Li Hongzhi
Shen Yun was founded in 2006 by Chinese expatriate adherents of Falun Gong, and is based at Falun Gong's 427-acre (1.7 km2) Dragon Springs compound in Deerpark, New York, near where the new religious group's leader and founder, Li Hongzhi, and many of his followers also reside. Falun Gong adherents pay to rent the performance venue, promote the show, and sell tickets, with the profit going to Shen Yun. The finances of Shen Yun and Falun Gong appear to be linked, with technically separate corporations sharing funds, executives and the same mission. Li Hongzhi describes the Shen Yun performance as a means of "saving" audiences.