Germany: The Divine Land Marching Band Makes its debut at Frankfurt’s Great Culture Parade

On June 23rd, 2007, the 20th Frankfurt Great Culture Parade was held on the street near Frankfurt Lake. As one of Europe’s most important musical festivals, the Great Culture Parade attracts about 120,000 spectators every year. Composed of 160 Falun Gong practitioners, the European Falun Gong Divine Land Marching Band made its debut at the parade. Donning blue blouses, blue caps and white trousers, and holding various kinds of glittering brass musical instruments or white military drums, the Band marched in step. Following the band, there were magnificent performances of a heavenly fairy dance and the waist drum team in golden yellow costume.

The Divine Land Marching Band’s wonderful performance attracts much attention	Practitioners demonstrate the Falun Gong exercises on a float	The Magnificent Falun Gong Divine Land Marching Band

Among the groups participating in the parade was the group organised by the Chinese Communist regime. On two trucks, there were a few people in red clothing. Some were holding red fans; some were wearing a big red flower made of scarlet silk straps. On one side was a red bridal sedan chair, while a red dragon was lying on the ground in a trance. Besides, the Chinese regime’s red national flag was in front of the group. When passing by those dressing in red clothes, some Falun Gong practitioners waved to greet them and said “Hi” to them. With a grim face, several middle-aged men in suit stared at the practitioners. As to those performers in red clothing in the back, they raised their heads, with a strange look, to stare at the characters of “Falun Gong is good” on the practitioners’ clothes. Some of them also bravely said “Hi” to the practitioners. One of them even said: “The Falun Gong in China is different from you.” A practitioner thus friendly replied, “We have the same Master, and the main book we study is the same. All the Falun Gong practitioners around the world are cultivating in the same way. But what you see and hear are the lies broadcast by the Chinese Communist regime controlled media so as to prevent you from knowing the truth.” They looked like they were confused, but without saying anything further.

When it started to rain, those who did not participate in the parade were in a state of chaos. All of a sudden, it down poured and it rained harder and harder. Shortly the street was empty besides the floats and the spectators were seeking shelter under eaves on the two sides of the street. Only members of the Divine Land Marching Band stood in the rain quietly. When the time came, the resounding music of “Falun Gong is good” was played, and the Band marched in firm step. The spectators on the two sides were overwhelmed by the spectacular performance. Two pedestrians exclusively ran over to hold an umbrella for the practitioners who played flutes. All the members’ clothes, shoes and caps were drenched. As the rain was unabated, not only was the resounding music unabated, but it overwhelmed the sound of the rain. This extraordinary band was even more magnificent in the heavy rain. All of a sudden, tumultuous applause was all over the air. It seemed that the over powered people didn’t know how to express their feelings except clapping their hands.

The parade lasted for three and a half hours and wherever they were; their excellent performance was followed by a burst of applause and exclamations of joy with thumbs up signs. Along the parade procession, Falun Gong practitioners gave away materials exposing the truth about the Chinese Communist regime’s persecution of Falun Gong to spectators including many Chinese people on the two sides of the street. When receiving the materials distributed by a Falun Gong practitioner, a Chinese person embraced him with tears in his eyes, slightly saying “I am a practitioner from China. Thank you! Thank you! You have done tremendous help to practitioners in China and have significantly relieved their pressure.”

The terminus of the parade was the judging area. After performing in the rain for three and a half hours, almost all the groups appeared to be worn out. When the tannoy announced: “Coming up is the Falun Gong group.” The Divine Land Marching Band marched into the judging area in an orderly and magnificent formation while playing the wonderful and resounding music. A judge exclaimed: “It’s been five hours now since I heard you playing on the bank of the lake in the morning, but you are still so energetic and sprightly. I didn’t know Falun Gong is so wonderful. You are really great.” In response to the spectators’ warm applause, the Band played some more pieces of music in the lawn outside the exit. At that moment, a small truck packed with the props of the “red dragon” slowly passed by the Band. A Chinese man and a Chinese woman on the truck waved their hands to the practitioners with a thumbs-up sign.

After the parade came to an end, the bus driver who came from afar to pick up the practitioners held some practitioners’ hands tightly saying: “Wonderful! I saw all the performances from the beginning to the end, and your magnificent performance deeply touch my heart. After getting home the first thing I would do is to visit your Website to know more about you. I’ll ask my boss to assign me to work with you when you are renting buses in the future. I am more than willing to be with you.”