Chinese mystic vanishes after being accused of fraud

[ImperialWalker]

Chinese mystic vanishes after being accused of fraud

A millionaire Chinese mystic and friend to the stars who claims to have miraculously cured more than 50,000 people has vanished after he was accused of being a fraudster.

Chinese mystic Wang Lin claims he can conjure snakes from thin air and cure diseases Photo: Getty Images

By Tom Phillips, Shanghai
9:54AM BST 30 Jul 2013

Wang Lin, a 61-year-old "healer" from China's Jiangxi province, has conjured up a considerable fortune through his career as a spiritual adviser to a host of senior politicians and A-list celebrities including billionaire Jack Ma, the actors Jackie Chan and Jet Li and even Suharto, the former Indonesian president.

He reportedly owns one Rolls-Royce, three Hummers and a luxury five-floor mansion in Jiangxi province.

But Mr Wang's supposedly supernatural talents – which he claims include curing cancer and conjuring snakes out of the blue – have done little to shield him from a sudden barrage of bad press and, now, an official investigation.

Mr Wang's current fix began earlier this month when the mystic was accused of threatening to place a curse on a Chinese journalist behind an expose that claimed he was a charlatan and convicted fraudster who had spent time in jail. The snakes that Mr Wang supposedly conjured up had in fact been purchased at a local market, it was claimed.

Mr Wang, who is a practitioner of Qigong, a form of spiritual exercise, reacted furiously to the Beijing News report.

"I am telling you, you will die miserably, and your family will follow," he told its reporter, according to the newspaper.

That outburst opened the floodgates to a cascade of negative reports that picked apart some of Mr Wang's most outlandish claims and painted him as a rogue.

The Global Times published a mocking info-graphic detailing the mystic's "repertoire of wizardry" and "enigmatic therapies" alongside a chart mapping out his rise from "swindler" to "worshipped Qigong master." Another newspaper reported that while Mr Wang claimed to have cured a monk from liver cancer, no such monk existed.

Question marks were also raised over claims that Mr Wang had cured himself of a brain tumour.

Mr Wang's media lynching continued over the weekend and on Sunday evening the state-run television channel CCTV dismissed him as a con artist and a "vulgar magician".

The following day, authorities in Jiangxi province announced they were investigating him for the illegal practice of medicine.

By then, however, Mr Wang appeared to have done a disappearing act.

On Tuesday morning it was reported that he had fled overland to Hong Kong, where he owns an apartment and has permanent residency.

 

[ImperialWalker]

Wang Lin with relatives of former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin Sina Weibo / 1215031834

Wang Lin with relatives of former Chinese leader Hu Jintao Sina Weibo / 1215031834

Wang Lin with Chinese actress Li Bingbing Sina Weibo / szliyong


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[Words]

Fake master probed for fraud
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Globaltimes.cn | 2013-7-29 18:24:00

'Qigong master' under probe over illegal medical practice

In what appears to be a latest case of scam busting, the flamboyant ‘qigong’ master Wang Lin will soon see his self-vaunted supernatural power grilled as an investigation into his suspected illegal medical practice is well underway, according to a report by Beijing News on July 29.

Qigong master to the stars ‘cursed’ journalist for exposing his tricks
A reporter from The Beijing News has been "cursed" by a self-proclaimed qigong master to the stars, after she published an exposé alleging that he is a charlatan.

Self-proclaimed qigong master attracts officials and celebrities
Qigong, the ancient Chinese healing practice, has seen a revival in popularity of late, becoming one of the latest fads for celebrities. Although a number of pseudo-qigong masters have been revealed as frauds, losing much of their appeal with the public, their celebrity fan base appears to be more loyal than most.

About Wang Lin

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Media comments:

Global Times: Sense of insecurity lures celebrities to fake masters

Three groups of people are most likely to fall into the trap: the elderly and the poor, plus celebrities. The clinging to "masters" by the latter, no matter out of hunting for novelty or a mental consolation, helps drive the emergence of those masters and their expanding influence.

Former Chinese minister of railways Liu Zhijun allegedly had close relations with Wang, who once offered him a lucky stone to ensure that Liu could be secure in his post.

