Falun Gong, or Falun Dafa, is a spiritual practice rooted in traditional values that emphasizes self-improvement through the study of teachings, as well as gentle exercises and meditation, according to the practice’s website. The teachings emphasize adhering to the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, and encourage learners to let go of unhealthy habits (or attachments), such as desiring fame, being prideful, and ignoring the welfare of others.
The practice was introduced to the public in 1992 by Mr. Li Hongzhi in Changchun, in China's northeastern Jilin Province. Within six years, Chinese state sources reported that 70 million to 100 million people were practicing. Today, millions continue to practice Falun Gong in more than 100 countries, including in China, where the ruling communist regime brutally persecutes adherents for their faith.
FALUN GONG
Latest News
House Passes Bill to Counter Beijing’s Forced Organ Harvesting From Falun Gong Practitioners
'The widespread, systematic, state-sponsored persecution of the Falun Gong by the Chinese Communist Party ... may constitute genocide,' the legislation reads.
06-25-2024
About Falun Gong
What Is Falun Gong
Persecution in China
Why Persecution?
Statistics, Evidence, & Sources
Forced Organ Harvesting
Civil Disobedience
What Is Falun Gong
Falun Gong, or Falun Dafa, is a spiritual practice rooted in traditional values that emphasizes self-improvement through the study of teachings, as well as gentle exercises and meditation, according to the practice’s website. The teachings emphasize adhering to the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, and encourage learners to let go of unhealthy habits (or attachments), such as desiring fame, being prideful, and ignoring the welfare of others.
The practice was introduced to the public in 1992 by Mr. Li Hongzhi in Changchun, in China's northeastern Jilin Province. Within six years, Chinese state sources reported that 70 million to 100 million people were practicing. Today, millions continue to practice Falun Gong in more than 100 countries, including in China, where the ruling communist regime brutally persecutes adherents for their faith.
The practice was introduced to the public in 1992 by Mr. Li Hongzhi in Changchun, in China's northeastern Jilin Province. Within six years, Chinese state sources reported that 70 million to 100 million people were practicing. Today, millions continue to practice Falun Gong in more than 100 countries, including in China, where the ruling communist regime brutally persecutes adherents for their faith.
Violent Persecution
In 1999, a few leaders in the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) launched a systematic campaign to “eradicate” the spiritual practice, after witnessing its widespread popularity. This campaign aimed to violently suppress the tens of millions of people who practiced Falun Gong.
For more than 20 years, millions of Falun Gong practitioners in China have been subject to police harassment, abduction, imprisonment, torture, and death in custody. Furthermore, untold numbers have been killed and their organs extracted to fuel a booming, multibillion-dollar organ transplant industry in China.
Meanwhile, the CCP’s vilifying propaganda has been carried over by some media in the West.
Despite the persecution, an estimated 20 million to 40 million practitioners continue to engage in peaceful civil disobedience throughout China.
For more than 20 years, millions of Falun Gong practitioners in China have been subject to police harassment, abduction, imprisonment, torture, and death in custody. Furthermore, untold numbers have been killed and their organs extracted to fuel a booming, multibillion-dollar organ transplant industry in China.
Meanwhile, the CCP’s vilifying propaganda has been carried over by some media in the West.
Despite the persecution, an estimated 20 million to 40 million practitioners continue to engage in peaceful civil disobedience throughout China.
Why Does the CCP Persecute Falun Gong?
Four key factors are:
1. In 1998, an official regime survey found that 70 million to 100 million people were practicing Falun Gong. This meant that the spiritual practice saw more popularity than the CCP, which had approximately 60 million members at the time, a fact that some CCP leaders saw as threatening.
2. Falun Gong has no formal membership and no houses of worship, and is loosely organized. Consequently, the practice became the largest group outside of the regime’s control.
3. Falun Gong’s spiritual teachings were perceived by some CCP leaders as a threat to the communist culture of atheism, materialism, and struggle.
4. Ultimately, the decision to persecute Falun Gong boiled down to the personal motivations of then-CCP leader Jiang Zemin. Despite opposition from other Party leaders, Jiang orchestrated the campaign to eliminate Falun Gong and assert his power over the Party and the country.
1. In 1998, an official regime survey found that 70 million to 100 million people were practicing Falun Gong. This meant that the spiritual practice saw more popularity than the CCP, which had approximately 60 million members at the time, a fact that some CCP leaders saw as threatening.
2. Falun Gong has no formal membership and no houses of worship, and is loosely organized. Consequently, the practice became the largest group outside of the regime’s control.
3. Falun Gong’s spiritual teachings were perceived by some CCP leaders as a threat to the communist culture of atheism, materialism, and struggle.
