Graphic Death Threats Target Shen Yun Headquarters, Members of U.S. Congress Ahead of Chinese New Year
New York—An anonymous message sent on January 27 contained a vivid death threat targeting the New York headquarters of Shen Yun Performing Arts, a classical Chinese dance company founded by Falun Gong practitioners. The threat also targeted members of the U.S. Congress who have supported Falun Gong. The threat was sent in Chinese by email to the Falun Dafa Information Center, as well as submitted via the contact form of FalunDafa.org, a website that hosts information about Falun Gong, its spiritual teachings, and exercise instruction videos. With the subject line, “Set fire on the first day of Chinese New Year,” it warned:
“I have made a large number of incendiary bombs using alcohol and glass bottles. On the first day of the Chinese New Year, we will secretly go to Dragon Springs Temple [home of Shen Yun’s headquarters and training facilities], set fire to the surrounding vehicles, then hack and kill the guards, break into Dragon Springs Temple, and throw gasoline bombs at the wooden buildings! Slash and kill everyone we can see! At the same time, our people will attack congressmen who support Falun Gong!”

The Falun Dafa Information Center and Shen Yun have informed law enforcement and Capitol Police about the threat. The IP address associated with the message was located in France, though likely a virtual-private network (VPN) was used by the perpetrator to disguise their location.
The message is the latest in a string of anonymous bomb, mass shooting, and sexual violence threats sent over the past year that target Falun Gong practitioners, Shen Yun performers, their families, and supporters. This is the fifth such threat since January 12, 2025 that has also mentioned members of Congress as a potential target.
“Taking advantage of the Chinese New Year holiday, a special time of celebration and family reunions, to incite fear and require extra vigilance shows the malicious intent of those who are trying to sabotage and silence Shen Yun and the broader Falun Gong diaspora,” says Levi Browde, executive director of the Falun Dafa Information Center. “Given the context of coordinated threats targeting Falun Gong and Shen Yun over the past year, there is almost certainly a connection back to Beijing.”
The Falun Dafa Information Center has documented 17 threats since March 2024 that have targeted Dragon Springs, the site in Orange County, NY that houses Shen Yun’s headquarters, training facilities, and educational institutions where many Shen Yun performers train, as well as a set of temples in the architectural style of the Tang Dynasty. Many of the threats have contained graphic depictions of violence to be meted out to victims (including young students or performers’ families), explosives placed around the campus, mass shootings, or suspicious car accidents. There have also been several incidents in recent months of suspicious individuals approaching the entrance to Dragon Springs to take photos or attempt to breach the security barrier.
The frequency of the threats has increased since late December 2024 and has included five sent since January 12 that also mention members of Congress as a potential target. For example, an anonymous message from January 13 extended a shooting and bomb threat against Dragon Springs to also include killing “U.S. members of Congress, other elected representatives, and entertainment celebrities who voice support for Falun Gong.”
Death threats have also been sent to other entities linked to Falun Gong or Shen Yun. One shooting threat from August 2024 targeted the Falun Dafa Information Center, threatening its staff and their families. At least 14 threats have also been sent to theaters hosting Shen Yun performances in the United States, Europe, Canada, and Taiwan. Importantly, none of the threats have come to pass. Nevertheless, they have required additional investments in security by the company as well as resources by law enforcement to ensure the named targets are protected.
The death threats targeting Falun Gong and Shen Yun over the past year represent a significant escalation from the past in frequency and violent tone, raising serious concerns. Although anonymous, the threats coincide with a broader campaign by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to eliminate Falun Gong and Shen Yun outside China, indicating a likely connection to Beijing. This campaign has featured increased intimidation, harassment, and disinformation targeting Falun Gong and Shen Yun, especially in the United States, and has included misleading, inaccurate, and hate-inciting posts on social media platforms like X and YouTube, as well as articles in mainstream Western media.
“The Chinese regime’s deadly propaganda and violence against Falun Gong practitioners is now extending to those in the United States and their supporters in Congress,” says Browde. “It is becoming increasingly urgent that the U.S. government open a full-fledged counterintelligence investigation to identify and hold accountable those responsible for these and other threats before a tragedy occurs.”
In Chinese: 中國新年前神韻總部和美國國會議員收到駭人死亡威脅