Shen Yun posters are everywhere — here's everything you need to know about the mysterious show and the 'cult' behind it

 Posters for Shen Yun are so ubiquitous that they've become a meme. But what is it, anyway?

The show, organized by Chinese religious minority Falun Gong which is opposed to the Chinese government, carries a strong political message.

It's shockingly profitable, according to public financial filings. The Shen Yun organization made $22.5 million in 2016.

Shen Yun is a way Falun Gong communicates the story of its persecution.

If you've walked around in literally any city lately, you've probably seen a poster for Shen Yun.

The cryptic advertisements usually feature a woman serenely gliding through the air in front of a lavender background. They bear the enigmatic slogan "5,000 years of civilization reborn." It seems to be an ad for a dance performance. 

But Shen Yun, as it turns out, isn't just a dance show. It's also part of an elaborate messaging strategy for Falun Gong — also known as Falun Dafa — a Chinese religious and political group persecuted within China that opposes the country's ruling party.

So how, exactly, did a dissident Chinese political-and-religious organization start a dance show that became a meme and marketing juggernaut in the US? And what does any of this have to do with harvesting organs?

Well, we'll explain.

OK, so what exactly is Shen Yun?

According to people who've seen the show, it's a series of colorful dance vignettes, each one presenting a historical anecdote or ideological belief from Falun Gong.

The New Yorker's Jia Tolentino describes it as "religious-political propaganda ... an extremely elaborate commercial for Falun Dafa's spiritual teachings and its plight vis-à-vis the Chinese Communist regime."

There are a few different troupes that tour the world. Dancers are trained at the Fei Tan Academy of the Arts, which is part of a 427-acre refuge for Falun Gong adherents in upstate New York. Profits from Shen Yun shows go towards maintaining the academy. The dance companies also, unusually, have a mixture of paid and unpaid performers, according to Hazlitt.

Shen Yun has a wide reach. It's playing in 94 different American cities this year, and has dozens of other shows in Canada, Mexico, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand — but not, as you can imagine, China.

So it's basically propaganda?

Well, it depends who you ask. But yes, the show definitely has a specific ideological bent. The purpose of Shen Yun is to demonstrate the evils of China's communist party and its beliefs. The show is fervently anti-atheist, anti-evolution, anti-Mao Zedong, and anti-Karl Marx.

Shen Yun also highlights specific examples of China's communist party persecuting Falun Gong. The show includes a "dance with the organ harvesting," according to the New Yorker. We'll explain the organ harvesting thing in a bit.

How do they afford all those posters?

Since Shen Yun is an arm of Falun Gong, it relies on Falun Gong members to help spread the word. Those Shen Yun posters everywhere? The ubiquity is the result of hardworking volunteers on the ground, distributing flyers and arranging the shows with venues in exchange for just a couple of tickets to the show.

Aside from that, the show actually has enormous demand. The ticket prices vary by city and venue, but they can go into the hundreds of dollars. Wen Chen, a Falun Gong organizer in California, told the Los Angeles Times he gave away his own tickets to a show in Los Angeles when the waitlist was more than 100 people long.

shen yun

Shen Yun shows promise a wide-ranging look at Chinese civilization — in a way the country's ruling communist party refuses. Shen Yun/YouTube

The money made from shows, according to the Los Angeles Times, goes back to the Fei Tian Academy of the Arts, which can then train more Shen Yun players. The organization has its own budget, which is publicly published, and appears to be financially independent from the rest of Falun Gong.

It's quite profitable: Shen Yun made $22.5 million in revenue in 2016, the latest year where public filings are available, and spent only $7.3 million in expenses. The Shen Yun organization had more than $75 million in total assets, according to the filing.

But because Shen Yun is part of Falun Gong, the advertising isn't just about selling tickets, and the show isn't just about making money. As Business Journal pointed out, the show also functionally spreads the word of Falun Gong, and offers a view of China that differs from the Communist party line. The marketing helps makes what would otherwise be a fringe event — a politically infused dance show — into a legitimate and significant cultural force.

Uh, OK. So is the show any good?

Most people think the dancer's acrobatic performances are pretty cool, even if the show's messages are confusing.

