Falun Gong: the end of days by Maria Hsia Chang [Book review]

Abstract

Review of Maria Hsia Chang's 2004 publication, Falun Gong: The End of Days. Carlton North: Scribe Publications. At the recent China Studies Association of Australia Conference in Bendigo, Yu Haiqing explored media representations of the 'threat of Falun Gong' to both Chinese nationals and the state. She concluded that the persecution of Falun Gong is directly attributed to the perceived threat posed by the sect to the Chinese Communist Party. In Falun Gong: The End of Days Chang, a political scientist, begins by outlining the historical tradition whereby secret societies have been able to stage uprisings and overthrow the body politic. In fact, Chang's accounts of the impact the various millenarian movements have had on China's political landscape are the true strength of the work as they clearly identify the reasons behind the CCP's fear of the sect.