BEIJING – On July 10, the Chinese Internet Security Department (CISD) of the Public Security Bureau of Qiandongnan Prefecture, Guizhou Province, announced that it had successfully solved a case involving an “Internet celebrity” who practiced witchcraft. It appears to be the first time any form of witchcraft practice has been prosecuted under China’s revised penal code against “cults.”
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) refers to new religious movements as xié jiào (邪教), or “cults.” They are viewed as hostile to the CCP and its social objectives. The threat is serious enough that the Chinese Criminal Code’s infamous Article 300 punishes those involved in xié jiào – which can sometimes simply mean possession of religious literature from a xié jiào – with three to seven years of imprisonment.
The People’s Republic of China (PRC) officially recognizes five religions: Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Protestantism, and Catholicism. These religions, known as zongjiao, are associated with specific beliefs, practices, and affiliations. The government closely monitors religious activity and only allows groups belonging to state-sanctioned “patriotic religious associations” to register and hold worship services. The government also defines what constitutes a religion; anything outside this definition is considered superstition. For instance, “popular religion,” a blend of Buddhism, Taoism, and polytheistic elements, is not recognized as a religion, and its practice is prohibited.
Religious activities that fall outside the five officially recognized religions and lack government approval as cultural heritage are often labeled by authorities as “superstition” or “evil cults.” For example, Chinese law forbids witchcraft and sorcery, and the government opposes folk religious practices with superstitious elements. Setting off firecrackers to ward off evil spirits or using incense for similar effects attracts the attention of authorities.
Master Yang, or “Miao Sheng,” emerged on social media in 2023 and gained a significant following of hopefuls wanting to learn his craft and ultimately, becoming an Internet celebrity beyond Guizhou. Locally, he became known by attending folk festivals and events promoting Miao culture.
Master Yang – via CISD Detention Statement
Yang is a member of the Miao ethnic group. The Miao People live in Southern and Southeast China. The ethnic minority is renowned for its shamans and witches, who are skilled in interacting with various categories of spirits and offering spiritual advice including how to manage them. There is also a modernized version of Miao traditional religious practitioners, combining Miao folk beliefs with Buddhist and Taoist themes.
Yang’s syncretic practices as well as those of other similar practitioners have been more or less tolerated. His growing popularity appears to have attracted the attention of the CCP.
The assumption had been that these cults are related to some form of organized practice. Yangs was detained under the theory that he had violated Article 300. Now, the use of it Article 300 applies to groups of followers even on social media.
The CISD wrote that “Harming others will eventually harm yourself” in its notice to the public. The department added that Yang’s “behavior is suspected of using feudal superstition to commit fraud and using superstition to undermine the implementation of the law, the public security organs have placed him under criminal detention in accordance with the law.”
Master Yang – via CISD Detention Statement
The CISD wrote that “Whoever organizes or uses secret societies or cults or takes advantage of superstitions to deceive others, causing serious injury or death to others shall be punished in accordance with the provisions” referencing Article 300.
The authorities also accuse Yang of fraud citing various reports of his offering spiritual services to others online while. The accus Yang of cultivating others to learn his “’secret method’ of health preservation” while also releasing a “large amount of audio and video content on the Internet platform, such as ‘Miao witchcraft’, ‘wisdom of ancient gods’, ‘scientific practice of health and wellness culture’, and ‘life science’, attracting a large number of fans to follow and discuss.”
The CISD information did not specify whether Yang had begun or was practicing within a religious or spiritual order. Rather the size of his social media following appears to the issue. Bitter Winter, a magazine on religious liberty wrote “Master Yang was a victim of his own popularity. When these spiritual teachers become too visible, tolerance quickly ends.”
The Wild Hunt is not responsible for links to external content.
To join a conversation on this post:
Visit our The Wild Hunt subreddit! Point your favorite browser to https://www.reddit.com/r/The_Wild_Hunt_News/, then click “JOIN”. Make sure to click the bell, too, to be notified of new articles posted to our subreddit.