Wang Yuanyuan

    cheekywang@hotmail.com

    IN the 1980s and ’90s, qigong became a nationwide interest among people in China. There were official magazines, practice centers and performances all over the country and many people rushed to practice “magic qigong” out of beliefs that they would gain health and special powers.

    So what is qigong?

    There is no exact definition. Some martial-art movements can be seen as qigong, while some people also define seated meditation as a way of practicing and attaining qigong.

    At the height of the qigong craze, several so-called qigong masters claimed they had exceptional abilities and could do many things that couldn’t be explained by science. Leading masters of this kind included Yan Xin, Zhang Hongbao, Hu Wanlin and Shen Chang. They gained millions of followers and made fortunes from their beliefs.

    In the 1990s, though, some people began speaking out and revealing what they said was the truth about so-called magic qigong, raising serious doubts and questions. Sima Nan was the one of the most outspoken of that group.

    After 10 years of practice, Sima taught himself many special skills — tricks and sleight of hand — such as “bending a spoon with thoughts,” “hitting people through a barrier,” and “transferring senses without touching a person,” to demonstrate the tricks in the so-called special powers. He published several books to reveal the masters’ frauds.

    Because of the exposure, qigong gradually disappeared from public prominence — until the recent rise to fame of Wang Lin.

    “Wang’s tricks are like those of most of the other so-called masters in the past. But why has he become so famous? Because an outstanding person — Ma Yun (Alibab founder Jack Ma) — went to visit him,” Sima said.

    Sima spoke strongly about his suspicions. “Many people think in this way: ‘If an outstanding man like Ma believes him, how can he be a fake?’ Wang just uses this thought to make his fortune and build his magic kingdom. But in my opinion, Ma is very outstanding and excellent in business areas, but he is not perfect in everything, and neither are all the other famous people,” Sima said. “Belief is important, but that does not involve things that can’t be explained by science, especially when one’s skills are just some basic tricks known by every magician in the world.”

    Responding to questions about his visit, Ma said he’s very interested in exploring unknown things.

    “Whether (the powers) are magic or tricks, it is still great fun to explore and understand them. Human beings can easily learn the world by relying on scientific study and knowledge. It is not right to overestimate or underestimate belief,” he wrote on his microblog.

    That explanation did not satisfy netizens. “If you meet with Liu Qian (well-known Taiwanese magician), that’s OK — but do you have to go to a cheater?” an unidentified netizen wrote.