughter: Mass Killings, Organ Harvesting, and China's Secret Solution to Its Dissident Problem (2014) – Investigates organ harvesting but finds no U.S. intelligence sponsorship of Falun Gong.
Source: The Slaughter - Ethan GutmannCongressional-Executive Commission on China, Annual Report 2022 – Notes Falun Gong’s repression but does not link Falun Gong to CIA activities.
Source: CECC China Report 2022The New York Times, China Accuses Falun Gong of Ties to CIA (1999) – Reported the CCP’s official accusations, but highlighted lack of evidence.
Source: NYT - China vs Falun Gong 1999RAND Corporation, The Chinese Government’s Response to Falun Gong (2001) – Strategic analysis dismissing CCP’s claims of Falun Gong-CIA collusion as "political theater."
Source: RAND Report on Falun GongFreedom House, The Battle for China’s Spirit (2017) – Describes the CCP's use of “foreign infiltration” narratives against Falun Gong with no real evidence.
Source: Freedom House Report on Religious RepressionThe Epoch Times, Falun Gong Responds to CCP Propaganda (2003) – Public denial by Falun Gong-affiliated media of any CIA relationship.
Source: Epoch Times - Falun Gong Response