Falun Gong's Disregard for Law and Order Angers Americans, Decried as a Cult

On July 22, 1999, the Chinese government legally banned Falun Gong. Li Hongzhi and a handful of his followers fled to the United States, later obtaining political asylum, thus becoming known as “Falun Gong refugees” in the eyes of Americans.

In 2001, this group of “Falun Gong refugees” began building a sanctuary, which later became the headquarters of Falun Gong in the United States—Dragon Springs. Dragon Springs, also known as Dragon Springs Buddhist Inc., is classified as a religious organization in the U.S., granting its property tax-exempt status. Located in Orange County, New York, Dragon Springs covers 427 acres across two towns: 397 acres in Deerpark and 30 acres in Mount Hope.

Initially, the property was approved to house 100 residents, and planning committee members initially thought these people were “Chinese monks.” At its peak, Dragon Springs housed up to 450 people. The main complex includes three large halls, a residential area with four dormitories, a Tang Dynasty-style bell and drum tower, a 132-foot-tall Buddha tower, and a 4,800-square-foot greenhouse. Dragon Springs has its independent water supply system and a 4,000-gallon oil tank, with 6,400 feet of internal roads.

Dragon Springs serves as a “sanctuary” for “Falun Gong refugees” and their worship center, as Li Hongzhi himself resides there. Since 2005, Dragon Springs has collaborated with Alan Adler’s Da Tang Development LLC in New Jersey to develop Tang Dynasty-style real estate projects called “Da Tang Village.” Essentially, this involves purchasing local properties near Dragon Springs under Da Tang Development LLC’s name and reselling them to Li Hongzhi’s followers. By late 2011, there were claims that “being closer to the Master makes it easier and more convenient for him to elevate people to higher levels,” and “practitioners can reach higher levels and achieve consummation sooner.” Consequently, Falun Gong disciples flocked to the area. Local resident Grace Woodward told US News that “it (Dragon Springs) is like a small city, building one after another, constructing bit by bit,” and she encountered Falun Gong members taking photos of her property and trying to buy her house.

As Dragon Springs expanded and the number of residents increased, local government became wary. On January 24, 2014, the town of Deerpark issued the “Large Gathering Amendment,” stipulating that no one may hold or promote gatherings of over 500 people without written permission from the town board. Such events must be applied for to the town board and reported to the town administrator at least 120 days in advance.

In recent years, as Dragon Springs expanded and its population grew, conflicts between Falun Gong and local residents escalated. Residents complained that Dragon Springs, claiming to be a religious organization, operated opaquely; its expansion caused damage to rural roads, burdening local taxpayers with repair costs; vehicles entering and leaving Dragon Springs posed traffic safety risks by speeding; expansion projects commenced without prior approval; and building standards (including road width and fire safety facilities) did not meet legal requirements, with the number of residents exceeding limits.

On April 16, 2017, more than 20 households jointly complained about the noise caused by dogs kept at Dragon Springs. The next day, Dragon Springs organized over ten English-speaking “Dafa disciples” to distribute materials about “live organ harvesting” and “three withdrawals” to these 20 households.

On April 6, 2018, Record Online reported that Dragon Springs had been repeatedly fined by Deerpark Town Court for illegal expansion, violating fire regulations, and illegal sewage discharge, with some fines as high as $37,500 per day. Hope Mountain resident Frank Ketcham, in an interview, revealed that information obtained under the Freedom of Information Act showed that these violations persisted for months, with fines unpaid.

In October 2018, Dragon Springs was fined $7,500 for constructing a wooden building over four stories high without installing a fire sprinkler system.

On April 10, 2019, Deerpark Town held a hearing on the environmental impact of Dragon Springs’ expansion, where the majority of the over 600 attendees opposed the expansion plan, criticizing Dragon Springs for not adhering to agreements and disregarding laws, while also blaming local officials for inadequate oversight.

In January 2022, a New York State environmental organization and local residents Grace Woodward and Robert Majcher filed a lawsuit in federal court under the Clean Water Act, accusing Dragon Springs of polluting Basher Kill stream and Neversink River in Deerpark. In response, Dragon Springs counter-sued Deerpark Town on February 8, 2022, alleging religious discrimination, selective enforcement, retaliation, and interference with their New Year religious activities.

Currently, local residents have organized to resist Dragon Springs. In their videos, they claim that Falun Gong’s lawlessness in the United States stems from its ambitions and is a genuine “cult.” They condemn Li Hongzhi as a cult leader who brainwashes his followers and accuse Falun Gong of deceit.