Global Times: Self-proclaimed qigong master attracts officials and celebrities

Ma, Jet Li or Zhao share the same characteristics. They became successful, scaled the echelons of fame, are fabulously wealthy and believe themselves to be luckier than ordinary people, says Fang Zhouzi, a famous debunker of superstition and pseudoscience. This mentality has pushed them to seek the advice of so-called masters as to why they deserved this fate.

CCTV: Qigong ‘master’ conjures bad blood among officials

Historically officials kept qigong “masters” in their consul for their divining skills. Some officials still follow this superstitious tradition. This can easily lead to infighting within the government, such as when a qigong “master” tells an official that a colleague is preventing him from being promoted.

Qianjiang Evening News: Qigong ‘master’ in it for money, power

Officials and celebrities have an easier time getting in touch with Wang Lin, as they have the two things Wang wants - money and authority. And Wang knows what they long for: officials want to secure their promotions and celebrities want to be healthy.

Weibo voices:

@游飞翥： Ma Yun said that the mob attacks on Wang Lin are an infringement of freedom. I don’t agree. I just don’t believe Wang Lin’s qigong and think he is a fraud. Does that mean I’ve joined the mob? Now CCTV is revealing Wang for what he is. I guess they’re part of the mob too.

@芥末味儿的拓： Wang Lin is just one of those fake qigong masters. Real masters get up at two to three in the morning and complete their exercises by five.

@中和老頭：I saw the photo of Wang Lin and Li Shuangjiang online today. Why didn’t this “master” help Li’s son avoid getting in trouble for gang rape?

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[Sinkie]

WTF!!...I was also conned by this snake Wang Lin nah ma chao cheebye.

 

[CaoPi]

'Victimized' qigong master Wang Lin to remain in Hong Kong
Staff Reporter 2013-08-02 17:37

Wang Lin. (Photo/CNS)

Weibo, China's equivalent of Twitter, has become the only platform where controversial qigong "master" Wang Lin communicates with the public. On Thursday, he posted on Weibo that he and Zou Yong merely had some economic disputes and that he "loves his country and his hometown." The dispute was exaggerated, he said.

Wang verbally attacked a reporter from the online news portal Beijing News on July 22 after it published a report detailing his connections and influence in China.

Angered by the coverage, Wang is quoted as saying to the reporter: "I hope you die young and from a painful death! I hope your whole family die a painful death too!"

Wang said in an interview in Hong Kong that he was another Edward Snowden and that he was a victim. He does not plan to return to mainland China in the near future, he said.

Beijing News had said that the qigong master, who claims to have supernatural powers, has a close relationship with Chinese government officials and celebrities, and uses the connections and his status to earn millions of yuan. Wang also profits from his qigong performances, helping to create a "kingdom of money" in his hometown of Pingxiang in southeastern China's Jiangxi province.

The Department of Health in Jiangxi province confirmed on Thursday that it had received a request from the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine to investigate Wang to find out if the qigong practitioner had been involved in illegal medical practices.

On Thursday evening, Wang posted a statement on Tencent's Weibo stating that he supported the Communist Party and loved his country and hometown. He reiterated that the investigation was merely a fallout of an economic dispute with Zou.

He added that the recent news story quoting lawyer Zhang Chengmao did not express his personal views. Wang said he reserved the right to take legal action.

Wang's students also posted messages on social networks in support of their master.

As per the report, Wang was interviewed by the newspaper on July 30, during which he mentioned that he earned his money rather than taking bribes from government officials. He also said that he could not understand why everyone had turned against him, adding that he had decided to stay in Hong Kong since he has permanent residency of the special administrative region.

 

[Confusion]

Qigong 'master' hit with firearms allegation

Xinhua, August 6, 2013

Police in east China's Jiangxi Province have launched an investigation into self-proclaimed qigong master Wang Lin over his alleged possession of firearms.

Wang Lin [File photo]

An official from the public security bureau of Luxi County said on Monday that they had received several tip-offs about Wang owning guns, which is illegal in China.

Wang, who claims to be a master of qigong, a traditional martial art combined with meditation, stirred up controversy in July after images of his supposed "supernatural power" shows like conjuring snakes out of thin air and of him with many celebrities were posted on the Internet.

The public have questioned the authenticity of Wang's power, with some media accusing him of amassing large sums of money through claimed medical cures of sick people.

