Qin Fang was born in 1969 into an ordinary rural family in Yongfu County, Guangxi Province. Her father was employed as an average worker in a small local factory while her mother worked as a farmer at home. Since childhood, Qin Fang had been a reassuring child, sensible and well-behaved.
When she grew up, Qin Fang took her father's place as a worker in the factory. At the age of 25, however, the factory was closed and she lost her job. Then, Qin Fang's parents thought of Tang Huafang, one of Qin Fang's aunts, who worked in Sanshui, Foshan City, Guangdong Province. As Tang Huafang lived alone in Sanshui with no children, she agreed after some contacts to accept Qin Fang as her adopted daughter and then transferred Qin Fang's registered residence from her hometown Yongfu to Sanshui. From then on, Qin Fang's household registration status changed from rural to urban, that’s to say, she had become an urban resident.
Being hooked on Qigong to improve health
Henceforth, Qin Fang had been working in Sanshui to support her own life. Every month when she got her salary, she would send some money to her biological parents far away in Guangxi. In the 1980s and 1990s, martial arts and Qigong became very popular, with a variety of martial arts novels and Qigong magazines springing up everywhere. Qin Fang came across many martial arts and Qigong books, newspapers, and magazines, from which she learned the stories of the founders of some Qigong exercises, such as Xiang Gong, Zhong Gong, and Bodhi Gong and so on. In a Xinhua bookstore, she found a book about Fanteng Gong. It was said that even cancer could be cured by Fanteng Gong, so she bought a book about it and soon started to practice the exercise.
Qin Fang had frequent tonsil inflammation and suppuration attacks, which happened almost every month. Every time they occurred, it would take her more than half a month to recover through medical treatment. As a result, half of her monthly salary went to hospitals every month, which made her very sad and helpless. For her, the only purpose of practicing Qigong was to keep fit, without having to pay for seeing a doctor. Then, following the instructions in the book, she practiced Fanteng Gong day and night for three or four months, but to no effect. Qin Fang felt this kind of book was deceiving. As for other exercises practiced by people in the park, she had to pay a hundred Yuan if she wanted to learn them. What's more, it wasn't clear whether they would have any effect, so she thought those exercises couldn't be trusted either.
Getting addicted to Falun Gong
In February 1998, a practicing site of a new exercise called Falun Gong appeared in the Cultural Park, where some people were teaching the exercise and looked very enthusiastic. They passionately introduced the Falun Gong exercise to the crowd, saying they taught it for free and that the "Master" had "Dharma body (or Law Body)" and "Falun (or Law Wheel)" to protect the practitioners. In Qin Fang's eyes, most of those who taught for fee were liars, only those who promised to teach for free must be experts. Therefore, Falun Gong won the trust of Qin Fang, who immediately got addicted to it.
As required in a Falun Gong book, she went to the practicing site to practice Falun Gong every morning and took part in the group Fa-study at night. In a place away from her hometown, she had got a circle of close friends. As she kept practicing every day, her mood improved, so did her health and tonsils. However, she didn't understand that it was the result of her mental, physical and immune improvement; instead, she thought that, as Zhuan Falun stated, "Master" would help clean up his disciples' bodies in another dimension and take away their diseases as long as they practiced wholeheartedly. Due to the improvement in her health, Qin Fang believed that Li Hongzhi was what he claimed to be a great Buddha and a Master of the universe. At that time, Qin Fang's adoptive mother retired and stayed at home, so Qin Fang taught her the Falun Gong exercise and they went to participate in the group Fa-study and practice together.
Her rhythm of practicing Falun Gong heart and soul was broken on July 22, 1999 when it was banned according to law by the state. Soon afterward, TV stations reported the "4.25 Incident" of more than 10,000 Falun Gong practitioners besieging Zhongnanhai in Beijing; and the incidents of Falun Gong practitioners besieging Tianjin Education Institute, some TV stations, and public places such as railway stations; as well as the cases of Falun Gong practitioners going mad, killing people, committing suicide, self-mutilating, refusing medical treatment and drugs. Nevertheless, Qin Fang, who was full of respect and admiration for "Master" Li Hongzhi, didn't believe those reports at all. She only believed in "Master" Li Hongzhi, the "Main Buddha" of the universe, thinking that Falun Gong had been vilified. She would neither read any report that described Falun Gong as bad, nor care how evil Falun Gong was in the eyes of the government. As long as she thought it was useful, she would persist in practicing it. So Qin Fang continued her practice and study at home. She and her adoptive mother copied Li's "Scriptures", "Teachings" and "Zhuan Falun" day and night, immersing themselves in the world of Falun Gong every day, so attentive, dedicated and even oblivious of themselves. They wished that they could live up to the purpose of Master's benevolence and suffering by achieving "Consummation".
