Li Hongzhi facts for kids

Li Hongzhi (Chinese: 李洪志; born in 1951 or 1952) is a Chinese spiritual leader. He is the founder of Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa. This is a spiritual practice that started in China and is now based in the United States. Li began teaching Falun Gong publicly on May 13, 1992, in Changchun, China. He then traveled across China, giving talks and teaching the Falun Gong exercises.

In 1995, Li started teaching Falun Gong in other countries. He moved to the United States in 1998. Falun Gong became very popular in the 1990s. However, the Chinese government banned it in 1999. They accused it of being a dangerous group. Today, Chinese citizens who practice Falun Gong often face serious risks. Their practice, Li Hongzhi, and related terms are heavily censored on the Chinese internet. The government often uses negative words to describe them.

Li has also been linked to the performing arts group Shen Yun. He is also connected to media groups like The Epoch Times and New Tang Dynasty Television. These groups promote Falun Gong's ideas. They also share some unproven ideas about world events. Li has said he believes aliens from other dimensions are on Earth. He believes they brought technology, war, and bad morals. Li says he is a special being who came to help humanity. He wants to save people from destruction caused by evil. When asked if he was human, Li said, "You can think of me as a human being."

Li Hongzhi's Early Life

There are different stories about Li Hongzhi's early life. These stories came out before and after Falun Gong was banned in 1999. There is not much official information about his younger years. What his supporters say and what his critics say are very different. These differences often depend on why the stories were told.

Stories from Supporters

An early unofficial story about Li appeared in his book, Zhongguo Falun Gong. It was written by a journalist named Zhu Huiguang. A second, official spiritual story was in early versions of Falun Gong's main book, Zhuan Falun. This one was written by the Falun Dafa Research Society. These stories were part of a campaign to promote Li and his practice. They focused on his spiritual journey. They gave few details about his regular work or family life. This way of writing about religious figures is common in China.

These stories say Li was born in Gongzhuling, Jilin Province. The first story said his family was poor. It described Li as learning to "bear hardships and tolerate hard work." He helped care for his younger brothers and sisters. The second story said Li came from an "ordinary intellectual's family."

Both stories say Li was naturally kind and disciplined. The official story mainly talks about the spiritual teachers who guided Li from a young age. It says that at age four, he was trained by Quan Jue. Quan Jue was a master from the Buddha School. By age eight, Li had gained "supernatural powers," like being invisible or floating. Master Quan left when Li was twelve. Then, a Taoist master named Baji Zhenren taught him martial arts and physical skills.

A third master arrived in 1972 from the Great Way School. Zhendaozi came from the Changbai Mountains near the North Korean border. Unlike Li's other teachers, Zhendaozi wore normal clothes. He taught Li about inner cultivation through Qigong. He stressed xinxing, which means "moral character." Li's training during this time often happened at night. This might have been because of the Cultural Revolution in China. One story says Li refused to join the Cultural Revolution campaigns. He never joined the Red Guards or communist groups.

A fourth master, a woman from the Buddha School, began teaching Li in 1974. After training with these four masters, Li's "spiritual power had reached a very high level." His personal growth reached a peak around this time. The story says Li could "see the truth of the universe." He could also see "many more beautiful things" and "the origin, development and future of mankind."

In 1982, Li moved to Changchun for "civilian employment," meaning a regular job. This suggests his previous work might have been with the military. At some point in the 1980s, Li got married and had a daughter.

In 1984, Li started to combine the teachings he had received. This would become Falun Dafa. The practice would not be exactly like what he was taught. This was because those older systems were not easy to teach to many people. Li began watching how other qigong masters taught. By 1989, he had finished creating his qigong system. For the next three years, until 1992, Li tested his system with a small group of students.

Falun Gong books published after 1999 no longer include stories about Li's life. These changes show that Li started to stay out of the public eye. Since 2000, he has rarely appeared in public. His presence is mostly through online messages or quotes on Falun Gong websites. Li Hongzhi's story was removed from Falun Gong websites after 2001.

Details from the Chinese Government

The Chinese government started publishing stories about Li after Falun Gong was banned in July 1999. These details about Li's life were part of the government's campaign against Falun Gong. Their goal was to show that Li Hongzhi was just an ordinary person. They wanted to prove that his claims of special abilities were false.