4. Ultimately, the decision to persecute Falun Gong boiled down to the personal motivations of then-CCP leader Jiang Zemin. Despite opposition from other Party leaders, Jiang orchestrated the campaign to eliminate Falun Gong and assert his power over the Party and the country.
Key Statistics
What is the scale of the persecution of Falun Gong today? Drawing from first-hand accounts, victim testimonies, documentation by independent human rights organizations, research by investigative journalists, leaked government documents, and whistleblower interviews, the scope of the CCP’s campaign against Falun Gong is clear.
Amid a persecution targeting 70 million to 100 million Chinese people, at least several million have been detained. At least hundreds of thousands have been tortured. More than 4,900 have been confirmed to have been killed via torture or sustained abuse in detention, and sources estimate that hundreds of thousands have been killed through forced organ harvesting.
Meanwhile, Falun Gong practitioners continue their efforts to resist the persecution and expose the truth to their neighbors and communities. Today, an estimated 20 million to 40 million practitioners are actively engaged in exposing the CCP’s human rights abuses, constituting the largest civil disobedience movement in the world today.
Amid a persecution targeting 70 million to 100 million Chinese people, at least several million have been detained. At least hundreds of thousands have been tortured. More than 4,900 have been confirmed to have been killed via torture or sustained abuse in detention, and sources estimate that hundreds of thousands have been killed through forced organ harvesting.
Meanwhile, Falun Gong practitioners continue their efforts to resist the persecution and expose the truth to their neighbors and communities. Today, an estimated 20 million to 40 million practitioners are actively engaged in exposing the CCP’s human rights abuses, constituting the largest civil disobedience movement in the world today.
Forced Organ Harvesting
A growing body of evidence shows that Chinese hospitals have colluded with the CCP to forcibly remove the organs of prisoners of conscience, killing them in the process. The main source of these organs is practitioners of Falun Gong.
Prisoners of conscience are regularly screened for their blood and tissue types, then killed on demand when a matching patient needs an organ transplant. This lucrative state-run business is estimated to be worth at least $1 billion annually.
Deeper analyses of China’s organ donation system, the profiling of detained prisoners and their disappearances, and the accounts of prison guards and Chinese doctors who witnessed the removal of organs from unwilling, living people have painted a picture of this heinous crime.
In 2019, the China Tribunal, an independent people’s tribunal to investigate these allegations, unanimously concluded that “forced organ harvesting has been committed for years throughout China on a significant scale.”
Prisoners of conscience are regularly screened for their blood and tissue types, then killed on demand when a matching patient needs an organ transplant. This lucrative state-run business is estimated to be worth at least $1 billion annually.
Deeper analyses of China’s organ donation system, the profiling of detained prisoners and their disappearances, and the accounts of prison guards and Chinese doctors who witnessed the removal of organs from unwilling, living people have painted a picture of this heinous crime.
In 2019, the China Tribunal, an independent people’s tribunal to investigate these allegations, unanimously concluded that “forced organ harvesting has been committed for years throughout China on a significant scale.”
Civil Disobedience
For two decades, a grassroots movement consisting of tens of millions of people across China has peacefully challenged the hate and violence perpetuated by the Chinese Communist Party.
These individuals produce leaflets exposing the Chinese regime's human rights abuses, as well as its historical crimes, and distribute them—often under cover of night—to communities throughout China in an effort to inform their fellow citizens, who would otherwise only have access to the propaganda produce by state-run media. They also report abuses inside China to overseas volunteers and organize petitions.
These combined efforts constitute the largest civil disobedience movement in the world today.
These individuals produce leaflets exposing the Chinese regime's human rights abuses, as well as its historical crimes, and distribute them—often under cover of night—to communities throughout China in an effort to inform their fellow citizens, who would otherwise only have access to the propaganda produce by state-run media. They also report abuses inside China to overseas volunteers and organize petitions.
These combined efforts constitute the largest civil disobedience movement in the world today.
What Is Falun Gong
Violent Persecution
In 1999, a few leaders in the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) launched a systematic campaign to “eradicate” the spiritual practice, after witnessing its widespread popularity. This campaign aimed to violently suppress the tens of millions of people who practiced Falun Gong.
For more than 20 years, millions of Falun Gong practitioners in China have been subject to police harassment, abduction, imprisonment, torture, and death in custody. Furthermore, untold numbers have been killed and their organs extracted to fuel a booming, multibillion-dollar organ transplant industry in China.
Meanwhile, the CCP’s vilifying propaganda has been carried over by some media in the West.
Despite the persecution, an estimated 20 million to 40 million practitioners continue to engage in peaceful civil disobedience throughout China.
For more than 20 years, millions of Falun Gong practitioners in China have been subject to police harassment, abduction, imprisonment, torture, and death in custody. Furthermore, untold numbers have been killed and their organs extracted to fuel a booming, multibillion-dollar organ transplant industry in China.
