United States: Practitioners' Grand "Falun Dafa Boat" Captures Attention in the Seafair Torchlight Parade, Seattle

On the evening of July 30th, the Seafair Torchlight Parade, one of the top ten parades in the U.S., was held in downtown Seattle. The parade dates back to 1950, celebrating the culture of the Pacific Northwest. Seafair has more than 40 activities, with the parade being the climax. About 250,000 people from the greater Seattle area and tourists came out to watch the parade. TV station KIRO-7 broadcast the parade live, and it is estimated that about 700,000 people watched the parade at home.

The "Falun Dafa Boat"

"Falun Dafa Boat"	Exercise demonstration
Waist-drummers following practitioners with banners	Lion dance

Practitioners from Portland, Oregon, Vancouver, Canada and Washington State participated in this parade. Two practitioners holding a "Falun Dafa" banner lead the procession. Then came two practitioners performing a traditional Lion Dance. After the dancers was the exciting "Falun Dafa Boat" on which were displayed "Falun Dafa" and "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance" banners. The tail of the boat was a decorated float on which several practitioners performed the Falun Gong exercises and meditated in decorative lotus flowers. The giant "Falun Dafa Boat" drew applause from all sections of the crowd.

Waist-Drum Troupe

Right behind the "Boat," came a troupe of waist-drummers. Many children applauded in time to the drumbeats, and they quickly surrounded the practitioners to play the drums when practitioners took short breaks. The drum team performed constantly, accompanying two pieces of original music entitled, "Falun Dafa is Good" and, "Joy." Behind the drummers was a group of practitioners demonstrating the exercises. At the end of the practitioners' group was another banner reading, "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance."

TV Reporter: "All spectators seem to be learning meditation!"

When the practitioners passed by the reviewing stand, the images of the "Falun Dafa Boat" taken from high above were magnificent. The golden "Falun Dafa" characters and website address on the boat were shown prominently on TV.

One of the three Masters of Ceremonies introduced the practice: "Falun Dafa is a traditional Chinese cultivation practice and has four standing exercises and one meditation. It is based on the principles of 'Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance'." The MC continued, "I feel that all of us should learn the exercises and the meditation." Another Master of Ceremonies said, "Their float is so peaceful!" The first MC added, "I felt that all our spectators are learning meditation! This is what impresses me-their powerful influence!" The third MC said, "I now feel that I have calmed down."

Media Interview and Coverage

The parade lasted about three and a half hours and was broadcast live. Later, news about the parade was reported by different media outlets. Among the more than 100 groups that participated in the parade, images of three groups, including Falun Gong were selected by the news. In addition, on the morning of the parade day, a local media outlet interviewed practitioners when they were decorating the float.

During the Seattle Seafair Torchlight parade, practitioners walked 2.5 miles through downtown Seattle. They hope that more people will see the beauty and greatness of Falun Dafa.