On Yelp, the reviews are mixed. A lot of people express feeling cheated for not realizing that the show promotes Falun Gong.

shen yun dance wide

Shen Yun dancers rehearsing for a 2016 performance in Long Beach, California. Scott Varley/Digital First Media/Torrance Daily Breeze via Getty Images

"Some of the dancing was pretty, an occasional skit was amusing, one of the musical numbers with the Chinese two-stringed instrument was very nice, but mostly it was repetitive and schlocky," Ruth N. wrote about a performance in San Francisco. "AND, definitely filled with proselytizing of the very bizarre Falun Gong cult."

Others were impressed by the athleticism, costume design, and storytelling, including Cate Blanchett. The actress said the show was "an extraordinary experience for us and the children" and that "the level of skill, but also the power of the archetypes and the narratives were startling."   

In fact, Shen Yun's advertising campaign is a long list of apparent endorsements from celebrities and politicians They're touted on its website and included in a lot of ad campaigns. Even presidential candidate Sen. Amy Klobuchar put out a statement supporting the show. shen yun dance wide The dance troupe performs along a 40-member orchestra. Scott Varley/Digital First Media/Torrance Daily Breeze via Getty Images But it's not clear how these statements were obtained and why they've been issued. Klobuchar's team told the Star Tribune in 2015 that her statement was meant to be categorized as a "diplomatic gesture" in support of an international cultural group. A representative for Blanchett didn't immediately respond to INSIDER's request for comment. Shen Yun didn't immediately respond to requests for comment on this story. What's the deal with Falun Gong?

Falun Gong is a religious and political group from China with beliefs related to Buddhism and Taoism. It focuses on the human body through the lens of an idea and practice called qigong, which is meant to achieve enlightenment. The group was founded by Li Hongzhi in 1992. He's controversial for his personal beliefs, which are homophobic, racist, and anti-science. Didn't the founder of Falun Gong say something about aliens awhile back? Yes. Li outlined some of his more eyebrow-raising beliefs in an interview with Time magazine in 1992. He said that David Copperfield can really levitate off the ground, that qigong can cure illness, and that aliens introduce science in the world so that they could use human bodies. li hongzhi falun gong dafa leader Li Hongzhi, the master of Falun Gong, in New York in 1999. "Everyone thinks that scientists invent on their own when in fact their inspiration is manipulated by the aliens," Li said. "The ultimate purpose is to replace humans ... The human body is the most perfect in the universe. It is the most perfect form. The aliens want the human body." What's China's beef with them?

Falun Gong grew quickly in the 1990s. By 1999, the group had between 70 million and 100 million followers, according to the New York Times. The group became a significant voice of protest in a country that, at the time, had a population of nearly 1.3 billion. Falun Gong's largest protest — of 10,000 people — occurred in 1999, and ultimately sparked a crackdown, as described in a 2008 congressional report. Falun Gong is technically banned in China, so you won't find Shen Yun shows there. China's embassy in the United States has published multiple statements bashing Falun Gong, Li, and Shen Yun. The notion that Falun Gong is a "cult" is a feature of Chinese propaganda against the organization. "The so-called "Shen yun" is not a cultural performance at all but a political tool of 'Falun Gong' to preach cult messages, spread anti-China propaganda, increase its own influence and raise funds," the embassy said in a statement. "The public need to stay away from the so-called 'Shenyun' performance of the 'Falun Gong' organization so as to avoid being deceived and used by the cult."

Shen Yun: What The Flyers Don’t Tell You

By Maria Raczka   Updated March 4, 2022

A Former Shen Yun Musician Takes You Inside Her Nightmare Experience

A Note From The Editor: A previous version of this article contained inaccurate facts regarding the history of Falun Gong. To highlight transparency, this piece has been edited to only reflect the lived experience of the author, the views and opinions here do not necessarily reflect the views of CitySignal.

On March 10, 2022, the Shen Yun Performing Arts ensemble will start its first-week performance at 7 PM. Running until March 20 at the David H. Koch Theater in New York City, Shen Yun is coming to town once more to delight its audiences. The tickets range from $162-210. The performance is truly a spectacle with beautiful costumes and gliding dancers.

