Members of the group claimed they were patronized by officials as “these people” and “Moonies,” according to court filings. The group claimed in a 2013 federal lawsuit that town officials were handling its planning approvals in a way that violated its religious rights. Town officials could reach a decision in the coming months.ĭragon Springs has had its own complaints over the years. The town’s planning board will accept written comments from the public on the expansion plans until May 8. The Delaware Riverkeeper Network wrote that the proposed development, including the wastewater plant and elimination of wetlands, could be “devastating” to the local stream, the Basher Kill and the trout-rich Neversink River. “What they do behind their walls is another story.” “Individually they are very nice, always been friendly,” said neighbor Bob Majcher. On warm days, practitioners can occasionally be seen doing their slow, fluid exercises together outdoors. Beyond Dragon Springs, more Falun Gong practitioners live in homes in Deerpark and surrounding towns. The compound site hosts an arts college that acts as a feeder for Shen Yun and a secondary school. The Chinese embassy’s website calls the performances “a tool of the cult and anti-China propaganda.” Some attendees have reported the shows include pro-Falun Gong and anti-communist messages. Their shows feature elaborate dance numbers against colorful backdrops of traditional China, with dozens of performers doing acrobatic leaps in flowing traditional garb. Shen Yun, which has five troupes of dancers, rehearses at Dragon Springs when it isn’t playing heavily promoted performances in some of the top venues in London, New York, Los Angeles, Washington and San Francisco, to name a few. Lawyers did not answer a question about Dragon Springs’ revenues. Lee answered questions emailed to his lawyer by The Associated Press. “It’s like a small city - little by little, through segmentation with one plan and then another plan,” said Grace Woodard, a Dragon Springs neighbor.ĭragon Springs president Jonathon Lee emphasized his group is considerate to its neighbors, noting that the setting for the group’s compound, nestled amid mountains and lakes, holds great cultural significance, especially for Buddhist reflection. And they say it has grown far beyond what was initially described as a modest refuge. China says it is an evil cult.īut critics say the problem is that Dragon Springs has flouted environmental and land-use regulations for years, sometimes building first and asking permission later. The tax-exempt religious site was acquired in 2000, just a year after the Chinese government officially banned Falun Gong.

But members in the past have said they were discriminated against by town officials based on their race and beliefs, which include traditional Chinese calisthenics and philosophy drawn from Buddhism, Taoism and the often-unorthodox teachings of founder Li Hongzhi.ĭragon Springs sits on 400 acres about an hour’s drive northwest of New York City. Practitioners of Falun Gong, also called Falun Dafa, say they just want to coexist peacefully. “We are either unwilling or unable to control what goes on there, and it jeopardizes everyone.” “We enjoy peace and quiet - until Dragon Springs moved in,” neighbor Dusanka Marusic said at a packed public hearing on the proposal this month. A new proposal that could add more people, more buildings and more visitors has only added to the tension.

Over the years, they built up a compound with a traditional Chinese temple, schools, and rehearsal space for their high-flying, globe-trotting dance troupe, Shen Yun.īut the steady growth of Falun Gong’s Dragon Springs complex has caused a rift with their neighbors, who worry about its effect on the area’s environment and rural character. Falun Gong practitioners found a peaceful refuge in the forested hills of upstate New York after their group was banned in China.

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