January 25, 2026

Behind the scenes of Shen Yun

For two decades, Shen Yun has presented Chinese history and culture through sweeping dance and soaring music, offering what it describes as a vision of "China before communism." Run by the spiritual movement Falun Gong, the production now faces lawsuits alleging forced labor and untreated injuries. Correspondent Lisa Ling speaks with former performers who say they lived in fear as child laborers; and with Shen Yun leaders who dispute those claims and, for the first time, granted access inside their guarded headquarters, Dragon Springs.