The Story of Falun Gong

The Rise of Falun Gong

Having survived the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) with significant trauma, the Chinese people were finding ways to reconnect with their ancient spiritual traditions without risking being denounced as backward or counter-revolutionary. Try as the Chinese Communist Party did to obliterate ancient Chinese spiritual practices in order to establish class struggle and atheism as the new Chinese culture, the Party could not remove traditional spiritual beliefs from people’s hearts.

Falun Gong’s Humble Beginnings

It was the turn of the decade, early 1990s, and the qigong craze was red-hot in China. While many qigong teachers vied for followers, one came on the scene that caused all of China to take notice.


Mr. Li Hongzhi, founder of Falun Gong.

Born in the northeastern town of Changchun, Mr. Li Hongzhi had studied under Buddhist and Daoist masters in his youth. In 1992, after two years of working with a small group of students, trying and observing the suitability of Falun Gong to be disseminated among the public, Mr. Li introduced the ancient, traditional cultivation method, called Falun Gong, or Falun Dafa, to the general public.

His talks were unlike those of other qigong teachers because of his unwavering focus on moral standards and self-improvement.

On May 13, 1992, Mr. Li Hongzhi gave his first lecture on Falun Gong to about 180 listeners in a humble schoolhouse in Changchun, city in northeastern China.

In five months, Falun Gong is recognized by the state-run Qigong Science Research Association of China as its official branch. Mr. Li is formally declared a “Master of Qigong”, and receives permit to teach Falun Gong nationwide.

“Falun Gong is Miraculous!“
December 1992 • Mr. Li together with several of his students participated in the 1992 Asian Health Expo, held in Beijing. After using their qigong treatment to cure many people’s diseases, the news “Falun Gong is miraculous” echoed throughout the attending crowds.

Mr. Li has received the most awards of any master at the event, announcing Falun Gong as a presence on the qigong scene. The interest in Falun Gong immediately skyrocketed.



Falun Gong introduced at Asian Health Expo

1992-1994 • Responding to the popular demand during these years Mr. Li travels all across China almost without stopping. With just a several days of travel between each, Mr. Li gave 54 lecture series on Falun Gong within the period of two years. The seminars, often arranged by local state-run qigong organizations, typically last 8-10 days.

Mr. Li charged only small entrance fees to cover the costs of traveling and venue rentals. Though he never advertised his lectures, the health benefits of the practice were spreading fast by word of mouth, and eventually attracted thousands of attendees at a time.


Mr. Li’s lecture on Falun Gong in Wuhan, 1993.
Falun Gong’s Teachings are Different from Other Qigong Schools.
Falun Gong teaches the principles of truthfulness, compassion and forbearance. It emphasizes character-building and virtue—rather than supernormal powers—as the true path to health and spiritual elevation.

Many people were initially drawn to Falun Gong because of its healing effects. However, a significant reason for Falun Gong’s popular appeal was also due to its simple and straightforward requirements for practitioners: Live your life according to truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance, let go of negative attachments, and be responsible to yourself and others. Mr. Li discouraged the fanaticism that practitioners of other qigong schools so often dedicated to their masters, and instead encouraged Falun Gong practitioners to focus on what matters—becoming a better person.

The Chinese people recognized in Falun Gong’s teachings the core tenets shared by Buddhism and Daoism. But unlike these religions, there were no ordinances, onerous lifestyle restrictions, or the requirement to relinquish the secular world. Falun Gong spelled out the essence of cultivation and avoided the esoteric language of ancient scripture.


China Falun Gong • When the book China Falun Gong was first published in 1993, it made the practice accessible to a much wider audience.

Topics the book covered: The origins of illness and its true removal, true purpose of self-perfecting of mind and body (cultivation), what is karma and virtue, their origins, transformation and effect, fundamental principles of the universe, and much more.

“The True Ancient, Good Things Have Come Back!”
The Chinese public quickly recognized Falun Gong as a truly useful set of principles for living a meaningful life. This attracted people from all backgrounds and strata of society, including barely literate farmers, university professors, homemakers, and communist cadres.

The common sentiment among Chinese people upon encountering Falun Gong, whether they chose to practice it or not, was that the true heritage of China had been revived. As retired Chinese official Mr. Hao Ye tells it, “People really took it to heart. In Falun Gong, we believe the true ancient, good things have come back!”

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