NEW YORK—Thousands of people in blue and yellow jackets popped up in the heart of the Big Apple for a parade on May 10 just after a misty rain.
It’s an annual tradition. Fairies holding lotus flowers, a float ferrying people in ancient Chinese attire, a Western-style marching band, and Chinese waist drummers. They marched through the streets of Manhattan for about 1.5 hours, in step with sounds and melodies that drew inspiration from a China long ago.
The New York parade marks one of the largest of its kind in the world to commemorate World Falun Dafa Day, with an estimated 5,000 people taking part this year. It also marks the anniversary of the spiritual discipline’s introduction to the public 32 years ago.
It’s a day that mixes joy and sorrow.
The practice drew an estimated 70 million to 100 million people to it in China in the 1990s; it centered around meditative exercises and the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance. In China, Falun Gong has been severely persecuted at the hands of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) since 1999.
During the nearly 25 years of brutal persecution, an untold number of Falun Gong practitioners have been killed through torture, slave labor, and forced organ harvesting. Survivors in China—and those who practice in more than 100 countries around the world—say the communist persecution can’t make them bend their will.
A Friday parade on the streets of Manhattan. Falun Dafa is a traditional Chinese spiritual
practice based on truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance. Practitioners of the faith
gather to celebrate World Falun Dafa Day with colorful costumes, uplifting music,
and inspiring stories. NTD's Fiona Ji has the story. I'm here on the streets of Manhattan
where a parade celebrating World Falun Dafa Day is happening. Falun Dafa is a traditional
Chinese spiritual exercise based on the principles of truthfulness, compassion,
and tolerance. If you look behind me, we've got so many colorful banners, practitioners
dressed in bright yellow, and lots of lovely music and performances happening. The parade
is headed by the Tiangua Marching Band. I actually had a chance earlier to speak with a few members
of the marching band. I'm very happy, of course, to attend parades every year. I do remember one
year when we went back to Chinatown after not going for a very long time. Somebody came up to
me, this elderly grandpa was like, oh, I'm very happy to see you guys again. You know, yeah,
I didn't see you guys for a couple years, and so that was really touching. I was like, oh,
they still remember us, and it was nice. Bystanders watching the parade expressed
the positivity they felt from the performances. This is a great parade. We love seeing it here
in New York City. We're glad that the city is supporting the Chinese people and Falun Dafa.
It's beautiful. So many people. Falun Dafa was first introduced to the public in China in 1992
and quickly spread to millions of people all around the world, including the United States.
Back then, we put the Zhuang Falun onto the internet so people around the world can read it.
I've met people from England, from Africa, who learn Falun Gong through the internet.
The principle of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance really is a universal value,
so everybody embraces it. In addition, the five gentle exercises really help improve people's
well-being, not just physically, but mentally. So it's been very popular.
Yeah, I think it gave me just an earlier awareness of how to be kind and considerate of the people
around me. I remember when I was a kid, whenever I did get sick, I would always prefer to meditate
with my mom because it just always made me feel a lot better. Falun Dafa is a peaceful spiritual
exercise that millions of people practice all around the world. However, it is brutally
persecuted in mainland China. What did you experience under this persecution?
Too much. Illegally detained six times, sexually abused, deprived of sleep nine days,
and I was almost detained when I was pregnant in China in 2008. At least six of my fellow
practitioners were persecuted to death. Another practitioner told me how he is trying
to raise awareness here in the United States about the brutal persecution still happening
in China today. But despite all the difficulties, every practitioner I talked to
displayed positivity and hope for the future. I tried to reach out to our representatives
in this free nation. I learned that I can reach out to our Senator Kirsten Gillibrand to get her
attention on the persecution. Falun Dafa practitioners are here on the streets today
to bring their beliefs to the public. They share a message of hope,
of peace, and of quiet strength to the entire world. Fiona Ji, NTD News.
