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Thread: Busted Qigong Masters

  1. #16
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    Slightly OT

    Not specified as a qigong master but I suspect that played into his schtick.

    Wait...that's not a pun.

    Guangdong cult leader convinced apprentices to sleep with him by claiming he had healthy sperm



    A 47-year-old Guangdong cult leader, and creepiest human ever, has been arrested for convincing female apprentices to sleep with him by claiming that his sperm improved women's health, according to Tencent News. We guess it's not the worst selling point when considering that a lot of sperm in China is apparently "ugly due to smog."

    The leader, named Wu Mouheng, also claimed that sleeping with him would help women reach the highest state of Buddhism. Prior to this conviction, he was targeted by the cops for rendering people jobless and breaking up families.

    Guangdong police apprehended 80 people involved in the cult and seized promotional materials as well as properties on July 30. They charged cult members with destroying public order, fraud, and even rape. 21 of them are currently in police custody.

    This isn't Wu's first run-in with the law. He was charged as a sex criminal in 1991 and a trade criminal in 2000. Nonetheless, he calls himself a 'descendant of Buddha.' His ancestor would be "proud."

    He also claims that he's a talented seer that predicted the Sichuan and Japan earthquakes. Too bad he couldn't foresee his own conviction.

    [Image via Tencent News]

    By Christy Lau
    Gene Ching
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  2. #17
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    Hu freed, then busted again.

    More on Hu Wanlin.

    Quack doctor freed from prison, jailed after killing again
    PUBLISHED : Thursday, 20 November, 2014, 4:49pm
    UPDATED : Thursday, 20 November, 2014, 4:49pm


    Hu Wanlin on trial at Luoyang Intermediate People's Court, Henan province. Photo: Xinhua

    A quack doctor who believes water causes disease and has had at least 16 patients die from his treatment was released early from prison only to kill again, state-run media reported on Thursday.

    Hu Wanlin, who claimed to be an “omnipotent doctor” but dehydrated a man to death, was sentenced on Wednesday to 15 years in prison for illegally practicing medicine, the state-run Global Times said.

    Hu, 65, began his so-called healing activities while serving a life sentence for killing a businessman, but was stopped in 1996 after 13 of his patients died, according to reports.

    He was freed, but jailed again in 2000 for illegally practicing medicine after three more patient deaths, including the then mayor of Luohe city in Henan.

    On that occasion Hu was sentenced to 15 years, but he was again given his freedom early, the newspaper said, and mounted a “health retreat” for 12 “patients” last year.

    “A 22-year-old college student Yun Xuyang, a devotee of traditional Chinese medicine, died after taking a substance provided by Hu at the event, Xinhua reported.

    Hu theorised that all diseases are caused by water, and patients needed to be dehydrated with a “magic medicine” using powerful salts, the newspaper said.

    He found the student’s official autopsy result at Wednesday’s trial hard to swallow, the newspaper reported, claiming that he frequently consumes 1.5 kilograms of the salt and liquid mixture without any ill-effects.

    Beijing’s health insurance provides limited coverage to most rural residents, leading some to seek out cheaper alternative treatments.

    China also has a long history of traditional medicine, much of it with no orthodox scientific evidence backing it up, which has been blamed for driving illegal trade in endangered species.

    In 2010, the health ministry said a diet therapist who sold more than three million books and DVDs claiming that a combination of mung beans and eggplant could cure almost all diseases had faked his qualifications.

    Lu Wei, one of Hu’s proteges who promoted him online as a medical master who could cure diabetes and Aids, was also sentenced to 11 years in prison by a court in Henan, in central China.

    It was not clear why Hu had not been charged with murder in connection with the medical cases. His 2000 conviction resulted in an official system of medical licensing being established in China, the Global Times said.

    According to other Chinese media reports, Hu was also condemned to 15 years in prison in 1974 for “anti-revolution” activities.
    Gene Ching
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  3. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by GeneChing View Post
    More on Hu Wanlin.
    You can get away with only so much taint fondling as a qigong master before someone says "hey, you leave my lao gong taint point alone buddy".
    It's all downhill from that point.

    No pun intended.
    Kung Fu is good for you.

  4. #19
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    Slightly OT

    This is about a Feng Shui master not a qigong master, but we don't really have a 'busted feng shui master' thread, nor do I think we'll require one.

    It's a little dated but I gotta add that while he may not have picked the right place, he picked the right date.

