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Dragon Springs Fact Sheet

In an effort to give people more clarity about the campus and operations, we spoke with many people who work and put together this fact sheet.

Who started Dragon Springs and why?

The Basics

  1. Dragon Springs is a religious nonprofit that owns 400+ acres in Deerpark and Mt. Hope. 

  2. The property is 17% developed, with the remainder property consisting of untouched woodlands.

  3. There are three distinct organizations hosted on the Dragon Springs property

    1. Fei Tian Academy of the Arts is a boarding school that offers a standard New York State curriculum, and holds an absolute charter from the New York State Board of Regents and Commissioner of Education, and carries full registered status (which is equivalent to programmatic approval or accreditation in other states).

    2. Fei Tian College is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education – the same organization that accredits Harvard, Yale, and many other prestigious universities. The college offers a standard academic education in addition to performing arts courses.

    3. Shen Yun Performing Arts is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance and music company. Each year, the company tours to over 200 cities across 5 continents, reaching more than a million people.​

The Purpose

  1. Dragon Springs was founded by people who practice Falun Gong – a Buddhist spiritual discipline that was widely popular in China during the 1990s. However, in 1999, the Chinese regime launched a brutal campaign to “eliminate” Falun Gong because it feared its popularity and how it represented a return to traditional values and spirituality.

  2. Dragon Springs founders sought to create a cultural center where authentic Chinese culture (which was almost lost under communist China) could be restored, taught to the next generation, and shared with the world.​​

The People

  1. Over 80% of the people employed at Dragon Springs live in the surrounding area and not on the Dragon Springs campus.

  2. A significant portion of students, staff, or volunteers at Dragon Springs are religious or political refugees from China.

  3. Dozens of people at Dragon Springs were themselves and/or have family in China who were detained, imprisoned or killed for their faith. â€‹

Rivers and Environment

  1. Dragon Springs operates a modern wastewater treatment plant that purifies and disinfects wastewater. The treated water is released into the ground, not to any nearby river.

  2. The wastewater treatment plant is operated by a licensed operator who tests it regularly. It routinely meets the NYSDEC discharge standards. 

  3. In addition to routine testing done on the plant, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) performs inspections of Dragon Springs’ Wastewater Treatment Plant and operations. 

  4. There were some issues of soil erosions in 2018. After identifying the problem, Dragon Springs improved its stormwater and erosion control systems. The erosion control systems are maintained and inspected by NYSDEC certified staff regularly. 

  5. In 2023, two men were arrested (and plead guilty in 2024) for acting as illegal agents of the CCP and trying to bribe an IRS official to have Shen Yun investigated. In addition to the bribery scheme, the men admitted that they traveled to New York “to collect information which would be the basis for a potential environmental lawsuit meant to inhibit the growth of the Falun Gong community in Orange County, New York.”

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Government Oversight

  1. Orange County and New York State agencies like the Department of Health, Department of Agriculture, Department of Homeland Security, among others perform annual and/or spontaneous inspections of operations at Dragon Springs.

  2. Annual fire inspections as well as state-required fire drills are administered at the school facilities.

  3. There is ongoing construction at Dragon Springs, with open building permits and full permission from both the towns of Deerpark and Mt. Hope.

Chinese Regime Thugs and Other Security Concerns

  1. According to leaked CCP documents, targeting Dragon Springs with surveillance, espionage, and legal harassment is a priority for the CCP.

  2. Starting in 2023, threats against Dragon Springs to detonate bombs, carry out mass shootings, cause fatal car accidents, and rape female performers have escalated significantly. All threats are reported to, and are under investigation by, U.S. authorities.

  3. In 2023, one local area man was arrested (and plead guilty in 2024) for vandalism that resulted in several disabled vehicles belonging to Dragon Springs staff, and could have resulted in losing control of buses carrying Fei Tian students.

  4. In 2023, one man who made death threats to Dragon Springs and then traveled to the Dragon Springs area was arrested for illegal weapons charges. He awaits trial.

  5. Guards are stationed at Dragon Springs’ two primary entrances to protect Dragon Springs staff, and especially students, from these above-mentioned threats.

Community Engagement

  1. In the last year, Dragon Springs has paid to repave both Guymard Turnpike and Galley Hill Road, from Rte. 209 to beyond the entrances to the Dragon Springs property.

  2. Dragon Springs routinely donates food and other goods to the local fire department, and other charities.

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