Falun Gong

American  

[fah-loon koong, gong] / ˈfɑ lun ˈkʊŋ, ˈgɒŋ /

noun

1. a Chinese system of meditation, martial-arts exercises, and spiritual teachings.

2. a Chinese sect that practices this system.

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Falun Gong British  

/ ˌfæluːn ˈɡuːŋ /

noun

1. a modern religious movement combining aspects of Buddhism and Taoism, especially the practice of qi gong, founded by Li Hongzhi in 1992

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Etymology

Origin of Falun Gong

First recorded in 1995–2000; from Chinese, equivalent to fǎ “law” + lún “wheel,” referring to the “(Buddhist) Wheel of Dharma” + gōng “work, technique, skill”; see origin at dharma ( def. )

Example Sentences

The US Supreme Court on Tuesday tossed out a lawsuit that alleged tech giant Cisco should be held liable for persecution in China of the Falun Gong spiritual movement.

From Barron's • Jun. 23, 2026

The claims were first reported in a newspaper associated with the Falun Gong religious movement, which is also banned in China and has ties with Shen Yun.

From BBC • Feb. 25, 2026

The crackdown on Christians fits a broader pattern that in recent years has included the persecution of Tibetan Buddhists, Uyghur Muslims, and members of smaller groups such as Falun Gong.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 20, 2025

The Epoch Times One of the great distinctions of this publication is its ties to the Falun Gong, a Chinese new religious movement.

From Slate • Oct. 24, 2025

Their work has ranged from defending members of Falun Gong, a religious movement opposed to China’s government that Beijing bans as an “evil cult,” to helping people lobby for increases to their pensions.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 22, 2023