Supposed telekinetic qigong healer can't dispel skepticism(3)

CURIOUS OR GULLIBLE?

Billionaire Jack Ma Yun, former Minister of Railways Liu Zhijun, and movie stars Jet Li, Vicki Zhao Wei and Li Bingbing are just a few of the high-profile clients that have gone to Wang's villa for help.

After pictures taken of Wang Lin surfaced online, Li Bingbing and Jack Ma Yun quickly explained their involvement with him.

Li Bingbing acknowledged to the Beijing News that she once sought help for her mother's illness. She added that it will take time to see if Wang's treatment is effective.

Jack Ma Yun, on the other hand, wrote on Sina Weibo, China's Twitter-like microblogging platform, "My friends often criticize me for showing interest in 'non-scientific' knowledge. Exploration, appreciation and curiosity in the unknown have always been my interest. Finding out the secrets behind the unknown is exciting."

However, many Internet users are curious about why Wang's supposed feats have piqued the interest of so many superstars and high-ranking officials.

Zhou Xiaozheng said curiosity and superstition led people to visit Wang. "But unfortunately, Wang did not safeguard corrupt officials like Liu Zhijun from downfall."

"Ignorance and corruption are the reasons why 'masters' like Wang rise to fame," said Sima Nan.

QUACK DOCTORS

Cases like Wang's are not that unusual, as people claim to have the power to cure illnesses from time to time.

In 2010, Zhang Wuben, a self-proclaimed nutritionist, became a guru overnight through his food therapy forums on a television program. His hallmark theory held that mung beans could be a panacea and his book, "Eat Out the Diseases You Have Eaten," became a best-seller.

Zhang's medical qualifications were later exposed as false and his theories have been refuted, as followers failed to find a cure to their diseases through expensive consultations with Zhang.

In 2011, Ma Yueling, once considered the "Health Godmother" in China, claimed that she cured diseases ranging from cancer to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) through a variety of unorthodox treatments.

It later came to light that Ma was a nurse without the necessary certifications or qualifications to prescribe treatments.