France: Introducing Falun Dafa at Marly-le-Roi

On September 12 2009, Falun Gong practitioners were invited to take part in a local community event in Marly-le-Roi, a quiet city about 9 miles west of Paris. The focus of the activity, sponsored by the local government, was to showcase the local artistic, educational, and sporting opportunities that are available to residents for their enjoyment and enrichment. Thousands of residents came to the event looking for activities of interest.

Falun Gong exercise demonstration

Falun Dafa practitioners perform traditional Chinese dance

Falun Dafa booth introduces the cultivation practice

In the afternoon, Falun Dafa practitioners performed the Fan Dance and Handkerchief Dance. The audience responded warmly to the graceful dances. The practitioners then demonstrated the five sets of Falun Gong exercises and introduced Falun Gong and its principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. They also exposed the ten-year-long persecution of Falun Gong in China by the Chinese Communist Party.

After the performances, the event organisers thanked the practitioners for their positive contribution to the community. The Falun Dafa booth was carefully decorated. Practitioners displayed the Dafa books and materials to introduce Falun Dafa and expose the brutal persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China. There were also pictures showing the five sets of exercises.

Many people came to the booth to inquire about how and where to learn the exercises. When a woman learned that Falun Gong was being persecuted in China, she immediately wanted to support the Falun Gong practitioners and asked for a website address where she could sign a petition calling for an end to the persecution.

Another woman mentioned that while western society is very advanced in technology, the east (Chinese) is more advanced in cultivation of the mind and body. A practitioner told her that Falun Dafa has spread to ever 100 counties around the world and everyone can learn and benefit from it for free. The woman took a flier about Falun Dafa and the free teaching schedules and said she'd search out more information on the Internet.

The practitioners also taught people how to make paper lotus flowers. This activity attracted many children as well as adults. Lidy, a seven year old girl, made eight lotus flowers and put a Falun Dafa bookmark on each of them. She said she would give them to her best friends. One woman received a lotus flower from a practitioner and proudly displayed it from a button on her jacket.