Insider musician’s story

When I first arrived for my audition, I was in awe of the beauty of the 427-acre compound in Cudlebackville/Deerpark, New York (about two hours from New York City). However, as much as I admired the beauty of the poor, caged peacocks inside the park, I could not help feeling alarmed by a lack of connection to the outside world. Even though I was there with an invitation, the armed guards at the gate waited until someone arrived to pick me up. So I had to leave my car by the gate and wait for my host. As we drove about a mile down the path, I marveled at the magnificent reproductions of Asian temples, a lake, the main concert halls, and residences. Inside the compound, you can find everything/everyone necessary for survival: lawyers, accountants, chefs, tailors, musical instrument repair, store, practice rooms, meditation rooms, concert hall, masons/builders, mailroom, movie theater, parking, and armed guards. At first, I was impressed, as I loved meditating, so this seemed like pure heaven and a beautiful place to be. Furthermore, my salary was in the mid-40s, which I considered a passable stepping-stone because I was still finishing my degree.

Rules and Regulations (spoken and unspoken)

About a month into my residence, heaven started turning to hell.

After familiarizing myself with the basic Falun Gong concepts, I could not believe how far away those were from truth, benevolence, or forbearance (alleged principles of Falun Gong). One would expect an organization that stands up for human rights not to discriminate. Both the book (and in practice), the spiritual movement is strongly prejudiced.

anti-atheist,

anti-evolution, 

anti-gay/lesbian (Li’s manual calls homosexuality a “depraved thing” on page 2)

sexist, 

racist (the manager informed me that his skin got proportionally lighter the more he meditated, and there was not a single African-American person on-site despite hundreds of musicians), 

and judgemental.

Cult-like elements designed to control members’ lives were prominent throughout the practice. 

Members were segregated by art disciplines to prevent co-mingling. 

Visiting or inviting families into the workplace was discouraged. 

The organization (unofficially) prompted members to marry and socialize exclusively within the movement (leaving town to visit significant others is frowned upon). 

Members were encouraged to live in dwellings provided by other members or in the close vicinity of the work compound (renting a private apartment and independent living was discouraged).

Members were highly discouraged from outside entertainment, dining, and drinking, 

Pictures inside the compound are not allowed.

Medical assistance outside of meditation was discouraged. 

Personal documents such as passports were initially confiscated for visa purposes and kept with the company.

In addition, members must socialize within their sex (eating in the cafeteria is segregated by males/females, and social interaction is minimal).  

Members felt pressure to meditate in groups, so that time spent meditating is supervised.

Communal meditation times must be preserved.

Greeting Li Hongzhi or his wife must be done with reverence and bowing (followers must call him “Master”).

The only reading encouraged is Lee Hongzhi’s book which contains spiritual, moral, and prescriptive dogma.

A prominent belief that “the master” knows your darkest thoughts and actions.

Even artistic creativity and freedom seemed absent as pieces composed by Lee Hongzhi (a former trumpet player with a short-lived career at a forest police unit in Jilin Province, China) took center stage. Those were said to contain inherent spiritually enlightening characteristics. However, many professionally trained musicians will agree that those are rather simplistic and repetitive musical structures. The entertainment value of Shen Yun’s performances is mainly in the visual, drama, costumes, and dancing.

Not a religion (spiritual method/discipline)

The practitioners are adamant in refusing to proclaim Falun Gong as a religion. The meditation, spiritual practices, and reading the book are said to 

promote one’s road onto enlightenment, 

decrease attachment to earthly desires, 

increase peace, 

improve health/cure diseases (in fact, there are claims of Falun Gong members being persecuted/killed to confiscate their healthy organs), 

improve youth and overall appearance, and 

lighten the skin tone.

