Townspeople Set Off Firecrackers to Welcome a Falun Dafa Practitioner Home

Mr. Xiao Yongqiang and Hu Shicai are Falun Dafa practitioners who live in Hengshan Town in the Anju District of Suining City, China. In November of 2004, they were illegally arrested by some policemen under orders of the Chinese Communist Party when they went out to expose their illegal actions against those who practise Falun Gong. Hu Shicai was illegally sentenced to five years. Xiao Yongqiang was sent to a labour camp for eighteen months, without going through any legal procedures. While he was in the labour camp, personnel from the local National Security office, the 610 Office, and the police station searched his home repeatably, confiscating his possessions.

On June 9th, 2006, Xiao Yongqiang was released. Several hundred meters in front of the Hengshan Town entrance, about 80% of the village and town residents started to set off firecrackers to welcome him. All along the way to his home, there were people continually setting off firecrackers until he reached his home. It was about three miles from the entrance of the town to Xiao Yongqiang's home. People all talked about Falun Gong practitioners being good people.

Several people who understand the truth about Falun Gong heard that a Falun Gong practitioner had been released from a labour camp. They also went to buy some firecrackers to celebrate the event. Some people with bad intentions rushed out to prevent this. A kind person said, "Would people welcome a criminal like this? People who practise Falun Gong are good people and that is why so many people have turned out to welcome him home."

Because that day was also a market day, there were a lot of people coming from all directions. People chatted with one another saying, "Falun Gong practitioners are good people." The firecrackers continued to pop and the people who wanted to stop them had no other choice but to leave. Many people came to understand the truth that day.

Unfortunately, after Xiao Yongqiang returned home, he was often harassed by the authorities. Now he has been forced to leave home and move from place to place to avoid further persecution.