    HK Feng Shui Master Dies in Mudslide
    2014-04-01 18:45:27 CRIENGLISH.com Web Editor: Fei


    Feng shui master Cheng Kwokkeung (R) pictured here with an unknown client has worked in the cemetery in Zhaoqing, Guangdong before. [Photo: Sing Tao Daily]

    Well-known Hong Kong feng shui master Cheng Kwokkeung was buried alive by a mudslide in a cemetery in Zhaoqing in south China's Guangdong province last Sunday, Sing Tao Daily reports.

    Cheng was found dead, along with another 6 people with one left injured.

    Massive rainstorms struck China's southern provinces last week leaving 21 dead, 4 missing and more injured, including the 50-year-old feng shui master who was highly popular with Hong Kong's entertainers.

    Cheng is said to have been working with a client to provide feng shui guidance relating to the orientation of tombs.
    Gene Ching
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  5. #20
    Gene, where do you find these wacky stories from? they are sad but so wacky at the same time - makes me feel like i'm reading the "enquirer" .

  6. #21
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    More on Marcus Bongart

    curanado rekindled my curiosity about this guy so I did a little follow up search. This is an old news item, but a picture is worth a thousand words, yes?

    Abba: Profile of Marcus Bongart, the Buddhist monk
    Marcus Bongart escaped communist Poland, was accepted in 2001 into the famous Shaolin monastery in Beijing and now runs the Yangtorp Qigong Resort in Sweden.


    Marcus Bongart has been running his Yangtorp Qigong Resort in southern Sweden since 2000

    7:30AM GMT 27 Nov 2010

    Sporting a long beard and flowing robes Mr Bongart looks very much like a Buddhist guru. According to his website, he is one of the most respected experts on qigong, an ancient Chinese art that practitioners claim can prevent disease, restore health and prolong life.

    He first became interested in qigong when visiting San Francisco on 1971, and since then has climbed the faith ladder, and is now referred to as Master Marcus. The Polish-born man, who managed to escape communist Poland by stowing away on a chemicals lorry, was also accepted in 2001 into the famous Shaolin monastery in Beijing.

    Mr Bongart has been running his Yangtorp Qigong Resort in southern Sweden since 2000. Offering a hotel, restaurant and exercise space the resort, according to Swedish radio, had a turnover last year of £3.14 million.
    Gene Ching
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  7. #22
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    Cao Yongzheng, the mysterious "Xinjiang sage"

    This is really a busted Domestic Security Chief.

    China's fallen strongman and the mysterious "Xinjiang sage"

    POSTED: 11 Jun 2015 22:40

    BEIJING: The sentencing of China's former domestic security chief Zhou Yongkang to life in prison on Thursday exposed his alleged links to a mysterious fortune teller and healer who forged close ties with powerful figures in the country's political elite.

    Zhou, 72, the most senior Chinese official to be ensnared in a graft probe since the ruling Communist Party swept to power in 1949, was found guilty at a secret trial of bribery, leaking state secrets and abuse of power.

    Among his crimes was the unauthorised release of six secret documents to Cao Yongzheng, state media said, a man previously identified by Chinese media as a soothsayer, mystic and expert in qigong, a Chinese spiritual martial art similar to tai chi.

    "Zhou leaked five 'extremely confidential' documents and one 'confidential' document to Cao Yongzheng, who should not have been given knowledge of the documents, directly contravening the State Secrets Law," the official Xinhua news agency said, citing the court's judgement.

    Cao provided testimony against Zhou in a closed-door trial in the northern city of Tianjin on May 22, the news agency said, though it was unclear whether he had done so in person or by deposition, or if he was also in custody.

    Dubbed the "Xinjiang sage" by Chinese media, after the far Western region where he grew up, Cao garnered a following in celebrity and official circles in the 1990s for his purported knack for fortune telling and curing untreatable ailments.

    Cao's talents allowed him to cultivate contacts that reached into the upper echelons of the country's ruling elite, respected business magazine Caixin said last year.

    In 2005, he teamed up with a former official at state-run China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) to set up a Hong Kong-based firm that jointly developed oil blocks in Xinjiang and Jilin province, the magazine said.

    Zhou's trial did not mark the first time mystical proclivities of a senior leader has drawn the Party's ire.

    Li Chuncheng, a former senior official in the southwestern Sichuan province, where Zhou had been party chief, had been an associate of Cao's, Caixin reported.

    Li was accused of abusing his position to engage in "feudalistic and superstitious acts", according to Party accusations in trial against him that began in April.

    Li later testified against Zhou.

    China's officially atheist Communist Party brooks no challenge to its rule and is obsessed with social stability. It has particularly taken aim at cults, which have multiplied across the country in recent years. Demonstrations have been put down with force and some sect leaders executed.