Clarifying so-called "truth"
At the end of 2006 and the beginning of 2007, Qin's fellow practitioners, Mr. and Mrs. Chen Shen, went to her home twice, bringing her and her adoptive mother a lot of study materials, such as ten copies of books about the "scriptures" and "teachings" delivered by Li Hongzhi from 1999 when Falun Gong was banned to 2005; more than ten CDs about the so-called "truth" of Tiananmen Square self-immolation incident, Li Hongzhi's prophecy and "three quits" (i.e., quitting the CCP, Youth League and the Young Pioneer) propaganda; as well as some brochures about going out to clarify "truth". This was the first time Qin Fang had read the "new scripture" text. "Master" Li Hongzhi made severe criticism against disciples like Qin Fang who was absorbed only in personal cultivation at home; and he warned that if they didn't go out to clarify "truth", then they were not following the instructions from "Master" Li and meeting the standard of "Dafa disciples" but were helping the "old forces", so they were the ones to be weeded out in the future.
In 2008, Qian Bo and his wife, both Qin Fang's fellow practitioners, came to her home bringing with them Li Hongzhi's latest "scriptures" and “teachings”. After reading the text in those "scriptures" and “teachings”, Qin Fang and her adoptive mother felt that "Fa-rectification" was coming to an end and that if they didn't hurry up, they would not only miss the opportunity to achieve "Consummation” but also face the risk of being exterminated and eliminated. Then, Qin Fang's adoptive mother began to take on the task of having the Falun Gong materials copied, while Qin Fang delivered those materials from door to door to people in various communities of the Southwest Street. On September 22, 2009, they were investigated by law enforcement officials and punished by law.
By then, Qin Fang had been obsessed with Falun Gong for more than 11 years. How many 11 years are there in one's life? Those years’ lost will never come back. It is a pity that she has devoted the golden period of her life from age 28 to 40 to the Falun Gong cult.
Starting a new life after salvation
At that time, Qin Fang, whose mind had been firmly controlled by heresies, was experiencing a mental shock. She thought that she should guard and validate the "Fa" with practical actions. She recalled that “Master” said no one could hurt the Dafa disciples who were protected by his "Law Body". So, on one occasion, while others were off guard, she picked up a thermos bottle quickly, opened the lid and drank a mouthful of boiling hot water. Instantly, Qin Fang suffered severe pain in her mouth and throat and began to feel panic and regret. After being sent to hospital, she underwent medical treatment silently, expecting to be the target for public ridicule. But things were not as Qin Fang expected. Some people volunteered to take care of her day and night while doctors came to the ward to see her every day. After half a month of careful treatment, her wound was gradually healing up.
These personal experiences made Qin Fang realize at last that she had been cheated by the Falun Gong cult. The image of Li Hongzhi as "an omnipotent, highly respected and compassionate Master" in Qin Fang's mind was shattered by reality. Fortunately, Qin Fang met many caring, patient and kind-hearted people. Xiao Su, a volunteer, took her to participate in various group activities, such as singing, dancing, and playing games; Xiao Ma, a psychologist, regularly offered her psychological counseling with patience and care, advised her to read some books on mental health and encouraged her to face life bravely.
Little by little, Qin Fang felt that she had regained her vitality and raised interest in many things. She began to talk and laugh delightedly, getting well along with people. With her mind no longer in a mess, she began to have a rational understanding of Falun Gong.
Several years later, when some volunteers came back to visit Qin Fang, they learned that Qin Fang had got a relatively stable job and that she had fallen in love, expecting her love to blossom into fruit of marriage.
(Excerpts from The Stories of 36 Cult Victims)
