Li Hongzhi
Li Hongzhi is a Chinese spiritual leader who founded Falun Gong in 1992. He teaches a practice combining meditation, exercises, and moral principles.
Falun Gong: A spiritual practice founded by Li Hongzhi that combines meditation, exercises, and moral teachings. The movement Li founded and the central expression of his teachings.
Falun Gong meditation: A seated meditation practice taught within Falun Gong, commonly performed with crossed legs and focused attention. It complements the movement exercises in the practice Li taught.
Falun Gong practitioners: People who follow Falun Gong's exercises and teachings, with communities in China and around the world. Their practice and organization developed around Li's teachings.
1999 Zhongnanhai protest: A peaceful gathering of thousands of Falun Gong practitioners near China's central leadership compound on April 25, 1999. The protest preceded a major escalation in the Chinese government's campaign against Falun Gong.
Tai chi: A Chinese martial art practiced through slow, controlled movements and associated with health and meditation. Both include gentle movement, but Tai chi is not founded on Li's doctrines.
Falun Dafa: The name commonly used by practitioners for Falun Gong, meaning “Great Law of the Falun.” Li promoted this name for the practice and its teachings.
Falun Gong exercises: Five gentle exercises in Falun Gong, including standing movements and a seated meditation. These are the physical routines Li introduced alongside his moral teachings.
Falun Gong in China: The history of Falun Gong's growth, regulation, and suppression in the People's Republic of China. Li's leadership became a central issue in the Chinese state's response to the movement.
Persecution of Falun Gong: The campaign of suppression launched by the Chinese government against Falun Gong in 1999. The state's crackdown transformed the movement's circumstances and Li's public role.
Buddhism: A religious and philosophical tradition based on the teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama. Li draws on Buddhist language, while Falun Gong is a distinct modern movement.