    (Reporting by Michael Martina and Ben Blanchard; Editing by Alex Richardson)

    - Reuters
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  8. #23
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    More on Cao Yongzheng, the mysterious "Xinjiang sage"

    The spiritual guru to China's corrupt officials
    By Tessa Wong
    BBC News
    16 June 2015 From the section China


    Qigong is a type of spiritual practice linked to exercise

    One of China's most high-profile former officials, Zhou Yongkang, has been sentenced to life imprisonment on bribery charges and for leaking state documents to an individual. This was revealed to be Cao Yongzheng - a 56-year-old qigong master, businessman and mysterious "spiritual adviser" to the elite.
    It is not known how Mr Cao personally influenced Zhou, but the two were said to be close, and Mr Cao had profitable business dealings with the state-owned China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) which Zhou and his allies headed for decades.
    Mr Cao was also connected to Sichuan province's former deputy party boss Li Chuncheng and former CNPC boss Jiang Jiemin.
    Zhou connection
    In Zhou's verdict, the authorities said he requested Mr Li and Mr Jiang to "provide assistance in carrying out business activities" for a number of people - including Mr Cao - who earned 21.4 billion yuan (£2.2bn, $3.45bn) in "illegal profits".


    Mr Cao reportedly grew close to Li Chuncheng (pictured) - a former deputy party boss in Sichuan now on trial for corruption

    In the mid-2000s, Mr Cao was involved in setting up arms of the China Niandai Energy Investment company across the country.
    The company signed lucrative deals with the CNPC to develop oilfields in Jilin province and Shaanxi. In 2005 Mr Cao reportedly paid a billion yuan to buy a building in Beijing and turn it into Niandai's headquarters.
    But questions were soon raised about Niandai's huge profits despite little investment and development.
    The Chinese authorities began arresting a number of Zhou's allies in 2012, and Niandai later shut down. The company was put under investigation for its dealings with the CNPC, and senior company officials were detained.


    Jiang Jiemin was a Zhou ally and former party secretary of the CNPC

    Mr Cao first got to know Zhou Yongkang through his eldest son, Zhou Bin, around the year 2000. He quickly won their trust when he began mentoring younger son, Zhou Han.
    Zhou Yongkang reportedly boasted Mr Cao was "the person I trust the most".



    'Xinjiang sage'

    Mr Cao first made his mark as a master of qigong - a type of spiritual practice linked to exercise - in the 1980s in the western province of Xinjiang.
    Dubbed the "Xinjiang sage" for his gifts in spiritual healing and insight, he later moved to Beijing where he attracted the rich and powerful.
    In the 1990s, a People's Daily article claimed he could tell a person's future based on a single look at his face, and could heal incurable illnesses with his touch.


    Zhou Yongkang was sentenced to life imprisonment last Thursday

    Some accounts said he made a barren woman fertile, and managed to predict, a week in advance, that a businessman would suffer from a heart attack just by looking at his name.
    Those who met him said he was charismatic and knowledgeable, but strove to maintain a humble appearance.
    Yaxin Online reported that when Mr Cao visited his Xinjiang home in 2000, villagers found he had "no airs".
    "He dressed normally, wore thick glasses, and didn't at all look like a rich and cultured person. He looked more like a farmer," one resident told the news portal.

    Mystical practices


    Though it originated from China, qigong is now practised worldwide

    The Cultural Revolution and subsequent fast-paced economic development created "a spiritual crisis" in China, said Kerry Brown, director of the Chinese Studies Centre at the University of Sydney.
    Superstitions and alternative beliefs have flourished in this vacuum - qigong became a national craze in the 1980s.
    On top of that, senior officials inhabit "a lonely place where it is difficult to trust anyone - which is perfect if you're a wily spiritual guru," said Professor Brown.
    "On paper, officials are Communist, but privately many don't believe in this ideology. They go to these gurus when they run into problems and need assurance," said sociologist Ding Xueliang of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
    Qigong borrows elements from traditional Chinese medicine, "so officials can say they follow it for health, not spiritual, reasons," he added.
    Other well-connected gurus include qigong master Wang Lin, a close associate of former railways minister Liu Zhijun who was jailed for corruption; and Zhang Hongbao, the founder of qigong-based group Zhong Gong.