My increasingly contentious relationship with the manager (exacerbated by me constantly leaving the compound, joining an outside gym, chatting with males and females alike, and having a boyfriend outside of Falun Gong) culminated around the time of my introduction to Li Hongzhi. He seemed aloof and stood there smiling, much like the pope in public celebrations (the pope generally looks more friendly). Since I was the only one who did not bow before him, I immediately stuck out due to my lack of reverence. Around that time, I started skipping all the extracurricular/fun activities such as movie nights and the like. Instead, after work, I would join fellow musicians in a restaurant and have dinner with a couple of glasses of wine. Following one of our excursions, a friend alerted me to spying/monitoring as she was given a speech about drinking and going out. My uneasiness increased since I started seeing cars following me whenever I would leave the compound.

Escape

Finally, one Friday, after the rehearsals were over, I packed a bag to visit my boyfriend. About 20 minutes into my drive, I got a phone call from my manager asking where I was. Imagine my alarm and shock to think someone was keeping tabs on me. After a short conversation explaining my misfit as a valuable community member, the manager informed me that I would be fired. As I pulled out of the parking lot where I stopped to take the call, I was vaguely aware of a car behind me. Perhaps it was paranoia, but regardless, I drove straight home, packed up my most important things, grabbed my cat, and informed the landlord that I would be back for my things later on in the week. As I was packing up, my landlord told me that she was sorry to see me leave and that I should be careful because there were strange cars passing back-and-forth and stopping on our small (dead-end) street.

As I drove away, I received another phone call from the manager asking me where I was going. I informed the manager that I was leaving since I was no longer in their employ and my activities should not concern them. About a week later, I came back with my boyfriend to grab the rest of my things. I had made arrangements to retrieve my passport from a fellow musician (to avoid going inside the compound again). My friend was an earnest believer of Falun Gong and informed me that since my previous job was not a great fit, perhaps I would be interested in teaching instead. She told me that the organization had room in their schools with a higher salary, and then maybe eventually, I would want to start playing again. I could not even bring myself to consider the option.

Falun Gong: Cult or a helpful institution?

While I was there, I met international musicians sponsored for a visa that worked for a mere fraction of what I made. Most of them lived in one-room dwellings that they rented from fellow Falun Gong practitioners. Many members donated their services, worked for free (simply for food and lodging), and many even allocated funds in their wills. As a result, Li Hongzhi’s residence is nothing short of luxurious and constantly expanding with new construction. He has amassed land in multiple locations, and this nonprofit that seeks to raise awareness of the Chinese government’s atrocities through art has become quite a lucrative venture. 

Li Hongzhi denies to acknowledge Falun Gong as a cult. “Falun Gong does not have temples, churches, baptism, all kinds of religious formalities,” he says. “People will go out to do the exercises every morning for half an hour or one hour and go back to work. That’s why I say it is not a cult.” Unfortunately, that is an incomplete truth. I witnessed meditation requirements multiple times daily, beautiful temples, seclusion from family/friends, and behavioral requirements with tremendous peer pressure to belong (and keep your job).  In addition, widespread accusations of withheld medical care, endangerment, and death are linked to the Falun Gong practice. While Li Hongzhi denies such allegations, I witnessed his staff discouraging employees from obtaining (work-sponsored) medical insurance as evidence of a lack of faith in the healing powers of  Falun Gong.

Perhaps I have had an anti-authority streak since I was a child and am simply overly sensitive. On the other hand, my experience is hardly unique since many have plotted to leave for months/years. Falun Gong alarmingly finds its place on international cult awareness sites. After all, many members praise “Master Li,” displaying his images on mini alters at home and the compound. So perhaps the Falun Gong compound is a cult or an institution that only serves the devoted. Or perhaps, I was simply unenlightened and lacked humility. As an arts patron, it’s up to you whom you will support. Judge for yourself.

A look into the mysterious roots of Shen Yun: Is the Morrison Center unknowingly hosting a front for a cult?

You’ve likely seen pamphlets or billboards around the Treasure Valley titled “SHEN YUN.” This year, the show’s motto is “China Before Communism,” with advertised images of a woman leaping through the air in a bright pink traditional Chinese dress and long baby blue water sleeves. 

But what the billboards don’t show is the new religious movement behind Shen Yun’s founding, cult accusations, controversial statements made by the group’s leader and a money trail that leads back to Cuddebackville, New York.

