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'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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Similar  Cases

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	Zhang Wuben's "regimen diet": Zhang Wuben, author of a popular healthcare book entitled "Eat Out the Disease You Have Eaten", claimed mung bean can cure nearly every disease in 2010. His theory convinced so many people that the price of mung bean was driven up in Beijing. However, Zhang's self-proclaimed title of a senior nutritionist was later denied by the Ministry of Health.
	"Tai chi master" Yan Fang: Yan Fang, a middle-aged woman who claimed to be a master of tai chi aroused many people's curiosity in 2011. People saw her use tai chi to knock a man to the ground without touching him. But it didn't take long to expose this self-proclaimed "master" as a fraud.

News  Vocab

气功大师 qìgōng dàshī qigong master

Example:

近日，江西“气功大师”王林因马云、赵薇、李连杰等几位名人的一次拜访引起社会广泛关注。（Source: 光明网）

Qigong master and Jiangxi-native Wang Lin drew extensive attention after receiving recent visits from celebrities such as Ma Yun, Zhao Wei and Jet Li.

Web editor: yangruoyu@globaltimes.com.cn