Banishing qigong in my building! (Shanghai)

[xinyidizi]

Today my building management came to our apartments door by door and had us sign an oath that we wouldn't practice any forms of demonic religions based on qigong and if we saw anyone practice it we should call them or the police immediately(notice that there was no mention of FLG and it only mentioned qigong). At first I didn't want to sign but then I realized that these people might actually cause trouble for me. I don't know anything about FLG and I don't really care but I guess I need to do my zhanzhuang and qigong training somewhere outside of this complex.

[ShaolinDan]

Today my building management came to our apartments door by door and had us sign an oath that we wouldn't practice any forms of demonic religions based on qigong and if we saw anyone practice it we should call them or the police immediately(notice that there was no mention of FLG and it only mentioned qigong). At first I didn't want to sign but then I realized that these people might actually cause trouble for me. I don't know anything about FLG and I don't really care but I guess I need to do my zhanzhuang and qigong training somewhere outside of this complex.

Really? Really?! WTF. Are you telling me I can't do qigong in the park in the morning when in China? What about all the tai chi people? I thought the Chinese government was on a promote qigong kick? No?

[xinyidizi]

It was just my building's management and I don't know where they got the idea from. The exact term was ”邪教“ and it described it as religions based on 气功 and 神话 that are 反科学. It didn't mention anything about Taiji but I bet the nosy old ladies in my complex won't know the difference between FLG and zhanzhuang or sitting meditation.

[Matthew]

It was just my building's management and I don't know where they got the idea from. The exact term was ”邪教“ and it described it as religions based on 气功 and 神话 that are 反科学. It didn't mention anything about Taiji but I bet the nosy old ladies in my complex won't know the difference between FLG and zhanzhuang or sitting meditation.

My friendly thought is the religion bit might not be that big a deal If they don't want to be known for housing activists- which FLG has the reputation of being.

I read a recent Chinese media tidbit about reassessing the way the govt treats FLG and such groups though, noting that it could improve some Chinese people's health and govt may be opening the doors to it in future


I'd be surprised if those ladies didn't know zhan zhuang or whatnot - most elder Chinese I've met all know a fair amount about tai chi and at least have heard of or seen some form of zhan zhuang. Why not try a local park? When I am in Shanghai I always enjoy early am in the park and then watching others activities there too (of which I have seen lots of zhan zhuang too)

[xinyidizi]

Yes it's different in the parks and many old people who go to the parks have tried some taiji or qigong (though I have never seen them doing zhanzhuang) in their lives but generally most of the Chinese people that I have met are clueless about these things. Once while doing zhuanzhuang I heard some of them whispering to each other that I was practicing FLG.

Anyway today I did my training at a park where many others also do things like taiji but the bad thing about these public places is that they are packed with people and sometimes they circle around me and take my pictures as if they have never seen a foreigner doing kungfu before.

[Matthew]

Yes it's different in the parks and many old people who go to the parks have tried some taiji or qigong (though I have never seen them doing zhanzhuang) in their lives but generally most of the Chinese people that I have met are clueless about these things. Once while doing zhuanzhuang I heard some of them whispering to each other that I was practicing FLG.

Anyway today I did my training at a park where many others also do things like taiji but the bad thing about these public places is that they are packed with people and sometimes they circle around me and take my pictures as if they have never seen a foreigner doing kungfu before.

Thanks for the reply, xinyidizi

I had to laugh at the last part about people watching you. I often had elder chinese watching me too- and after I Finished I might have some elder people asking about my zhan zhuang.

As to your first part- I'm very suprised. I would guess a couple things- you are in closer to the city center in the most inner ring?

and my second guess is that you are not going to the park before 7 am? or sometime late morning/early afternoon when it is family activities?

Correct me on those if I'm wrong. I noticed the later I went to the park- the less cultivation oriented the activities were. Also as to your people gathering around you- I used to find a nice place in between some trees/around bushes where few could stare, let alone gather. This is why I guessed you might be in city center without good park coverage.

I'm really surprised what you said about people you've met not knowing what it is, while I'm not surprised they may associate Zhan Zhuang with FLG, the park I practiced at was where one of Fu Zhong Wen's highest students (not his son) taught years ago and many good teachers still teach Tai Chi.

Case in point, every morning any any given time in early am I would see 5 to as many as ~15 people spread around the park doing some sort of standing stake. Some of the tai chi players warm up with it too, in classic fashion. This was an older age area in Shanghai though, which might contribute that that knowledge about zhan zhuang.

Somewhat related- I found that WuXue culture is really integrated into everything in China- TV shows in China, commercials, movies, magazines, elementary middle high school lessons, etc that all include some martial arts lesson/idea/aspect/history in some form that the average Chinese elders I've met have some fundamental concepts (maybe not practices) about what qigong/neigong/tai chi/etc looks like from the outside at least

[mawali]

Today my building management came to our apartments door by door and had us sign an oath that we wouldn't practice any forms of demonic religions based on qigong and if we saw anyone practice it we should call them or the police immediately(notice that there was no mention of FLG and it only mentioned qigong). At first I didn't want to sign but then I realized that these people might actually cause trouble for me. I don't know anything about FLG and I don't really care but I guess I need to do my zhanzhuang and qigong training somewhere outside of this complex.

Looks like the anti FLG Camp is getting into the lives of the people and their net has been forced into Shanghai from the North. Good luck!
The governmental structural is exerting their influence to make sure the people are 'in-line' for the coming change-over! Just a guess!

[YouKnowWho]

My daughter is an American born Chinese. She is in China right now. When she applied visa to go to China, She was asked to provide a copy of my US passport to prove that I didn't come from China (She is 36 years old, not a kid). There is definitely something going on in China right now.