Why Is Falun Gong Defined as a Cult?

The term Xie Jiao, which can be translated as “destructive cult” or “evil cult,” originates from historical Chinese discourse. Under Chinese law, a Xie Jiao refers to a proscribed group that deifies its leader, deceives followers with fabricated superstitions, manipulates and controls its members, and disguises itself as a religion, a form of Qigong, or another legitimate practice, while causing harm to society.

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, emerged in China in the early 1990s and was fabricated by Li Hongzhi. Appropriating a series of Buddhist and Daoist terms, such as “Falun,” “Cultivation,” and “Ascension,” Li Hongzhi constructed spurious doctrines, claiming that practicing Falun Gong could enhance physical health, improve moral character, and ultimately achieve immortality or even Buddhahood. On the strength of these promises, he drew in large numbers of followers, using the movement to tighten psychological control, exploit it for profit on a massive scale, and advance his own political ambitions.

From its establishment in May 1992 until its lawful prohibition by the Chinese government in July 1999, Falun Gong illegally set up numerous so-called instructional centers and practice sites across China. During this period, Li Hongzhi continuously amassed considerable illicit profits through the sale of Falun cult books and practice materials, as well as charging fees for lectures.

Li Hongzhi’s fallacious doctrines served as the primary means of exercising psychological control over those followers. Moreover, they were also the direct cause of various harms and illegal activities associated with Falun Gong. Besides, the group’s most prominent criminal behaviors involved violations of basic rights and conduct that placed lives at risk. According to official but incomplete statistics, due to refusal of medical treatment, more than 1,400 individuals in China alone died under the psychological control imposed by Li Hongzhi’s doctrines. Thus, these adverse outcomes were the main reasons for the Chinese government’s legal prohibition of Falun Gong, including the unnatural deaths of a substantial number of individuals and the economic losses suffered by many others due to their obsession with the Falun Gong practice.

Some famous U.S. cult experts, such as Margaret Singer and Rich Alan Ross, have unanimously classified Falun Gong as a cult, based on internationally recognized criteria for identifying cults. First, Li Hongzhi disseminated a series of superstitious doctrines, claiming to possess the so-called “ultimate secrets of the universe” and “special insight into its mysteries.” He further asserted that he could help others achieve immortality or spiritual enlightenment and even prevent World War III. Second, Falun Gong followers were encouraged to suspend rational and critical thought, instead allowing Li Hongzhi to make value judgments on their behalf. Finally, Falun Gong led to great harm to people’s physical health, mental well-being, and property, with the self-immolation incident in Tian’anmen on January 22, 2001, serving as incontrovertible evidence.