    China outlawed Falun Gong in 1999 and began a crackdown on followers

    The party leadership closes one eye to such relationships because these beliefs are "not organised like major religions and therefore seen as less dangerous" to the central authorities, said Professor Ding.
    But the government has cracked down when these practices were deemed to have crossed the line.
    In the 1990s, as such movements became more organised and attracted more followers, the government discouraged "superstitious beliefs". Some, like Falun Gong and Zhong Gong, were branded cults and outlawed.

    Wheeling and dealing

    Gurus like Mr Cao - who reportedly boasted of knowing 600 officials - also serve as go-betweens among the business and political elite.
    One entrepreneur told financial news outlet Caixin that in 2011 he approached Mr Cao for help. One phone call and 30 minutes later, a high-level official was summoned to help the businessman.
    "Cao used to say, 'Those guys on the Forbes rich list are not even worth my little finger'," he added.
    But Mr Cao's rise was halted with China's corruption crackdown. He was rumoured to have fled to Taiwan and was later detained by the Chinese authorities.
    Not much was heard from him until last Thursday, when he resurfaced in Zhou Yongkang's verdict.
    It said that Mr Cao had testified against Zhou during a closed trial on 22 May - the first official confirmation that he was in the hands of the authorities.
    Wonder where the mysterious Xinjiang sage is now...
    Gene Ching
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  9. #24
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    Wang Lin - no evidence he had practised medicine illegally

    Probe finds no evidence that celebrity Qigong ‘master’ practised illegally
    PUBLISHED : Monday, 06 July, 2015, 6:24pm
    UPDATED : Monday, 06 July, 2015, 6:24pm
    Ellis Liang
    ellis.liang@scmp.com


    Celebrity qigong master Wang Lin pictured with former Hong Kong chief executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen. Photo: Xinhua

    JIANGXI – An investigation into self-proclaimed qigong “master” Wang Lin has found no evidence he had practised medicine illegally, People’s Daily reports.

    Several celebrities accused Wang in 2013 of charging exorbitant fees for medical services and claimed he had no expertise. The health bureau in Luxi county later confirmed to state media that he indeed lacked any formal qualifications. It said he had avoided the suspicion of the authorities by running his clinic inside his home in Pingxiang.

    Over the next two years, county authorities checked 198 clinics in 138 villages and 11 townships but could not find anyone who had been treated by Wang, nor did they find any record he had advertised his medical practice.

    They recently wrapped up their investigation and concluded his claims about curing people using qigong were just lies.

    Qigong practitioners claim they can manipulate qi – the basic particle of matter in nature described by the philosopher Zhuangzi almost 2,000 years ago.

    Wang, who once claimed he was a billionaire, attracted a large number of followers and high-profile clients, often opening up his five-floor villa and garden to visiting celebrities and journalists.

    Photos of Wang’s limousines and villa have circulated widely online, along with images of him with former Hong Kong chief executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, ex-Politburo Standing Committee member Jia Qinglin , disgraced railways minister Liu Zhijun, actors Jackie Chan and Jet Li, and others.

    Since the accusations emerged, Wang has stayed out of the public eye, and temporarily hid out in a Hong Kong hotel room. “It’s as if the whole country has turned against me, turning black into white and white into black,” Wang told The New York Times at the time. “It’s truly beyond my comprehension.”

    It is unclear how the case will proceed.


    Wang Lin

    More on Wang Lin

    Even more on Wang Lin

    & an update
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  10. #25
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    Wang Lin busted

    ...for murder!

    Qigong master to the stars arrested in China over disciple's murder
    Wang Lin had been involved in a series of disputes with Jiangxi legislator
    PUBLISHED : Thursday, 16 July, 2015, 10:27pm
    UPDATED : Thursday, 16 July, 2015, 10:29pm
    Li Jing jing.li@scmp.com


    Arrested: the qigong master Wang Lin. Photo: SCMP Pictures

    Wang Lin, the controversial qigong master who had many high-profile celebrity clients, was arrested on Thursday by Jiangxi police on suspicion of involvement in the kidnapping and murder of one of his "disciples".

    Police arrested two men, surnamed Liu and Zhu, on Tuesday evening, Xinhua News Agency reported. Police said the pair had admitted that they kidnapped and murdered the disciple, identified in media reports as Zou Yong, who went missing on July9.

    During their investigation, police had learnt that Wang and a fourth man identified as Huang Yugang were also involved, Xinhua reported, adding that the investigation was continuing.

    Reports said that the dead man was a businessman and provincial legislator in Jiangxi who had been close to Wang and had become one of his last disciples. But the two fell out in late 2012 amid commercial disputes.

