The Mystery of China's Falun Gong: Its Rise and Its Sociological Implications (East Asian Institute Contemporary China Series, 22) [Paperback]

William T. Liu (Author)

Book Description

Series: East Asian Institute Contemporary China Series, 22 | Publication Date: December 1999

The Party and state leadership in Beijing was rudely awakened to the fact that the state bureaucracies in charge of public security had no idea of Falun Gong's leadership and its functions on April 25, 1999, when reportedly 10,000 followers in front of Zhongnanhai staged a peaceful and quiet sit-in. Since then the world media has reported events and probable causes for the government to outlaw what was determined to be a religious cult that could disturb peace and stability in China. In this paper, analyses are made of the background and political implications of the sect that had at one time dominated the front page of all major newspapers in the world. The authors address questions such as: what is the nature of Falun Gong? Is it a religious sect, a cult, or a quasi-religious social movement with a hidden political agenda? Is it traditional qigong of a sort that packages well-established belief systems of Buddhism and Taoism? Is it a money-making scheme that satisfies the yearning for spiritual fulfillment for the elderly, the unemployed and the retired? Or is it all of these? Will the Falun Gong phenomenon repeat itself in the future? Was the government crackdown an over-reaction or was it expected? These issues are discussed by the authors in separate sections of this paper.

Product Details

• Paperback: 51 pages
• Publisher: World Scientific Pub Co Inc (December 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9810242085
• ISBN-13: 978-9810242084
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,958,206 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The First Major Scholarly Book on Falun Gong, August 6, 2000

By 

Mark Bell - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Mystery of China's Falun Gong: Its Rise and Its Sociological Implications (East Asian Institute Contemporary China Series, 22) (Paperback)

With estimates for membership ranging between 2-100 million, it is surprising that there have not been more book-length scholarly accounts of this movement. While this book is rather short and at times slightly questionable in terms of the sources which it relies on, it is certainly welcome by scholars and the general public who are looking to learn more about this movement from a scholarly point of view. It is well worth the price and is a very useful volume.