Coordinated Online Threat Campaign Sends Hundreds of Violent Messages Worldwide to Shen Yun Websites

Between Jan. 28 and Feb. 1, a malicious actor—or coordinated group of actors—used a website page on one of the websites of Shen Yun Performing Arts to submit more than 200 violent and threatening messages.

The messages contained bomb threats and explicit calls for mass violence and were frequently paired with impersonation of Falun Gong founder Li Hongzhi, Falun Gong practitioners, political leaders, and public figures. Documentation by the Falun Dafa Information Center (FDIC) indicates that the incident aligns with a broader and well-documented pattern of transnational repression targeting Falun Gong communities and their supporters globally, often associated with pro–Chinese Communist Party (CCP) activity.

Impersonating Falun Gong and supporters

Each of the more than 200 messages used a fabricated sender name in the subject line, falsely indicating that the message originated from a named individual.

Most impersonated names were Chinese and included Falun Gong founder, Falun Gong practitioners, Taiwanese political leaders, and well-known activists. Two English-language names, including U.S. President Donald Trump, were also used.

This impersonation tactic mirrors earlier campaigns in which perpetrators falsely used the names or email addresses of Falun Gong practitioners, dissidents, journalists, and government officials to amplify confusion, damage reputations, and heighten fear.

Explicit death and terrorist threats

The content of the messages consisted almost entirely of explicit threats of mass violence, including bombings, shootings, arson, kidnappings, and sexual violence. Targets named in the messages included Falun Gong supporters, public officials, cultural institutions, and government facilities across countries, including the White House and Taiwan’s Presidential Office Building.

Examples include threats alleging explosives placed at government buildings, airports, and public venues, often conditioned on Shen Yun performances continuing. All quoted examples below were translated from Chinese:

“Lai Ching-te shares with you: A large amount of explosives are placed in the White House and Mar-a-Lago. If Shen Yun continues to perform, we will detonate the explosives! Driving into crowds around the White House and Mar-a-Lago, shooting at people fleeing for their lives!”

“Li Hongzhi shares with you: All Falun Gong supporters around the world, including politicians and celebrities from various countries, will be in serious danger in the next three months. It is not ruled out that fires will occur in their residences, family members will be involved in car accidents, they will be kidnapped, and female members will be gang-raped and then slit to death!”

“Chen Shui-bian shares with you: Many explosives have been placed in the Presidential Palace of the Republic of China! Taipei Songshan Airport! Taoyuan Airport! Penghu Airport! Kaohsiung Airport, Taipei Arena! National Tsing Hua University! Yangming Jiaotong University, Taipei District Prosecutor’s Office, Taipei Police Department, if the Shen Yun show continues to be broadcast, all explosives will be detonated! Break into the Presidential Palace of the Republic of China and shoot! set fire!”

The breadth of topics and their apparent audience is consistent with coordinated intimidation campaigns designed to maximize disruption and spread fear beyond a single community.

Recurrent pattern

This incident reflects a recurring pattern rather than an isolated event. Over the past several years, Falun Gong communities and Shen Yun–related institutions have been subjected to a sustained, multi-pronged campaign involving impersonation, platform abuse, harassment, and mass death threats.

Since 2023, theaters hosting Shen Yun performances, cultural partners, and Falun Gong–related sites have faced repeated bomb and shooting hoaxes delivered through email, web forms, and customer-service platforms. These incidents have triggered evacuations and law-enforcement responses across North America, Europe, and Asia.

FDIC incident tracking and independent reporting show that threat activity reliably spikes during Shen Yun’s international touring seasons and is often timed to high-profile performances or politically sensitive dates. Beyond Shen Yun itself, threats routinely extend to libraries, NGOs, universities, and public offices that interact with Falun Gong communities.

Since March 2024 alone, more than 230 anonymous death threats targeting Falun Gong practitioners and supporters worldwide have been documented. Although no physical harm has resulted, the cumulative effect has been intimidation, disruption of lawful cultural activity, reputational harm, and repeated diversion of public-safety resources.

All known incidents have been reported to law enforcement and remain under investigation.

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