The Morrison Center in Boise hosted Shen Yun on Feb. 18 and 19. The Morrison Center told The Arbiter that since 2016, they’ve hosted the performance six times, the one exception being in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions.

According to the Morrison Center, Shen Yun’s rental expenses over the two days amounted to around $51,000.

Shen Yun is a non-profit started in 2006 by practitioners of the new religious movement, Falun Gong (also known as Falun Dafa). They host dance performances in major cities from America, to Europe and Asia. 

Falun Gong founder Hongzhi Li lives at the 400-acre Dragon Springs compound in New York, where Shen Yun is based.

Li has sparked controversy over his public remarks, once saying in a speech that heaven is segregated by race and disputed the theory of evolution. The Falun Dafa Info website claims that the Falun Gong practice has “showed marked or complete recovery,” of illnesses such as cancer.

Cult expert Rick Alan Ross has raised concerns over the Falun Dafa group promoted by the show, the leader behind Falun Dafa and how much the dancers are being paid. Ross, the executive director of the Cult Education Institute, spoke with The Arbiter by phone about why he believes Falun Gong meets the criteria of being a cult. 

Ross has testified as an expert in court on authoritarian groups in 11 states, including United States Federal Court. Of his 40 years of work in the field, Ross spent more than a decade working with over 50 former Falun Gong members and their families.

Ross is the author of the book “Cults Inside Out: How People Get in and Can Get Out” which includes a chapter dedicated to Falun Gong. He called the Shen Yun dance performance a “cash cow,” with Li generating an enormous amount of money. Ross said he has received repeated complaints from families that say Li pays the dance performers “very little.”

“They are essentially devoted to him, devoted to believing in him, believing in his claims about his spiritual unique superiority, so they give their lives to who they call Master Li,” Ross said.

A volunteer and representative for the Falun Dala Information Center, Larry Liu, spoke with The Arbiter by phone on March 9. He vehemently denied the idea that Falun Gong is a cult and said the label stems from a propaganda campaign waged by the Chinese government. 

Shen Yun comes to Boise 

According to ProPublica’s nonprofit explorer, Shen Yun Performing Arts Inc. posted a revenue of $33,236,932 in 2019, which was the latest year available. The documents show the group is based in Cuddebackville, New York, with total assets in 2019 listed at $144,328,349. 

The Arbiter attended one of Shen Yun’s three performances at the Morrison Center. Before resell prices, tickets ranged from $80 to $150 on Shen Yun’s website. 

After passing through security and admission, directly to the left of the entrance sat a table with books, videos and a streaming service for sale. One book read “Falun Gong,” written by Li. 

On the table, pink and yellow ornaments attached to a lotus flower read “FALUN DAFA IS GOOD,” with small pamphlets on the edge of the table offering free online lessons that read “FALUN DAFA (Falun Gong) A Traditional Self-Cultivation Practice to improve Mind and Body.”

Right next to the merchandise stand sat a news organization by the name of New Tang Dynasty (NTD).  According to NBC news, NTD is an affiliate of the Epoch Media Group, which includes the conservative media giant The Epoch Times, who have come under fire for advancing misinformation on their platforms.

NTD interviewed audience members about the show, later running the headline “Boise Audience Calls Shen Yun Beautiful, Powerful, Amazing.” Interviewees at the Boise productions included multiple business owners and state Rep. Brent Crane, R–ID. 

Li once referred to The Epoch Times and NTD as “our media,” while speaking to Falun Gong “disciples.” 

So what is Falun Gong? Who is Hongzhi Li? What does Falun Gong have to do with Shen Yun? Is the Morrison Center unknowingly hosting a show that works as a front for a cult?

What is Falun Gong/Falun Dafa?

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, started in 1992 by the proclaimed “Master” Hongzhi Li. 

A Washington Post report in which Li was interviewed, translated Falun Gong as “Law Wheel Great Way,” saying that it refers to Li’s belief that he uses telekinesis to implant a wheel of energy in his follower’s stomachs, “a miniature version of the cosmos that is always spinning. The wheel, he said, keeps the person’s energy aligned, making him physically and spiritually healthy.”