    The Beijing News reported that the two had sued each other in four cases involving disputes over the ownership of several properties and luxury liquor.

    Wang had also reported Zou to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the top graft-buster, claiming that he was involved in bribery, news website Thepaper.cn reported.

    Wang's wife said her husband had been taken by police to "assist the investigation" into Zou's disappearance, Shenzhen Evening News reported.

    Wang had been accused of practising medicine illegally, but his name was cleared last week after a two-year investigation found no evidence to prove the allegation.

    In 2013, several celebrities had accused Wang of charging exorbitant fees for medical services and claimed he had no expertise.

    The health bureau in Luxi county had subsequently informed state media that he indeed lacked any formal qualifications. It said he had avoided the suspicion of the authorities by running his clinic inside his home in Pingxiang .

    Wang, who once claimed to be a billionaire, attracted a large number of followers and high-profile clients, often opening his five-floor villa and garden to visiting celebrities and journalists.

    Photos have circulated widely online of Wang posing with former Hong Kong chief executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, former Guangdong political advisory body chairman Zhu Mingguo , disgraced railways minister Liu Zhijun , actors Jackie Chan and Jet Li, and others.

    Since the accusations emerged, Wang has stayed out of the public eye, and temporarily hid out in a hotel in Hong Kong, where he acquired permanent residency nearly two decades ago.

    The Beijing News reported in 2013 that Wang had been jailed in 1979 for seven years for deception
    "Qigong Master" Wang Lin Detained by Police
    2015-07-16 21:17:38 CRIENGLISH.com Web Editor: Shi


    A file photo of self-proclaimed "Qigong Master" Wang Lin. [Photo: weixin.qq.com]

    Police in Pingxiang City in east China's Jiangxi Province have detained self-proclaimed "Qigong Master" Wang Lin for questioning in connection with a kidnapping and killing case.

    According to the Xinhua News Agency, the police also detained three other suspects in the case. Two of the suspects admitted kidnapping and killing the victim, Zou Yong, who was a former disciple of Wang Lin. The case is under further investigation.

    A photo widely circulated on the Internet shows a man purported to be Wang Lin being questioned in an interrogation room with a clock on the wall indicating it was Wednesday morning, July 15. The authenticity of the photo could not be independently verified.

    Wang Lin had reportedly been hiding in south China's Shenzhen before he was detained by the police.

    Zou Yong, a businessman who formally acknowledged Wang as his master, sued Wang over a housing contract dispute involving more than 30 million yuan, or approximately 4.8 million US dollars, in 2012.

    In 2013, a photo collection of Wang Lin with Chinese celebrities and government officials published by a Hong Kong publishing house raised eyebrows from the public. In the collection named "Chinese People", Wang claimed his special abilities to cure people using qigong, a traditional Chinese martial arts combined with meditation.

    Wang, a native of Luxi County in east China's Jiangxi, once told Beijing News that U.S. intelligence agencies offered him 70 green cards to try to persuade him to emigrate, but he turned them down because of his attachment to his hometown. He also claimed that he had cured as many as 50,000 patients.

    Many have questioned Wang's claims of medical cures and doubted whether he is cheating illed people for large sums of money.

    The Health Inspection Institute of Pingxiang launched an investigation into Wang's medical practices in 2013, but ended nowhere.

    Officials from the health department said that over the last two years, Luxi County authorities checked 198 clinics in 138 villages and 11 townships but could not find anyone who had been treated by Wang, nor did they find any evidence pertaining to Wang's alleged crimes.

    Wang Lin has also been probed over illegal medical practices, alleged gun ownership as well as fraud.
    Gene Ching
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  11. #26
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    More on Wang Lin

    There's been a lot of news on Wang Lin's bust. This article has a nice overview of the impact of his arrest on the whole.

    A brutal murder exposes the close ties between China’s elite and their qigong mystics


    A qigong demonstration at a temple fair in Beijing. (Reuters/Jason Lee)

    Written by Zheping Huang
    Obsession
    China's Transition
    July 17, 2015

    A qigong mystic whose clients include some of China’s political and business elite was detained by police in southeastern Jiangxi province on July 16, after the brutal murder of one of his disciples.

    Wang Lin, a so-called “qigong master,” was detained by police with three other suspects after Zou Yong, a fuel company president and Communist Party official, was kidnapped and killed on July 9, state-run Xinhua reports. Zou had been dismembered and thrown into a local lake, the Beijing News (link in Chinese) reported, citing an anonymous source.

    Two of the suspects have admitted to kidnapping and killing Zou, Xinhua said. Wang, whose alleged powers include being able to conjure snakes out of thin air and cure cancer, is being questioned by the police.

