All across China, practitioners used secure channels to convey their gratitude and best wishes, most without revealing their full names, amidst the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) brutal persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. Many also shared reflections on the moral decline, economic hardship, and political repression that have weighed heavily on Chinese society in recent years.
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual discipline based on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. It was first introduced to the public in China in 1992 and quickly grew in popularity, with at least 70 million people taking up the practice by the decade’s end, according to official estimates at the time.
Messages of Gratitude
“Master Li has brought us hope,” said Ms. Liu from China’s Inner Mongolia region, whose first name has been withheld. “We sincerely wish him health, longevity, and happiness.”She said that when she first learned about the spiritual discipline, what impressed her most was “how peaceful and humble Master Li is—he works diligently, treats people kindly, and lives a very simple life.”
Others expressed appreciation for Mr. Li’s teachings of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance, principles that have guided tens of millions of practitioners.
Mr. Zhang from Shanxi, whose first name is also withheld, extended his Mid-Autumn greetings and said, “I’m thankful for Master Li’s contribution to humanity and for helping Chinese people see the truth.”
‘People Feel Unsafe’
Several respondents said that under CCP rule, China’s moral fabric has eroded and society has been trapped in a “system of mutual harm.”“The Communist Party has turned people evil,” Mr. He, from Hunan Province, said. “Decent people can’t survive in this system. If you want to do business, you have to learn to be dishonest. The entire society has become toxic. People feel unsafe everywhere.”
He said that what China needs most now are the principles that Falun Gong practitioners learn. Only with these values can morality be brought back, he said.
Others voiced frustration that even religion has been co-opted by the CCP. A man from Fujian Province noted that even temples are now controlled by the CCP’s propaganda departments, flying the CCP’s flag instead of focusing on faith.
Many Falun Gong practitioners described the current state of China’s economy as bleak, with factories closing, small businesses collapsing, and unemployment spreading across the country.
“Life is very hard for the [Chinese] people,” Ms. Liu said. “People are anxious. Everyone around me feels this way. It’s getting harder to earn a living, and many people suffer from depression. They don’t see any hope for the future.”
Mr. Zhu from Fujian said that he has personally felt how depressed China’s economy has become.
“For many ordinary people, life has gone back to square one overnight,” he said. “Those working in government agencies or public institutions are not much affected, since most social resources and benefits are directed toward them. It’s the ordinary folks who suffer. Many can no longer even afford to see a doctor.”
A Beijing resident, Ms. Lin, said that censorship and restrictions on free speech are intensifying.
“Ordinary people are less and less free,” she said. “We worry what the future will look like.”
Hope
Despite the grim outlook, many said they found strength and peace in Falun Gong’s core teachings.With the CCP’s tight internet censorship, many people in China have found ways to bypass the communist regime’s notorious internet censorship to send greetings to Mr. Li online and read Falun Gong materials hosted overseas.
Mr. Yang from Guangdong Province said that he and his friends in the literary circle recently discussed Mr. Li’s writings.
“Each word has power,” he said. “They awaken people’s minds.”
In Hebei, Mr. Wang said he often sees messages promoting “truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance” on walls, electric poles, and even banknotes.
“Falun Gong practitioners are good people,” he said. “Many [Chinese people] have already renounced the CCP and its affiliated organizations.”
Voices of Conscience
Among the greetings were messages from human rights defenders and intellectuals. A Chinese human rights lawyer, who requested anonymity for safety reasons, wrote: “Awakened people thank Falun Dafa for the power of truth. The CCP fears the truth most. Only when more people understand the truth will the CCP’s reign end.”Even within the CCP’s government and military, there were Falun Gong practitioners who wrote short seasonal greetings to Mr. Li for the Mid-Autumn Festival.
From all across China, many concluded their greetings with the same wish that Falun Gong would one day be able to be freely practiced without persecution and that its founder would be able to freely return to China.
A man from Jilin Province summed up what many felt.
“We hope the world will have peace, the CCP’s rule will end, and China will welcome freedom and democracy,” he said.
