Founded in Taiwan in 1966 as a Qigong academy, Tai Ji Men is devoted to the practices of qigong, martial arts, and self-cultivation. Its primary goal is to create harmony between absolute dualities: yin and yang, heaven and earth, and body and spirit. The movement is particularly noted for its unique global peace initiative and the captivating Dragon Dance performances carried out by its devotees, known as the dizi, under the guidance of Dr. Hong Tao-Tze, often referred to by his disciples as Shifu. Despite the movement's contributions to a global peace initiative as well as maintaining and representing a valuable cultural heritage, Tai Ji Men has been facing significant scrutiny in both Japan and Taiwan in the past more than
20 years. These are primarily due to the misinterpretation of donation practices (e.g., the use of red envelopes) but also the unconventional organizational structure of the movement and their unison response to rising persecution and growing restrictions. My contribution aims to explore these issues from a scholarly perspective, applying two angles: a phenomenological approach and the morphology of religions framework. From these points, I will outline the main interpretive layers of Tai Ji Men's public activities, with a particular emphasis on the ringing of the Bell of World Peace and Love and the Dragon Dance. Next, I will investigate some factors behind the political and societal opposition towards Tai Ji Men in Taiwan. I will argue that a possible basis for opposition could be this minority movement's successful public presence in an environment dominated by suspicion and fear. Finally, I will draw some initial comparisons between Tai Ji Men and other movements that suffer from similar social stigma in Taiwan.