Health authorities in Jiangxi said Wang had no license required for a medical practitioner while calling on the public to offer tips and clues pertaining to his illegal medical practices.

Police and health officials said they have not received any such reports so far.

Wang, a 61-year-old native of Luxi, is reportedly in Hong Kong at the moment, as he has permanent resident status there.

Qigong, which combines breathing, physical exercise and mental training methods based on Chinese philosophy, is practiced by people around the world for the purposes of strengthening the body and maintaining health.

 

[CaoPi]

Qigong master probed for 7 different cases

Shanghai Daily, August 8, 2013

The self-proclaimed qigong master Wang Lin is under investigation in seven different cases, authorities in east China’s Jiangxi Province have said.

Wang Lin.[File photo]

Wang is being probed for bigamy, fraud, gambling, bribery, tax evasion, for practicing illegal medicine and in possession of firearms.

The Guangzhou Daily reported yesterday that officials from the legal affairs office, industry and commerce watchdog and police in Jiangxi held a meeting on Tuesday and discussed the matter based on media revelations.

Media have reported that Wang now stays in Hong Kong, where he has a permanent resident status since 1995.

The Jiangxi Health Bureau has been investigating Wang since last Saturday. Health officials in Pingxiang in Jiangxi, Wang’s hometown, had reported earlier that he did not have a medical license or qualifications to “treat” patients.

Wang had claimed that he had healed more than 50,000 people.

On Tuesday, one of Wang’s “patients,” Wu Zhihui, said he met him when Wang visited his company in Pingxiang where Wu worked as a senior manager in September 2011.

“He told me that my face had turned black and asked me to undergo treatment at his home,” Wu said.

Then, standing behind Wu, Wang performed fa gong, which reportedly passes on positive energy. The “treatment” lasted for five minutes during which Wang clapped his hands, stamped his feet and performed exorcism.

Wang told Wu that he would be cured of his “illness” after drinking a liquid medicine, The Beijing News reported.

Wu paid 60,000 yuan (US$9,804) for the “treatment” for which he did not get any receipts or prescriptions.

“I have to expose his fraud,” Wu told the provincial health bureau on Tuesday.

Wang has claimed he can cure diseases such as cancer, conjure up snakes from thin air and other supernatural acts.

It is being reported that the 61-year-old Wang had been sentenced to seven years in jail for fraud when he was at 27. After six years, he was slapped with additional three years for attempting jail break.

Zou Yong, a former disciple of Wang, has alleged that Wang never paid tax in Jiangxi. It is being claimed that among his many businesses, Wang owned an underground casino in Jiangxi.

Zou also alleged that Wang had wanted him to bribe China’s former Railways Minister Liu Zhijun and gave the qigong master 17.4 million yuan in cash. Zou is suing Wang over a housing dispute involving over 30 million yuan. Wang is also being probed for owning guns.

 

[Confusion]

Self-styled qigong master hits out at allegations but is being investigated

Global Times | 2013-8-9 1:03:02
By Global Times

The self-proclaimed qigong master Wang Lin has responded online that he is a permanent resident of Hong Kong and denied speculation that he went there in late July to evade investigation after he was accused of several wrongdoings.

Wang, who claims to be a master of qigong, a traditional Chinese healing practice, had been at the center of controversies surrounding his "supernatural power," alongside accusations of illegal medical practice, illegal gun ownership, tax evasion and bribery.

Wang said in an interview on Saturday with a woman surnamed Ye, who claimed to be his neighbor in Shenzhen, that he never proclaimed to have supernatural powers and refuted allegations that he made a fortune from treatments.

Zou Yong, an alleged former disciple of Wang, accused him of fraud and filed a lawsuit. However, Wang said in the interview that the allegations he has been facing were "set up" by Zou and that he had been reporting Zou's illegal deeds to authorities since November.

Neither Wang nor Zou could be reached for comment on Thursday.

The Jiangxi Provincial Office of Legislative Affairs denied media reports Wednesday that they would launch a series of formal investigations to probe Wang's misconduct.

However, a press officer surnamed Wu with the Jiangxi Provincial Department of Public Health confirmed to the Global Times that they were investigating Wang's medical practice.