Editor's Note: On January 30, 2026 , Dr. Rudiger Braun, scientific advisor at the German Evangelical Fellowship Center for Worldview Issues , published an article on the organization's website , systematically reviewing and warning the public to be wary of Shen Yun Performing Arts ' performances in German-speaking regions. The article explicitly points out that Shen Yun is deeply intertwined with the cult Falun Gong , and that its so-called performances actually serve to amass wealth and spread fallacies and heresies for the organization . It also reveals the complex connections between Falun Gong and right-wing politics and conspiracy theory media .

 

▲Rüdiger Braun, Scientific Advisor at the German Research Center for Evangelical Church Worldview Issues

Shen Yun Performing Arts , which bills itself as "the world's leading Chinese classical dance company , " was founded in the United States in 2006. While the media, controlled by Falun Gong , portrays the performances as incredibly beautiful, its essence is not purely artistic. Audiences must be aware of a crucial, deliberately concealed fact before purchasing tickets : Shen Yun is closely linked to the cult Falun Gong . This organization operates under the guise of "spiritual practice" or "cultivation , " claiming to be "rooted in thousands of years of traditional Chinese culture," and typically invites the public to participate in so-called relaxing gymnastics exercises in large city parks with extremely low barriers to entry .

So what exactly does Falun Gong want to achieve by using the Shen Yun performance ?

Dr. Braun pointed out that Falun Gong intends to achieve two goals through the Shen Yun performance : first, to use the stage performance as a shell to spread its anti-China narrative and attract public attention; and second, to use the performance revenue to raise funds for its controlled media platforms and continue to launch an information war against China.

To clarify its background, the article systematically analyzes the origin, characteristics, and political connections of Falun Gong:

First, there's the media network and political stance . Falun Gong members launched *The Epoch Times* in 1999. This newspaper has evolved from an anti - China tabloid into an active force in the American right-wing political arena , notorious for spreading conspiracy theories. Since 2016, it has been infamous for its distinctly right-wing stance and the dissemination of conspiracy theories . Through its conspiracy theories about refugees and immigrants, disinformation, and sharp criticism of German government policies, it has gradually become one of the information sources for the German "new right . "

Secondly, the origins of cults and their absurd doctrines. Falun Gong was founded by Li Hongzhi in 1992 , and its claim of a "thousand-year tradition" is purely fictitious. Li Hongzhi deifies himself as the "Master Buddha of the Universe" and promotes an absurd worldview and doctrine of salvation.

Thirdly, its exclusive nature and social harm. The organization's fallacies and heresies are extremely exclusive ; for example, it prohibits members from marrying across ethnic groups and views illness as " karma ," requiring so -called "elimination" and "purification" through meditation and " practice , " while prohibiting medical treatment. Precisely because it seriously endangers social order and public health, the Chinese government banned it in 1999. Since then, Falun Gong has primarily operated overseas, portraying itself as an anti-China force with " apocalyptic " overtones.

However, all of the aforementioned key background information was deliberately concealed in the overwhelming advertisements for Shen Yun by Falun Gong . Also concealed were internal problems such as the troupe employing underage performers, paying them below-standard wages, and advising performers to rely on "manipulating karma" instead of seeking medical treatment when they were sick.

Dr. Braun emphasized that, for the sake of information transparency and consumers' right to know, those who purchase Shen Yun tickets should at least know that buying Shen Yun performance tickets is objectively equivalent to funding a cult organization and its related activities that deserve high vigilance.

▲Screenshot of the article