What is Falun Gong and why does the Chinese Communist Party want to suppress it?

Falun Gong, which translates as "Practice of the Law Wheel," is a spiritual movement founded in 1992 that combines physical exercises with ethical teachings. The movement, The Conversation explains, emerged during a surge of interest in qigong—traditional Chinese practices aimed at cultivating vital energy—as China loosened restrictions on traditional culture and citizens sought lower-cost alternatives to expensive Western medicine. It attracted tens of millions of followers by the mid-1990s, partly because its founder, Li Hongzhi, added a moral and religious dimension to qigong, teaching that spiritual and ethical discipline could address illness at its root. The Chinese government grew alarmed by the movement's organizational reach and willingness to defy state authority. After more than ten thousand practitioners gathered in front of government headquarters in April 1999 seeking official recognition, the government banned all Falun Gong practice by July of that year. However, as The Conversation reports, the ban inspired further action rather than suppression: Li framed the conflict as a spiritual battle, and followers embraced forbearance—accepting hardship without retaliation—as central to spiritual advancement, sustaining the practice despite government suppression.

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