In a definition directly from a Falun Dala representative, Liu said the core teachings of Falun Gong center on assimilating the principles of “truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance” in their daily lives.

External research shows that Falun Gong also holds a mixture of beliefs and practices pertaining to Buddhism, Taoism, qigong breathing practices, anti-communism and a variety of stories from the founder regarding aliens.

In a series of answers, Li told Time in 1999 that aliens from “other planets” introduced modern machinery and science with the “ultimate purpose to replace humans” with clones, while introducing legislation to stop human reproduction.

When Time Magazine asked Li if he was human, he said, “You can think of me as a human being,” after being asked if he was from earth, Li said that he didn’t wish to talk about himself at a “higher level,” since people wouldnt understand. 

Li would later tell The Washington Post that his quotes regarding aliens using cloning technologies to take over earth were meant as metaphors to ancient Buddhist thought. 

In a 1996 speech, Li talked about how homosexuality was not permitted by “the principles of heaven,” dismissed evolutionary theory and said that “The races in the world are not allowed to be mixed up.”

When asked about Li’s comments regarding race, Liu told The Arbiter that Falun Gong teachings do not promote racial discrimination and that Li’s comments on aliens are not important to the core principles of Falun Gong. 

Similarly to Li’s reputation with the media, the Falun Gong leader has an adverse relationship with the Chinese government. However, the group was viewed much differently at the beginning of its life.

[The Shen Yun dance and music company rehearses at the Long Beach Performing Arts Center. The group was founded by practitioners of the Falun Gong spiritual discipline, which is banned in China.]
Photo courtesy of Rick Loomis

Falun Gong initially had a cordial relationship with the Chinese government. According to the Falun Dafa Info Center, in 1993, the official newspaper of China’s Ministry of Public Security praised Li for his contributions “in promoting the traditional crime-fighting virtues of the Chinese people, in safeguarding social order and security, and in promoting rectitude in society.”

A New York Times report from April 1999 detailed how 10,000 followers of Li’s gathered in a silent protest outside of the Zhongnanhai government building in Beijing. During this time period, the Chinese government estimated some 70 million practitioners of Falun Gong, while Li placed his estimate at 100 million. 

The New York Times and Washington Post referred to Li’s followers at the time as a “cult.” 

In 1999, Li would be labeled a criminal by the Chinese government and the group itself would be outlawed under an anti-cult law. By this time, Li had already immigrated to the United States.

In the Shen Yun programme, a picture of a man with sunglasses listed only by the initials “D.F.” is credited as Shen Yun’s artistic director, costume designer and founder. Page 25 of the programme listed U.S. Patent No. 9,468,860, “Invention by Shen Yun’s Artistic Director D.F.”

According to the U.S.Patent Public Search database, the applicant and inventor of this patent is Hongzhi Li, from Cuddebackville, New York — showcasing a direct tie between Li and the dance project, which the programme appears to hide. 

Despite hosting Shen Yun performances six times, the Morrison Center told The Arbiter that they were not familiar with Falun Gong or Hongzhi Li. Shen Yun did not respond to The Arbiter’s multiple requests for comment by email.

Cult Allegations 

Family members of Falun Gong members, cult counselors and cult experts have called Falun Gong a cult. The Falun Gong denies this characterization, saying it stems from the Communist Party of China.

Liu said calling Falun Gong a cult is used to justify further persecution of the group in China, persecution which Liu described as a “genocide.”

But family members of practicing Falun Gong followers with no connections to the Chinese government have also called the group a cult. 

A man named Samuel Luo sent a letter to the editor of the San Francisco Sentinel in 2006 calling the group a cult while claiming that his parents refused life-saving medical treatment due to being “brainwashed into believing Li Hongzhi.”

“Last year when the International Cultic Studies Association organized a program on the Falun Gong in which I was one of the presenters, the Falun Gong threatened the organization with a lawsuit and successfully suppressed our freedom of speech,” Luo wrote in the letter.

Ross said that in his opinion, he considered Falun Gong to be a cult because it fits three core characteristics of a destructive cult.

