What is happening?
If you are in Czechia, it is unlikely that you have not seen an advertisement for “The Beauty of Divine Beings Dancing.” The globally popular Shen Yun Performing Arts (神韻藝術團), known for its performances allegedly promoting “China Before Communism,” is returning to Prague this spring. The tickets are nearly sold out already.
Beneath the facade of “an explosion of color and sound” and “Chinese culture in its fullest flower,” a more controversial narrative unfolds. Shen Yun is closely tied to the Falun Gong religious movement, a Chinese opposition cult, raising concerns about both its ideological messaging and the well-being of its performers.
What is the broader picture?
Rooted in Buddhist and Taoist traditions, Falun Gong (法輪功) is a religious movement that emerged in China in the 1990s. Its followers engage in moral teachings, meditation, and qigong exercises. The movement’s rapid rise in popularity—gaining millions of votaries—quickly became a threat to the Chinese Communist Party, leading to its ban and harsh suppression within China. Today, Falun Gong’s headquarters are located in New York. The group enjoys significant popularity – its estimated following exceeds 10 million – particularly in the U.S. and Taiwan, where many followers have taken refuge and continue spreading its teachings.
Falun Gong was founded and is led by Li Hongzhi (李洪志), who has built a cult–like following around himself and is regarded as a god-like figure with supernatural abilities. His teachings are controversial, as they include rejecting modern medicine, feminism, and non-heteronormativity, among other topics. The movement also operates far-right media outlets such as The Epoch Times and Tang Dynasty TV. Falun Gong is spreading the movement’s teaching and anti-CCP narratives across the world, especially at tourist sites popular with Chinese tourists.
Donations from its followers and revenue from Shen Yun’s performances sustain the group’s funding. The shows are highly stylized, large-scale productions often compared to Cirque du Soleil. The shows feature hundreds of young performers subjected to rigorous and grueling training.
An investigation by The New York Times, based on interviews with former Shen Yun performers and Falun Gong followers, uncovered allegations of bullying, discrimination, extreme control, and exploitation. Many performers, often teenagers, described grueling 15-hour workdays, bans on specific literature and music, restrictions on their personal lives, pressure to maintain strict self-discipline, suppression of injuries with refusal of medical care, and an overall culture of self-renunciation.
Shen Yun’s European tour includes dozens of stops, with Prague serving as one of the key locations. Since December last year, the show’s promotional campaign has been widespread across social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. The slogan “Banned in communist China. Revived in America. Loved by millions around the world.” is strategically designed to appeal to anti-communist audiences across Europe.
Last year, Shen Yun attracted thousands of visitors. This year, with ticket prices ranging from 1,900 to 2,900 CZK (USD 83-126), all six Prague performances are nearly sold out a month before the show’s arrival.
Why does it matter?
While Falun Gong has indeed been persecuted by the Chinese government, the movement itself is highly controversial. Led by an authoritarian figure with dogmatic teachings, it exerts strict control over its followers, exploits their unpaid labor and financial contributions, and ultimately profits from their suffering. The awe-inspiring Shen Yun performance is more than an aesthetic experience. Rather, it is an integral part of this system of exploitation.