Meanwhile, the CCP’s vilifying propaganda has been carried over by some media in the West.
Despite the persecution, an estimated 20 million to 40 million practitioners continue to engage in peaceful civil disobedience throughout China.
Why Does the CCP Persecute Falun Gong?
Four key factors are:
1. In 1998, an official regime survey found that 70 million to 100 million people were practicing Falun Gong. This meant that the spiritual practice saw more popularity than the CCP, which had approximately 60 million members at the time, a fact that some CCP leaders saw as threatening.
2. Falun Gong has no formal membership and no houses of worship, and is loosely organized. Consequently, the practice became the largest group outside of the regime’s control.
3. Falun Gong’s spiritual teachings were perceived by some CCP leaders as a threat to the communist culture of atheism, materialism, and struggle.
4. Ultimately, the decision to persecute Falun Gong boiled down to the personal motivations of then-CCP leader Jiang Zemin. Despite opposition from other Party leaders, Jiang orchestrated the campaign to eliminate Falun Gong and assert his power over the Party and the country.
1. In 1998, an official regime survey found that 70 million to 100 million people were practicing Falun Gong. This meant that the spiritual practice saw more popularity than the CCP, which had approximately 60 million members at the time, a fact that some CCP leaders saw as threatening.
2. Falun Gong has no formal membership and no houses of worship, and is loosely organized. Consequently, the practice became the largest group outside of the regime’s control.
3. Falun Gong’s spiritual teachings were perceived by some CCP leaders as a threat to the communist culture of atheism, materialism, and struggle.
4. Ultimately, the decision to persecute Falun Gong boiled down to the personal motivations of then-CCP leader Jiang Zemin. Despite opposition from other Party leaders, Jiang orchestrated the campaign to eliminate Falun Gong and assert his power over the Party and the country.
Key Statistics
What is the scale of the persecution of Falun Gong today? Drawing from first-hand accounts, victim testimonies, documentation by independent human rights organizations, research by investigative journalists, leaked government documents, and whistleblower interviews, the scope of the CCP’s campaign against Falun Gong is clear.
Amid a persecution targeting 70 million to 100 million Chinese people, at least several million have been detained. At least hundreds of thousands have been tortured. More than 4,900 have been confirmed to have been killed via torture or sustained abuse in detention, and sources estimate that hundreds of thousands have been killed through forced organ harvesting.
Meanwhile, Falun Gong practitioners continue their efforts to resist the persecution and expose the truth to their neighbors and communities. Today, an estimated 20 million to 40 million practitioners are actively engaged in exposing the CCP’s human rights abuses, constituting the largest civil disobedience movement in the world today.
Amid a persecution targeting 70 million to 100 million Chinese people, at least several million have been detained. At least hundreds of thousands have been tortured. More than 4,900 have been confirmed to have been killed via torture or sustained abuse in detention, and sources estimate that hundreds of thousands have been killed through forced organ harvesting.
Meanwhile, Falun Gong practitioners continue their efforts to resist the persecution and expose the truth to their neighbors and communities. Today, an estimated 20 million to 40 million practitioners are actively engaged in exposing the CCP’s human rights abuses, constituting the largest civil disobedience movement in the world today.
Forced Organ Harvesting
A growing body of evidence shows that Chinese hospitals have colluded with the CCP to forcibly remove the organs of prisoners of conscience, killing them in the process. The main source of these organs is practitioners of Falun Gong.
Prisoners of conscience are regularly screened for their blood and tissue types, then killed on demand when a matching patient needs an organ transplant. This lucrative state-run business is estimated to be worth at least $1 billion annually.
Deeper analyses of China’s organ donation system, the profiling of detained prisoners and their disappearances, and the accounts of prison guards and Chinese doctors who witnessed the removal of organs from unwilling, living people have painted a picture of this heinous crime.
In 2019, the China Tribunal, an independent people’s tribunal to investigate these allegations, unanimously concluded that “forced organ harvesting has been committed for years throughout China on a significant scale.”
Prisoners of conscience are regularly screened for their blood and tissue types, then killed on demand when a matching patient needs an organ transplant. This lucrative state-run business is estimated to be worth at least $1 billion annually.
Deeper analyses of China’s organ donation system, the profiling of detained prisoners and their disappearances, and the accounts of prison guards and Chinese doctors who witnessed the removal of organs from unwilling, living people have painted a picture of this heinous crime.
In 2019, the China Tribunal, an independent people’s tribunal to investigate these allegations, unanimously concluded that “forced organ harvesting has been committed for years throughout China on a significant scale.”
Civil Disobedience
For two decades, a grassroots movement consisting of tens of millions of people across China has peacefully challenged the hate and violence perpetuated by the Chinese Communist Party.