Li was born in 1951 or 1952. His parents divorced when he was a toddler. Li and his siblings stayed with his mother. In 1955, they moved to Changchun.

Li is said to have gone to primary and middle school in Changchun from 1960 to 1970. Like most students in China, Li's formal education was stopped by the Cultural Revolution. He did not go to high school. However, he finished high school through mail-in courses in the 1980s. Chinese government accounts often say that Li did not have a higher education. They also say he was not a special student, except for playing the trumpet.

After getting his middle school diploma in 1970, Li reportedly held "a series of unremarkable jobs." From 1970 to 1972, Li worked at an army horse farm. From 1972 to 1978, he was a trumpet player in a forest police unit. Later, he worked as a clerk in a grain company in Changchun. Former classmates and co-workers mentioned in government reports say Li was very ordinary. They say they never saw him practicing qigong. They also say they knew nothing about the Buddhist and Daoist masters Li claimed to have studied with.

Some early followers in Changchun became unhappy with Li. This happened after Li told his followers not to charge money for the practice in late 1994. This group left Falun Gong. They then sent many accusations against Li to government offices. One accusation was that he had not shown any special powers when he was young. Falun Gong sent detailed answers to these accusations. After Falun Gong was banned in 1999, Chinese authorities published all these accusations again.

About Falun Gong

Li Hongzhi learned from other qigong practices in the late 1980s. He then created Falun Dafa, or the Great Law of the Wheel of Dharma. He introduced it on May 13, 1992, in Changchun, Jilin. From 1992 to 1994, he traveled across China. He gave talks and taught Falun Gong exercises. His followers grew very quickly. Li's success was largely due to the huge popularity of qigong in the early 1990s. He made Falun Gong different by making it "easy for the public" and focusing on moral teachings. He moved away from complex ideas often found in other Qigong systems.

Falun Gong's teachings come from Li's talks. He has the main power to define what Falun Gong believes. Li claims he has special powers like seeing the future. He also claims he can prevent illness and stay young forever. He created a program that promises followers perfect health and special powers quickly. He also criticized other Qigong groups. He said they had "false teachings and greedy masters." Li wanted to correct these problems. Li said that Falun Gong was part of a "centuries-old tradition of cultivation." In his writings, he often criticized those who taught "incorrect ways." Li made Falun Gong different from other Qigong groups. He stressed moral values like "purifying one's heart and finding spiritual salvation." He felt other groups focused too much on physical health and developing special powers.

During the time Falun Gong books sold the most in China, Li Hongzhi did not receive any money from them. This was because all publications were unofficial copies. Li's success also came from people looking for alternative medicine treatments. At that time, China's healthcare system was struggling to meet people's needs. As the Master of Falun Gong, Li claimed to "purify the students' bodies." He also claimed to "remove the root of their disease" if they were sick. He also reportedly placed a Falun or "law wheel" in each student's body. He also placed other "energy mechanisms" in other body parts. Li also said his "spiritual protectors" would keep each follower safe. He said he would "clear up the students' house and places of practice." In Li's Falun Gong teachings, he stresses that followers should live by the moral principles of truth, compassion, and forbearance.

According to Falun Gong groups, Li's early success was recognized at the 1992 and 1993 Beijing Oriental Health Expos. At the first event, the organizer said Falun Gong and Li "received the most praise." They also "achieved very good therapeutic results." This event helped make Li popular in the qigong world. News reports about Falun Gong's healing powers spread. The next year, Li became a member of the Beijing Health Expo's organizing committee. He won several awards at the event.

During this time, Li had a good relationship with the Ministry of Public Security (MPS). In 1993, he treated 100 police officers who were injured on the job. This earned him praise from an MPS organization. Li gave talks at the Public Security University in Beijing in 1994. He gave money from these talks to a fund for injured police officers. The ceremony for Li's book, Zhuan Falun, was held at the Ministry of Public Security in January 1995.

In 1998, Li Hongzhi said he believes alien invaders walk the Earth. He also said that modern science and people from different backgrounds marrying are part of their plan to take over humanity. He has also reportedly said he can walk through walls and make himself invisible. Li says he is a being from a higher level. He has come to help humankind from the destruction it could face from evil. About these ideas, he said, "You must not talk with ordinary people about the high-level things I have taught you. Instead, only talk about being persecuted... about our human rights being violated."

