Falun Gong: A Spiritual Movement Born from China's 1990s Qigong Fever

Cultures · Published 29 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Emerging in 1992, Falun Gong combined traditional meditation with moral teachings to promise physical healing and spiritual salvation. While its founder Li Hongzhi gained millions of followers, the movement's rejection of modern medicine and its rapid growth eventually triggered a severe crackdown by the Chinese government starting in 1999.

Founded by Li Hongzhi in 1992, Falun Gong originated during China's qigong boom, a period when millions explored traditional breathing and self-cultivation exercises. Li distinguished his movement by framing it as a 'higher-level' practice, centered on the 'Fa'—the fundamental law of the universe. Central to the practice is the 'Falun,' a spinning wheel of energy that Li claims to install in a practitioner's abdomen to purify the body and eliminate disease at its spiritual root. By the late 1990s, estimates of the movement's size in China reached as high as 70 million adherents.

The movement's teachings are deeply moralistic, emphasizing the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance. Li teaches that human illness is a manifestation of 'karma,' a black substance accumulated through past wrongdoings. Consequently, he argues that conventional medicine only treats physical symptoms rather than the spiritual cause, leading to a controversial stance where practitioners are encouraged to endure illness rather than rely on modern doctors. This rejection of science, alongside Li's denunciation of homosexuality and feminism, has drawn significant criticism from scholars and media outlets alike.

Tensions with the Chinese government escalated as authorities grew skeptical of qigong movements, labeling them 'unscientific.' Following a peaceful protest by over 10,000 practitioners in Beijing on 25 April 1999, the state banned the group, initiating a campaign of mass arrests and persecution. Today, the movement operates globally from its headquarters in Dragon Springs, New York. While it continues to advocate for its beliefs, it remains a polarizing entity, noted for its media presence, such as The Epoch Times, and its persistent opposition to the Chinese Communist Party.

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