Revenge of the forbidden city
Book Description
In the early 1990s, a spiritual practice centered on breathing exercises and personal well-being quietly emerged in China, eventually drawing millions of followers seeking health and inner harmony. What began as a peaceful movement for physical and spiritual cultivation would become the center of one of modern China's most significant political confrontations.
James W. Tong chronicles the dramatic transformation of this spiritual practice from a welcomed wellness system into what the Chinese government perceived as a dangerous threat to state authority. The author examines how a series of peaceful protests escalated into an unprecedented gathering of over 20,000 practitioners at the heart of Beijing's political power in 1999, creating what officials called the most serious political challenge since the Tiananmen events a decade earlier.
This meticulously researched account reveals the complex dynamics between spiritual movements and political power in contemporary China. Tong analyzes how the government deployed comprehensive strategies involving suppression, propaganda, and forced conversion to eliminate what it viewed as organized dissent. Through careful examination of empirical evidence, the book demonstrates the sophisticated mechanisms authoritarian systems employ when confronting perceived internal challenges.
For readers interested in understanding how spiritual practices intersect with political realities, this work offers crucial insights into the tensions between personal spiritual development and state control. The book provides a sobering examination of what happens when the pursuit of inner cultivation encounters the machinery of political power.
Who Is This For?
📖 Reading Level: Medium (200-400 pages) (~8 hours)
🕉️ Tradition: Islam
📄 Length: 282 pages
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore Politics and government
- ✓ Explore Freedom of religion
- ✓ Explore Religion and state
- ✓ Explore Communism and religion
- ✓ Explore Religion
- ✓ Explore Human rights
- ✓ Explore Political persecution
- ✓ Explore China, religion