    The case has focused attention on qigong, the Chinese martial art and spiritual practice that focuses on the “qi” or life-force. While it is considered outdated by younger people in China, it still followed closely by older politicians and the business elite. Wang’s followers have included former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin’s sister, president Hu Jintao’s sister, a former Chinese health minister, the head of China’s Supreme People’s Procuratorate, actor Jet Li, and Alibaba’s Jack Ma.


    Wang (center) with Jack Ma (left) and actress Zhao We.(Weibo)

    Before Zou’s death, he and Wang had a long, complex history.

    Zou, who was the Jiangxi province’s deputy to the National People’s Congress, China’s legislative body, paid 5 million yuan ($805,192) to be a disciple of Wang in 2009, according to Xinhua. Then things went sour, though. The two filed several lawsuits against each other over commercial disputes since 2013, Xinhua reported (link in Chinese).

    According to the Beijing News, after paying a hefty sum to become Wang’s disciple, and buying him a Rolls-Royce car worth 4.4 million yuan (about $700,000), Zou was not satisfied with what he learned from Wang. Then, they had a commercial dispute over two properties in Shenzhen and Hong Kong. In 2013, Zou told authorities Wang had illegal guns and an unlicensed medical practice. Local police and health authorities failed to convict Wang due to lack of evidence.

    According to state-run digital publication The Paper (link in Chinese), Wang promised in a letter dated January 11 2015 that he would pay a reward of 5 million yuan if Zou was arrested and sentenced to death. The publication included an alleged photo of the letter, which included Wang’s Hong Kong ID number, and fingerprint.


    Wang’s letter of commitment. (Weibo/ The Paper)

    How this connects to Zou’s brutal killing is unclear. Wang has a history of threatening his detractors. After media reports questioned him of faking supernatural powers to accumulate wealth in 2013, he reportedly (link in Chinese) told a commentator: “I can use qigong to poke you to death across dozens of meters.”

    The juxtaposition between Wang’s alleged powers and Zou’s brutal death is not sitting well with China’s netizens. “It’s not reasonable. The master can poke people to death across air, why did he bother to send someone to do this?,” one blogger wrote on Twitter-like Sina Weibo on July 17 after Wang’s detention. “So many leaders and big stars can also prove his magic. How dare the police challenge those big shots?”

    Zou once told Chinese media (link in Chinese) that Wang had promised disgraced railway minister Liu Zhijun he would set up a magic stone in his office, so he would never fall from power. Liu was sentenced to a suspended death sentence for taking bribes in 2013.

    “Some do believe in his power, some just play dumb in order to get into this circle of the rich and the powerful,” an anonymous person familiar with the Wang case told Xinhua.

    Being a Qigong master can be a lucrative profession in China, but it hasn’t been so lucky for clients recently. China’s ex-security czar Zhou Yongkang’s qigong teacher Cao Yongzheng was known as the “Xinjiang Sage.” Zhou trusted Cao so much he leaked him “confidential” documents. Cao became an integral witness in the trial against Zhou, who was sentenced to life in prison this year.
    Gene Ching
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  12. #27
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    Wang Lin detained

    Self-proclaimed Chinese qigong master arrested for illegal detention
    (Xinhua)
    Updated: 2015-08-21 09:23


    Aerial photo taken on July 18, 2015 shows Wang Lin's villa in Shenzhen.[Photo/IC]

    NANCHANG - Police in East China's Jiangxi province formally arrested self-proclaimed qigong master Wang Lin Thursday for his alleged role in an "illegal detention" case.

    The victim, a company president Zou Yong, was kidnapped on July 9 and murdered. Police detained four suspects, including Wang.

    Wang and another suspect were arrested on the charge of illegal detention, while the other two were charged with intentional homicide, according to the public security bureau of Pingxiang City.

    Wang, who claims to be a master of qigong, a traditional martial art combined with meditation, came to public attention in 2013 when images of his supposed "supernatural powers" were posted on the Internet. These "powers" include conjuring snakes from thin air and posing for pictures with celebrities.

    Zou was introduced to Wang in 2002. In a TV interview in 2013, Zou said he had paid 5 million yuan ($804,000) in 2009 to become a disciple of Wang, who asked for nearly 30 million yuan from him thereafter.

    Wang has been previously investigated for possession of a gun, unlicensed medical practice, bribery and fraud. Local police and health authorities launched an investigation in 2013 but failed to make any headway due to lack of evidence.

