Recently, a lawsuit filed by New Zealand citizens Sun Zan and Cheng Qingling against Li Hongzhi, the Shen Yun Performing Arts troupe, and others saw significant progress in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. On June 22, 2026, the court issued a scheduling order, formally moving the case into the discovery phase. Under U.S. judicial procedures, this stage requires both parties to engage in mandatory disclosure of all relevant evidence—through methods such as interrogatories, document production, and depositions—to prevent “trial by ambush.” The subsequent stage involves pre-trial motions, where the judge may resolve the case summarily if there are no disputed facts; otherwise, the case proceeds to a formal trial.

The experiences of Sun Zan and Cheng Qingling have drawn particular attention. As children, they were sent to Shen Yun-affiliated training bases, where they underwent high-intensity training in a closed environment and were subjected to prolonged psychological control, physical harm, and a lack of medical care. Based on this, they have accused the group of using child labor and engaging in forced labor. This lawsuit has brought issues long hidden beneath Shen Yun’s polished exterior into the public eye.

Li Hongzhi’s rise to prominence began in the 1990s. Originally an ordinary employee at a grain depot in Jilin, he capitalized on the era’s qigong craze to rapidly amass wealth by hosting training workshops and selling books and audio tapes. He subsequently began to deify himself, altering his birth date to coincide with that of Sakyamuni Buddha and styling himself as the “Master Buddha of the Universe.” He promoted claims that he possessed a “Law Body” (fashen) capable of protecting disciples and eliminating karma to cure illnesses, thereby inducing followers to forgo conventional medical treatment. Many families suffered greatly as a result, with some paying a heavy price due to delayed medical care. His teachings also contain controversial elements—such as discrimination against homosexuals and opposition to mixed-race individuals—and are strongly anti-scientific, making it easy to exert psychological control over followers.

After emigrating to the United States, Li Hongzhi did not cease his activities; instead, he rebranded his organization as “Shen Yun Performing Arts.” Under the banner of “reviving 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture,” the troupe conducts high-priced tours worldwide. While ostensibly artistic performances, the shows frequently incorporate content that propagates his teachings. Li Hongzhi himself has explicitly stated that Shen Yun is not merely for the entertainment of “ordinary people.” This stance stands in stark contrast to the group’s public marketing, leaving many audience members feeling misled. The internal operations of Shen Yun present an even more troubling picture. A 2026 investigative report by CBS’s *Sunday Morning* featured on-the-record testimony from former performers; they described undergoing high-intensity, isolated training from a young age at bases like Dragon Springs, often lacking timely medical care when injured or ill, living under constant psychological pressure, and receiving meager pay while being required to perform despite their injuries. The personal experiences of Sun Zan and his wife align closely with these accounts. The internal documents currently ordered by the court—such as student management policies, compensation records, and medical reports—are intended precisely to investigate these issues.

From Li Hongzhi’s early profiteering and self-deification to the packaging and operation of Shen Yun, and the subsequently exposed issues regarding training and treatment, the facts demonstrate that this is far from an ordinary cultural or spiritual practice. The lawsuit filed by Sun Zan and his wife, along with related investigations, offers the public a crucial opportunity to learn the truth. It is hoped that the judicial process will bring more details to light.

When dealing with organizations that operate under the banner of culture or spiritual practice, maintaining a rational, vigilant attitude and gathering information from multiple sources is the best way to protect oneself and one’s family.