(Clearwisdom.net-April 13, 2002)

The Catastrophe

The dark, somber clouds have but a few days left

With the bitter cold fully over, spring now appears

Awakening, the sentient beings stand aghast at the things they see

Half of China Propercovered by sand and dust

Li Hongzhi

January 22, 2002

One after another, sandstorms have swept through the Northern parts of China and crossing the Yangtze River. People have been experiencing the terror of such harsh conditions. These sandstorms are man-made disasters.

On March 20, the most powerful sandstorm since spring attacked Beijing. The storm had a widespread impact on the area. Beginning at around 9 a.m. the whole city was covered in darkness. People were choking from the sand in the air. People could only see for several hundred meters. The storm covered Xining City (Qinghai Province), Lanzhou City (Gansu Province), Urumqi City (Xinjiang Autonomous Region), Ningxia Autonomous Region, Xian City (Shaanxi Province), Xilin'guole and Hohhot City (Inner-Mongolia Autonomous Region), Heilongjiang Province, Shijiazhuang City and Zhangjiakou City (Hebei Province) and Qingdao City in Shandong Province.

Two Weeks Later

The rain during the Tomb-Sweeping Day (normally around April 5) overjoyed Beijing residents who had just suffered through the sandstorm. People expected that for at least the near future they wouldn't have to contend with another sandstorm. But only one day after the rain stopped, the yellow sand filled the air again. The faces of the people who happened to be outside were covered with sand. They looked like dust balls. People could not help wondering where the sand was coming from and why the ground was so wet? There were large numbers of trees that had been planted in Beijing as a result of the green-environment movements. They were supposed to be very effective. How come the number of sandstorms is increasing and not decreasing? If things continue to develop along this direction, where will we end up?

Three Weeks Later

The Southern News Net reported on April 13, 2002 that northern China is suffering from another large-scale sandstorm and cold temperatures.

On the morning of April 11, it was sunny and bright in Beijing, but by 2 p.m. the sky was covered in a grayish fog. By 4 p.m., strong winds blew in and by 5:30 p.m. yellow sand had filled the sky. People in Beijing felt they had been deceived by the good weather that morning. It is difficult to imagine how they must have felt.

Since the afternoon of April 11, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Hebei Province, Beijing City has been having sandstorms. Most of northern China is experiencing sand-filled winds and cold weather. From April 12 to April 14, Gansu Province, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Shaanxi Province, and Hebei Province will have 5 to 7 scale gusts with dust and sand in the air. Meteorologists predicted that although this time the sandstorm would not be as strong as the previous two times, they would usher in low temperatures to these areas. There would be a temperature drop as much as 12 degrees for some of these regions.

During the 1960s-1970s (The Great Cultural Revolution) the number of sandstorms increased slightly when compared to previous years. From the 1980s until the middle of 1990s, the number of occurrences decreased noticeably. Since the fall of 1999 the number of sandstorms has gone up tremendously. According to statistics, there were 5 sandstorms in the 1950s, 8 in the 1960s, 13 in the 1970s, 14 in the 1980s and 23 sandstorms in the 1990s (including 1999). However, in the year 2000 and 2001 there were 12 sandstorms and 32 sandstorms, respectively.

Since the fall of 1999, when Jiang and his regime began persecuting Falun Dafa, the total number of sandstorms has matched the total number of sandstorms in the past 50 years. The number seems to be ever increasing. This is not an accident. This is a part of the disasters that Jiang has brought to the Chinese people. In many ways everyone is a victim of his persecution of Falun Dafa.

To all those that are enduring the disasters in China, have you ever thought about why you are suffering? Surely you can wear a gauze mask to reduce the amount of sand that gets into your mouth, but what if a bigger disaster occurs, what will you do then?

Please do not follow the villainous Jiang. The consequences are not worth the petty gains you stand to make. Heavenly laws will not forgive those that persecute Dafa! Out of their compassion, Gods and Buddhas allow disasters to occur to warn people. If people do not awaken, bigger disasters will befall them. For the sake of your future, please show kindness to Falun Dafa practitioners. Choose a bright future for yourself.