    Police are further investigating the latest case.

    Wang's background:

    Wang has been in the public spotlight recently because of the many published photos of him hobnobbing with celebrities. His claim of "supernatural powers" has raised doubts among the public.

    Wang had close relation-ships with many famous and powerful people, including actor Jackie Chan, Alibaba Group founder Jack Ma and several high-level officials. Photos of Wang posing with Chan and Ma spread widely on the Internet.

    Other celebrities such as actor Jet Li and actress Zhao Wei were also guests of Wang according to photos he has shown. Even top officials including Liu Zhijun, the dismissed minister of railway visited Wang and former health minister Chen Minzhang was shown receiving treatment by Wang.

    Wang claimed he has treated more than 50,000 patients. But the health bureau of Luxi county said Wang was not qualified in medicine and has no license.

    Wang is among the richest people in Luxi county and one of his villas covers more than 6,600 square meters with a man-made lake.

    Wang boasts the legend of his treatment in his book published in Hong Kong. One example is once he cured a master with liver cancer in Qianyan Temple in Shenyang, Liaoning province, but reporters claim they found there was no such temple in Shenyang and the master allegedly did not exist.

    There are some other similar cases. Wang reportedly cured a mail officer named Chen Zhaocai in Nanzuo town, Xingguo county, Jiangxi province according to the book. But it appears there is no Nanzuo town in the county.
    Wang Lin almost needs his own independent thread here. Maybe I'll split it off soon... we'll see how it goes.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
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  13. #28
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    More on Wang Lin

    Journalist, Others Held Over Case of Chinese Spiritual Guide
    By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSOCT. 20, 2015, 1:39 A.M. E.D.T.

    BEIJING — A Chinese journalist and policeman have been detained over accusations of bribery and the leaking of documents relating to the case of a disgraced spiritual guide linked to celebrities and a fallen state minister, state media reports say.

    The case involving investigative reporter Liu Wei of the state-run Southern Metropolis Daily newspaper has drawn the concern of foreign journalists' advocates about the ability of reporters to do probing work in China. The U.S.-based Committee to Protect Journalists has protested the holding of Liu Wei, saying China is now "criminalizing basic reporting."

    The policeman, identified only by his surname, Zhong, is suspected of taking bribes in exchange for any help in dropping criminal charges against spiritual master Wang Lin, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. Zhong is suspected of accepting bribes from the ex-wife and a former mistress of Wang, who in turn are suspected of leaking secret documents that could help Wang's case, Xinhua said.

    Liu, who had been reporting extensively on Wang's case, was suspected of involvement with Zhong's illegal activities, Xinhua said, without further detailing the accusations against Liu.

    It wasn't immediately clear whether the two women were also being held, and law enforcement departments declined to comment on the case.

    Wang claims to have supernatural powers as a master of qigong, a traditional combination of meditation, martial arts and Chinese philosophy. He was arrested in August and charged with illegal detention in the kidnapping and grisly murder of a former acolyte.

    Citing a detention notice issued to Liu's family, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Liu has been accused of "illegally acquiring state secrets," an extremely vague charge that can result in a lengthy prison sentence.

    "The government's interpretation of state secrets has grown so broad that it now encompasses routine criminal justice matters," CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon said in a letter of protest. "Liu Wei must be released and all criminal allegations against him dropped immediately."

    Xinhua said Liu and Zhong's case was being handled directly by the Ministry of Public Security, in an apparent indication of the seriousness with which it was being regarded. Zhong had been an officer with the police force in the Jiangxi province city of Pingxiang.

    Xinhua said a "responsible person" from the Southern Metropolis Daily said the paper supported the investigation, had agreed to cooperate and "believes the law enforcement departments will investigate according to law and handle justly."

    However, an editor reached at the newspaper's office in the southern city of Guangzhou said no official statement on the case had ever been issued. The editor, who declined to give his name, said the paper was not accepting interviews on the matter.

    The case underscores the influence of spiritual masters in Chinese political and business life, a phenomenon sometimes blamed for encouraging corruption and abuse of office.

    Wang was propelled to fame by reports of his purported mastery of qigong. Wang claimed to be able to conjure up snakes from thin air and to be able to "poke" people remotely with his powers of concentration.

    He drew the wrong sort of attention from authorities after his former disciple Zou Yong was kidnapped and murdered on July 9. Zou had claimed he paid Wang 5 million yuan ($786,000) to become his disciple and that the two were involved in a web of lawsuits and disputes.

    Wang had previously been investigated for gun possession, practicing medicine without a license, bribery and fraud, but those investigations were stymied by a lack of evidence, Xinhua said.

