Falun Gong
FALUN GONG. Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a Chinese spiritual movement founded in 1992 by Li Hongzhi (1951–). Although most Western scholars would classify it as a "new religious movement," Li and his followers understand Falun Gong not as a religion but as a "cultivation system," based on principles of qigong that are widely accepted in China. Falun Gong rapidly became very popular in China, attracting millions of followers in the years immediately after its founding. For complex reasons, Falun Gong soon ran afoul of the Chinese state, and a massive protest in Beijing by Falun Gong practitioners against media censure at the end of April 1999 led to a harsh crackdown by the Chinese government on the grounds that Falun Gong was a dangerous "heterodox sect."
Qigong and the Qigong Boom
To understand the rise and popularity of Falun Gong, it is essential to understand the rise and popularity of qigong. In Chinese, qi means "vital breath" or "energy" and refers to a force existing in nature that can be harnessed for a variety of purposes. Gong means "skill" or "technique," and the two characters together mean "the cultivation of qi energy." Qigong practice includes a variety of techniques, some stressing physical movement, some stressing meditation or visualization.
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