Life Abroad

In 1995, Li said he had finished teaching Falun Gong in China. He then started spreading the practice abroad. His first stop in March 1995 was the Chinese embassy in Paris. He had been invited to teach there. After that, he held seminars in Sweden. Between 1995 and 1999, Li gave talks in Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland, and the United States. Falun Gong groups and clubs started appearing in Europe, North America, and Australia. Their activities were mainly on university campuses.

In 1996, the city of Houston named Li an honorary citizen. They also named him a goodwill ambassador. This was for his "unselfish public service for the benefit and welfare of mankind."

After this, Li received more recognition from cities in North America. In May 1999, Li was welcomed to Toronto. He received greetings from the Mayor of Toronto and the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario. In the next two months, he also received recognition from the cities of Chicago and San Jose.

Li Hongzhi moved to the United States in 1996 with his wife and daughter. In 1998, he became a U.S. permanent resident, settling in New York.

On July 29, 1999, after Falun Gong was banned, the Ministry of Public Security of China made several accusations against Li. These included "disturbing public order." They issued a notice saying he was wanted for arrest. At that time, Li Hongzhi was living in the United States. The Chinese government asked Interpol to arrest him. But Interpol refused. They said the request was "of a political or religious character." They also said it lacked information on any "ordinary law crime he would have committed." The Chinese government also took away his passport. This stopped him from traveling internationally.

By April 2001, Li Hongzhi had received over 340 awards and honors. These came from Australia, Canada, China (before the ban), Japan, Russia, and the U.S. They recognized his contributions to people's spiritual and physical health, and to freedom of belief. These include honorary citizenship from the State of Georgia and the city of Atlanta. On March 14, 2001, The Freedom House gave Li Hongzhi and Falun Gong an International Religious Freedom Award. This was for promoting religious and spiritual freedom. He was nominated for the 2001 Sakharov Prize. He was also nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000 and 2001. In 2013, Foreign Policy Magazine ranked him as one of the 500 most powerful people in the world.

Shen Yun, The Epoch Times, and Other Groups

The performing arts group Shen Yun, the media organization The Epoch Times, and other groups like New Tang Dynasty Television are connected to Falun Gong. These groups promote Falun Gong and Li Hongzhi's teachings. The Epoch Times also promotes some unproven political ideas in the United States and Europe.

According to a report in Los Angeles Magazine from March 2020:

In 2000, Li started Epoch Times to share Falun Gong's ideas with American readers. Six years later, he launched Shen Yun. This was another way to promote his teachings to Western audiences. Over the years, Shen Yun and Epoch Times have worked together. They act as part of Falun Gong's ongoing effort against the Chinese government. They follow directions from Li.

Even with its conservative goals, Epoch Times tried to stay out of U.S. politics until recently. That changed in June 2015 when Donald Trump announced he would run for president. He said he "beat China all the time." Falun Gong saw Trump as more than just an ally—they saw him as a savior. A former Epoch Times editor told NBC News that the group's leaders "believe that Trump was sent by heaven to destroy the communist party."

The exact financial and organizational links between Falun Gong, Shen Yun, and The Epoch Times are not fully clear. According to NBC News:

The Epoch Media Group, along with Shen Yun, a dance group known for its many ads, are part of Falun Gong's outreach. Falun Gong is a newer spiritual practice. It combines old Chinese meditation exercises, spiritual beliefs, and often very traditional cultural views. Falun Gong's founder has called Epoch Media Group "our media." The group's beliefs strongly influence The Epoch Times' news coverage. This is according to former employees who spoke with NBC News.

The Epoch Times, the digital production company NTD, and the widely advertised dance group Shen Yun make up the non-profit network that Li calls "our media." Financial documents show a complex picture. There are more than a dozen groups that are technically separate. But they seem to share goals, money, and leaders. The source of their money is not clear. But the latest financial records show that the overall business has grown during the Trump era.

Some people believe that Li Hongzhi's ideas about people from different backgrounds marrying might have influenced The Epoch Times' support for certain political views. Falun Gong's beliefs include the idea that different ethnicities each have their own connection to heaven. It is believed that people of mixed race might lose some of this connection. Falun Gong also teaches about reincarnation. It says that a person's soul always keeps its original racial identity, even if their body is of mixed race. However, it is important to note that marriage between people of different backgrounds is common in the Falun Gong community.

See also

• Chinese people in New York City