    Wang once had the trust of former Chinese railways minister Liu Zhijun, who fell in a corruption scandal in 2013 even after Wang gifted him with a rock supposedly imbued with protective powers. Jack Ma, founder of Internet shopping giant Alibaba, and martial arts actor Jet Li also were fans of Wang.
    Maybe his qigong powers will save him?
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
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  14. #29
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    Wu Zeheng gets life

    China Court Jails Religious 'Cult' Leader for Life
    World | Agence France-Presse | Updated: October 31, 2015 12:07 IST


    Representational Image.

    SHANGHAI: A Chinese court has sentenced the leader of a religious sect labelled a cult by authorities to life in prison on several charges, according to an official statement, with three of his followers also jailed.

    A court in the southern city of Zhuhai on Friday also fined Wu Zeheng, head of the "Huazang Zongmen" sect, more than 7.0 million yuan ($1.1 million), it said. The charges included organising a cult, rape, fraud and selling harmful food products.

    Wu seduced dozens of women by telling them sex with him could give them "supernatural power", state media has said. He also operated a restaurant which claimed the food was cooked with "precious" ingredients.

    A police investigation showed Wu had amassed an illegal fortune of more than 6.9 million yuan through his activities, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

    The court also sentenced three of his followers to jail terms of one to four years, but one of those tried escaped punishment, the statement said.

    The group, which operates under multiple names, claims links to Buddhism.

    Analysts say China has tightened control over religious worship, among other areas, under the administration of President Xi Jinping, who took office in 2013.

    Authorities have targeted cults after members of one group beat a woman whom they were trying to recruit to death in a McDonald's restaurant in May last year.

    In February, authorities executed a father and daughter, who belonged to the Quannengshen group, for the murder. Another 14 members of the sect, whose name can be translated as Church of Almighty God, were jailed for up to three years in July.

    In another case, a celebrity Chinese "qigong master", Wang Lin, who claimed to conjure snakes from thin air and cure the sick, was held by police on suspicion of kidnapping and murder in July, according to media reports.

    In a bizarre twist to the case, his ex-wife and mistress offered 2.0 million yuan in bribes to a policeman investigating the matter in exchange for information to help Wang seek a lighter sentence, the official Xinhua news agency said on Friday.

    Story First Published: October 31, 2015 12:07 IST
    I must copy this into the Buddhist behaving badly thread and the McDonald's thread.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
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  15. #30
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    Cao Yongzheng jailed

    Fri Jul 8, 2016 12:03am EDT

    China jails 'Xinjiang sage' connected to former security chief

    A court in central China on Friday jailed for seven years on corruption charges a man identified by Chinese media as a fortune teller and healer connected to China's disgraced former public security chief Zhou Yongkang.

    Zhou, the most senior Chinese official to be ensnared in a graft probe since the ruling Communist Party swept to power in 1949, was jailed for life last year for bribery, leaking state secrets and abuse of power.

    Among his crimes was the unauthorized release of six secret documents to Cao Yongzheng, state media said, a man previously identified by Chinese media as a soothsayer, mystic and expert in qigong, a Chinese spiritual martial art similar to tai chi.

    Cao provided testimony against Zhou in his closed-door trial, though it was unclear at the time whether he had done so in person or by deposition, or if he was also in custody.

    In a brief statement on its official microblog, the intermediate court in the central city of Yichang said Cao had been found guilty of bribery and illegal land deals, jailed for seven years and fined 73 million yuan ($10.92 million).

    Cao said he accepted the judgment and would not appeal, the court said, without elaborating.

    It was not possible to reach Cao or a lawyer for him for comment.

    Dubbed the "Xinjiang sage" by Chinese media, after the far Western region where he grew up, Cao garnered a following in celebrity and official circles in the 1990s for his purported knack for fortune telling and curing untreatable ailments.

    Cao's talents allowed him to cultivate contacts that reached into the upper echelons of the country's ruling elite, respected business magazine Caixin has previously reported.

    China's officially atheist Communist Party brooks no challenge to its rule and is obsessed with social stability. It has particularly taken aim at cults, which have multiplied across the country in recent years. Demonstrations have been put down with force and some sect leaders executed.

    (Reporting by Ben Blanchard)

    More on the Xinjiang Sage here:
    "Xinjiang sage" Cao Yongzheng
    Cao Yongzheng, the mysterious "Xinjiang sage"
    More on Cao Yongzheng, the mysterious "Xinjiang sage"
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
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