ABSTRACT
Falun Gong Falun Gong (Falungong), or “Law Wheel Qigong,” is a Chinese spiritual movement based on ritual meditation exercises. Little is certain as to the background of its founder, Li Hongzhi, before he began teaching his system of physical and spiritual cultivation in China’s Jilin Province in 1992. The movement, which is also known as Falun Dafa (Falundafa), or “Way of the Law Wheel,” rapidly attracted millions of followers both in China and abroad. Though drawing upon traditional Asian spiritual practice and claiming to be nonpolitical, Falun Gong came to be viewed as a threat to Chinese Communist Party leadership. Following a massive demonstration by adherents in 1999, authorities attempted to eradicate the movement, using measures that drew international criticism. Presently, the Falun Gong is outlawed in China as a “dangerous cult.” A well-organized community of globally linked followers, led by Li Hongzhi (now a U.S. citizen), continues to promote Falun Gong and to protest its repression.
