Australia: Falun Gong Practitioners Win Award at Australia Day Parade

On January 26th, 2008, Falun Gong practitioners participated in Australia Day celebrations in several communities upon the invitation of community administrations. One of the celebrations was held in Glenbrook in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney.

The Blue Mountains are well known around the world and gets its name from the beautiful scenery of blue fog resting on the mountains.

Falun Gong practitioners' arrival added new scenery to the busy, small town of Glenbrook. The whole procession of the parade was quite large. More than fifty groups participated, displaying their cultures with their ethnic costumes. In the parade, the banners that read, 'Falun Dafa' and 'Chinese Spectacular' were especially eye-catching. The practitioners walked in graceful order and greeted the spectators with smiles.

Weather forecasts predicted rain, but it was sunny with clear skies. Many spectators said it was their first time to see a procession that displayed Chinese culture. After the parade, the host organisation issued awards for "Best Costumes" to the Falun Dafa Association and New Tang Dynasty TV Procession.

The Falun Dafa Association and New Tang Dynasty TV processions win awards

Since 2000, Falun Gong practitioners participated in the Australia Day celebration every year under the invitation of the Glenbrook township administration.

On the same day, there was grand celebration in Pamaratta Park and the Falun Dafa Association and New Tang Dynasty TV Station were invited to have a booth. Many people came to ask for materials.

Jason is a Sydney resident and works in a company of import and export. He said that he saw last year's Chinese New Year Spectacular. He thought that the show was quite different from performances in China, as this show promotes genuine traditional Chinese culture.

Resident Caphg said after seeing the introduction on the TV screen and brochure, "Very beautiful! I will go and see it."