The three core characteristics Ross referenced are based on the published work of Harvard psychologist Robert J. Lifton, who studied cults. The first core characteristic is an authoritarian leader with no meaningful accountability who becomes an object of worship, Ross said Li fits this description.

[Angelia Wang, pictured, is the principal dancer of Shen Yun.]

The second core characteristic is that the group uses identifiable coercive persuasion, thought reform and influence techniques to gain undue influence over the people in the group. The third is the group does harm and is destructive, using the undue influence to exploit and cause harm to people.

Ross said that families will call him who have loved ones living in the Dragon Springs compound who they don’t feel they can communicate with. 

“The complaints that I receive about Falun Gong are consistent, which is family estrangement, social isolation, lack of communication and most disturbingly, people not taking medication and not going to a doctor when they need care,” Ross said.

In the last intervention Ross conducted, a young diabetic father almost died because he refused to take insulin due to thinking Falun Gong practices would cure his diabetes. The intervention worked and the man would eventually agree to regularly take his insulin, according to Ross. 

This practitioner’s experience was contradicted by Liu’s statement that Falun Gong does not prohibit or discourage taking medicine.

“It’s each individual’s choice whether or not to see a doctor and take medicine, just as one has the choice between traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine,” Liu said.

Another aspect Ross finds disturbing about Falun Gong and Shen Yun specifically is the lack of financial transparency regarding how much the Li family profits and pays performers.

Liu also disputed the claims by Ross that Li profits from his position as Falun Gong’s leader, or that people are isolated from their families. 

“Practicing Falun Gong involves meditation, but not worshiping. And Falun Gong, completely free to learn, doesn’t have binding membership. Every person feels free to come and go,” Liu said.

”The Day of Judgment Draws Nigh”

To a casual observer, the promotion of Falun Gong could be easily missed in the bright colors, orchestra music, impressive choreography and cheerful hosts. When one performer sang about end times, the day of judgment and evolution being the devil’s doctrine, audience members appeared unfazed. 

What gets lost in the persistent advertising, colorful billboards and glossy pamphlets that appear in the Boise community year after year is the controversial story behind the performance.

See you next year, Shen Yun.

Questions remain in Dragon Springs death（Janin Liu）

Questions remain in Deerpark death

No investigation scheduled;  religion rules out autopsy

BY STEPHEN SACCO

Many questions remain after a volunteer fell to his death at the Dragon Springs retreat in the Town of Deerpark over the weekend.

DEERPARK — Some questions remain unanswered about the Toronto man who fell to his death over the weekend while working on a construction site inside Dragon Springs.

Any answers may remain behind the gates of the religious community on Galley Hill Road.  Dragon Springs, as a nonprofit religious organization with a volunteer workforce, is not subject to the same safety regulations as private companies.

"We are a religious community," said a Dragon Springs man yesterday, who wouldn't identity himself.  "We do not give information to the public."

Janin Liu, 54, fell 16 feet to his death while working on a construction project.  State police say Liu was trying to grab a sheet of plywood when he fell.  Authorities say they do not suspect foul play.

An autopsy wasn't performed, since Liu's family objected on religious grounds, state police say.

There won't be an investigation into the accident, either.  The Town of Deerpark shut down the work site pending an investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.  But OSHA only has jurisdiction over employers and employees.

Liu was a volunteer, OSHA officials said yesterday.

Dragon Springs is a religious sanctuary for practitioners of Falun Gong, a spiritual practice similar to Buddhism.  Estimates of the number of people behind Dragon Springs' fence range from 40 to hundreds.  The Dragon Springs organization also owns several other properties on Galley Hill Road, records indicate.

Deerpark Supervisor Gary Flieger says the town's building department doesn't have the training to conduct an OSHA-like inspection or jurisdiction regarding worker-safety codes at what he calls a "major construction site" at Dragon Springs.  Earlier this year town and Dragon Spring officials clashed over access to the facility but have since resolved their differences.

Flieger says town building inspector Robert Emersonhad, in the past, expressed concerns regarding safety to Dragon Springs officials.  Emerson could not be reached for comment yesterday.

https://www.recordonline.com/story/news/2008/05/06/questions-remain-in-deerpark-death/52424185007/