- Our Campus
Nestled in the rolling hills of Orange County, New York, Dragon Springs is a 400-acre campus that combines the natural beauty of New York state with ancient Chinese architecture, performing arts, academic learning, and spiritual practice.
The campus hosts three distinct entities…
At the center of Dragon Springs is a collection of Buddhist-style temples built in the Tang Dynasty tradition. The majestic Tang Dynasty, which reigned from the seventh to the tenth century, is often considered China’s cultural golden age.
Its art, clothing, and architectural styles have inspired generations. Dragon Springs’ temple grounds include a collection of buildings built following the Tang ideal—blending the man-made with the natural. With barely a screw, nail, or metal joint to be found in the buildings’ magnificent all-timber structures, Dragon Springs’ temple is one of the few in the whole world built with genuine Tang methods and in the authentic Tang style. Every aspect of the temple is created with serenity and meditation in mind.
Dragon Springs is home to people who practice the Buddhist-based spiritual discipline called Falun Gong (also known as Falun Dafa). In the 1990s, 100 million people practiced Falun Gong across China. However, the Chinese Communist Party, which does not allow religious freedom, feared the sheer number of people practicing Falun Gong. In 1999, the CCP launched a nationwide campaign to “stamp out” the practice. From that day on, people who practice Falun Gong have been arrested, sent to labor camps, tortured, raped, or killed for their peaceful beliefs. This tragic persecution continues in China today.
Located within Dragon Springs are an academy and college.
The schools are accredited by the New York State Education Department and the New England Commission of Higher Education – the same organization that accredits Harvard, Yale, and many other prestigious universities. Both institutions combine a standard academic education with performing arts courses in a rigorous program that prepares students to go on to advanced studies or become professional artists.
Admission into the schools is highly selective, requiring auditions in dance or classical music.
The schools are ground-breaking institutions, consistently producing the world’s best classical Chinese dancers and elite musicians. Yet, the schools also represent a return to wholesome traditions. Embracing the idea that the future of our world rests not only on the capabilities of the next generation, but also the virtues that guide them, the curriculum and programs offered by the schools aim to develop students’ knowledge as well as their moral character.
More About Fei Tian College
Performing Arts Center
Dragon Springs also serves as the rehearsal center for Shen Yun Performing Arts, known as “the world’s premiere classical Chinese dance and music company.”
The company’s world-class artists choreograph, compose, produce, and rehearse Shen Yun’s performances here. Each year, they tour the globe, performing shows in over 150 cities across five continents.
For over 70 years, the communist regime in China has tried to stamp out China’s traditions and ancient culture, and impose communist ideals on the people. Shen Yun has taken a stand against this cultural annihilation. Led by some of the foremost Chinese choreographers, dancers, and musicians (including many who fled China), Shen Yun is preserving authentic Chinese culture and arts, and sharing it with the world so that everyone can experience the beauty and wisdom of China before communism.
More About Shen Yun Performing Arts