Promoting Falun Dafa At German "Exercise Festival"

By practitioner in Germany

May 22, 2002 Wednesday

(Clearharmony.net) The Germany Exercise Festival that is held once every three years, was held on May 18 to 25 this year in Leipzig, the famous exercise town located in the east of Germany. Many exercise groups from all over the world participated in this performance. May 18 and 19 were the two liveliest days. Falungong practitioners accepted the invitation to participate in this year’s large-scale celebration activity. On these two days, about ten thousand people from all parts of Germany and all over the world participated in this festive activity.

On May 18, Leipzig was bright and sunny and the people who were participating in the celebration were excited and enthusiastic. A stage was put up at the Leipzig train station (the biggest train station terminal in Europe). Falungong practitioners accepted the invitation to demonstrate our exercises. The organizer gave us one hour to do our demonstration. Sixteen Falun Dafa practitioners who had came from neighboring areas of Leipzig wore bright yellow festive-looking exercise suits to demonstrate the five sets of exercises together with the exercise music. One western practitioner made a detailed explanation about Falungong. People who were passing by the area were deeply attracted by the beautiful and peaceful scene. They were reluctant to leave. More and more people crowded around to watch the demonstration. Many teenagers even sat on the floor to watch our performance till it ended. Falun Gong’s performance won warm applause from the spectators.

We also accepted the invitation to participate in the large-scale festival parade. The number of people who crowded around to watch were overwhelming. Wherever Falungong went, the spectators gave warm and enthusiastic applause and cheers. Our banners with the words “Falun Dafa” written in both German and Chinese were especially conspicuous and eye-catching in the parade. People cheered “Falun Dafa” when they saw the banner from very far away. Many people kept using Mandarin to greet us, “ Hello, how are you!” Many people waved at us one after another to send their regards. We returned their greetings with the gesture of Heshi (whereby we put both palms vertically together in front of our chest, this is one of the hand gestures in our exercises.) People were very open and willing to accept the Falungong newspapers and flyers that we gave out. During the parade, we demonstrated the first set and third set of exercises. We managed to merge into the exercise festival parade while displaying the characteristics of the traditional cultures of China. Warm applause and cheers kept reverberating from the crowds. Many people who were holding cameras and video cameras frequently surrounded us on all sides. They were busy taking pictures and video taping us. Some even walked into our team in the parade to have their pictures taken with our practitioners for memoir’s sake. When we passed by the organizer’s stage, the organizer enthusiastically announced: “Let’s put our hands together to welcome - Falun Dafa!” Spectators responded once again with thunderous applause and cheers. When people saw the banner at the back of our parade printed with the words, “The world needs Truthfulness, Compassion, Tolerance”, they all said one after another that, “Yes! This is just what we need!”

The Market Square in front of the Leipzig Office of Political Affairs is the most important Square in Leipzig. Almost all important and major events were at this Square. On May 19, Falungong practitioners once again demonstrated the Falungong exercises on the stage in this Square. On that day, despite the rain, people still stopped in their tracks to watch our exercises performance with great interest. A peaceful atmosphere permeated both those on stage and below the stage. There were also reporters amongst the spectators. Lastly, one Falungong practitioner sang the song “Falun Dafa is Good”. The spectators responded with warm applause. The rain stopped after our practitioners sent forth righteous thoughts.

Translated on May 22, 2002 from http://www.yuanmingeurope.net/articles/200205/8168.html and http://www.yuanmingeurope.net/articles/200205/8133.html.