Tang Zhihua, a farmer of Qianjin Township, Qionglai City, Sichuan Province, was an avid practitioner of Falun Gong.
On the early morning of August 11, 1999, Tang cut off his two-year-old son's genitals with a kitchen knife because he was suffering from a delusion that "doomsday" was coming and was distraught. Tang's father said the boy's screams aroused the neighbors, and they rushed over and tied Tang up with a rope. But when they were busy trying to give first-aid to the boy, Tang managed to struggle free and injured himself.
According to his father, Tang began to practice Falun Gong four years ago, and it was at a practice session that he got to know his wife. After that, they did the exercises together all day long. Two months ago his wife disappeared.
Four or five days before he hurt his son and himself, he often burst into tears and was restless. The village leaders tried to persuade him to abandon the practice, but he did not listen to them, and still believed Li Gongzhi's fallacy about the imminence of "doomsday". Finally his obsession resulted in tragedy. The severed penis cannot be rejoined now, although father and son are out of danger.
