Finland: Falun Gong Warmly Welcomed at the World Village Event

On May 28th and 29th 2005, a two day “World Village” celebration was held in a park in the Finnish capital Helsinki. According to a report, nearly one hundred thousand people joined this event, including the President of Finland and her husband. There was a great diversity of items on display including food, music, singing, dancing, sports and artworks. It was really a big show of different cultures. Among them, Falun Gong won a big welcome for its peaceful, wonderful and colourful display of Eastern culture.

Crowds were attracted to the Falun Gong stall. Many ladies of different ages liked the folded paper lotus flowers on the table. Some people could not help but exclaim, “So beautiful!” and “How lovely!” Some elderly people were even happy to the point of shedding tears. They held the lotus flowers in their palms and watched for quite a while. Some ladies started to learn how to make the lotus flowers at the table. The children were so glad when they were given a lotus flower and so were their parents. They kept saying “thanks” to us.

When people got to know that such a wonderful practice, which has brought benefits to 100 million people all over the world, is facing brutal persecution in China, they all signed the petition to show their sympathy and support. Several hundred signatures calling for an end to the persecution were collected in just one day. There was a mother who patiently explained the persecution that Falun Gong is suffering in China to her two sons after she signed her name. When the two boys understood, they also signed. A little girl, who received a lotus flower earlier on, led her mum and grandma to our table to sign. Many young people signed as soon as they saw our display boards. We also sincerely said “thank you” to them.

At the end of the first day’s exhibition, we started to pack up. However, a middle-aged gentleman was still carefully reading our display boards to find out the truth of the persecution in China. Because the display boards were quite small, the print on the boards was not big and it was not easy for him to read it. But this gentleman did not leave until he got a leaflet and finished reading both of the boards.

When we were demonstrating the Falun Gong exercises, there were people who were videotaping us constantly. Some of them gave us the thumbs up sign to express their approval. The peaceful music together and the solemn meditation especially fascinated people who came over to watch and find out more. Some showed their willingness to learn the exercises with practitioners during the weekends. On Sunday morning, as soon as we started demonstrating the exercises, two gentlemen began copying us. They did all the five sets of exercises. Then our practitioners went over and gave them some leaflets. We also told them that our exercises classes are free. Some people bought Falun Gong books to read after listening to our introduction.

Two young Chinese girls passed our display table. Practitioners gave them leaflets and recommended that they read “Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party”, a publication by The Epoch Times newspaper that concisely portrays the crimes and the truly evil nature of the Chinese Communist Party. They happily took the materials and not long after they left, one girl came back to us asking if we could give her another copy of the “Nine Commentaries” as she wanted to give it to her parents.

There was another Chinese person who said that he knew the real situation of Falun Gong because one of his friends and also a family member practise Falun Gong. He agreed that he would like to join the 2 million people who have already renounced their Chinese Communist Party membership on the Tuidang (Withdraw from the Party) website run by The Epoch Times.