These individuals produce leaflets exposing the Chinese regime's human rights abuses, as well as its historical crimes, and distribute them—often under cover of night—to communities throughout China in an effort to inform their fellow citizens, who would otherwise only have access to the propaganda produce by state-run media. They also report abuses inside China to overseas volunteers and organize petitions.
These combined efforts constitute the largest civil disobedience movement in the world today.
These individuals produce leaflets exposing the Chinese regime's human rights abuses, as well as its historical crimes, and distribute them—often under cover of night—to communities throughout China in an effort to inform their fellow citizens, who would otherwise only have access to the propaganda produce by state-run media. They also report abuses inside China to overseas volunteers and organize petitions.
These combined efforts constitute the largest civil disobedience movement in the world today.
Falun Gong Publications
Videos
2024
Video: Huge Banner With Text ‘Falun Dafa Is Good’ Flies Over Hudson River in New York
On May 13, an airplane towing a huge banner with the words "Falun Dafa Is Good" in English and Chinese flew over the Hudson River for hours. May 13 is ...
2024
Highlights of 2024 World Falun Dafa Day Parade in New York
Thousands of Falun Gong practitioners participated in a parade in New York City on May 10 to celebrate World Falun Dafa Day. World Falun Dafa Day was first designated on ...
2024
2024 World Falun Dafa Day Parade in New York
Thousands of Falun Gong practitioners will participate in a parade in New York City on May 10 to celebrate World Dafa Day.
2023
Finding Courage | Documentary
A former journalist for the Chinese Communist Party (Yifei Wang), living in exile in San Francisco, struggles to settle into life in America while working to heal her family’s wounds ...
2023
Falun Gong: In Their Own Words
It’s an early Sunday morning at Veterans Park in Otisville, upstate New York, a time of year when the trees are still green, but the mornings start to have a ...
2023
Legends Unfolding: On the Thirteenth of May
This is Manhattan, New York. Since 1999, many Falun Dafa practitioners and supporters from around the world gather annually to celebrate World Falun Dafa Day…
2023
Inside a CCP Scheme to Bribe an IRS Official to Target Falun Gong, DOJ Charges Two: Levi Browde | ATL:NOW
Two suspected Chinese agents were recently charged for attempting to bribe a public official with tens of thousands of dollars in a scheme targeting the persecuted faith group Falun Gong ...
2022
Medical Genocide: Hidden Mass Murder in China’s Organ Transplant Industry | Documentary
China now performs the most organ transplants in the world, yet has few voluntary donors. While the regime has admitted to harvesting organs from death row prisoners, they account for ...
US Calls on CCP to Open Up for Independent Probe of ‘Depraved’ Organ Harvesting
The State Department called on Beijing to 'cease its depraved actions against prisoners of conscience.'
06-27-2024 Fibromyalgia Recovery: From 2 Years of Severe Pain After a Car Accident to Overnight Cure
'My body felt like an instrument of torture, a prison trapping and tormenting me,' Isabella Murphy said.
06-12-2024 Viewpoints
May 11, 2024
32 Years of Falun Gong: A Light for the World
Falun Gong, with its peace and resilience in confronting the CCP’s evil, is affecting the world.
Jan 15, 2024
‘State Organs’: Unmasking Transplant Abuse in China
Produced in Canada in 2023, "State Organs" is a riveting 75-minute documentary from director Raymond Zhang that carries the viewer on a parallel journey, presenting a searing exposé of forced ...
Dec 30, 2023
Hidden Repression in ‘Dalifornia,’ China
Commentary A town in southern China near the border with Burma (Myanmar) is getting international attention, but only part of the story is told. The town, called Dali, is portrayed ...
Jul 20, 2023
The Shame of the Silence of the West
Commentary There is a strategic price that the West will pay—and is paying already—for its failure to take a moral stand against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for its policy ...
Jul 19, 2023
The CCP’s Genocide Against Falun Gong Rages On
Commentary In a summer marked by the war ravaging Ukraine, rampant inflation, heat waves, and other global disruptions, one additional dismal human milestone must be acknowledged in all its horrific ...
May 22, 2023
A Prayer for the Victims of the CCP
Commentary Many people ask: what can they possibly do to assist the persecuted in China? It is not easy. Other nations, let alone ordinary citizens, often seem to have little ...
May 12, 2023
The Long Road to Confronting China’s War on Religion, Part III
Seeking out Uyghur refugees—with legal status or otherwise—I traveled to Central Asia and Turkey.
May 10, 2023
The Long Road to Confronting China’s War on Religion, Part II
News Analysis Falun Gong emerged in China in 1992, a time of a spiritual renewal in a land still under communist rule, but one recovering from the horrors of Mao ...