(Minghui.org) Practitioners from Kaohsiung and Pingtung in Southern Taiwan gathered in front of National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts on December 30, 2017, to celebrate the start of the New Year.

With an exercise demonstration and a waist drum performance, they let people know about the practice and sincerely wished Master Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Dafa, a Happy New Year.

Exercise demonstration in front of National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts on December 30, 2017

Waist drum performance.

Practitioners sincerely wish Master Li a Happy New Year.

Positive Energy

Local officials, including Tsai Xiubao (second from left) and Hung Qingnan (third from left), praised Falun Dafa.

Tsai Xiubao and several other local officers joined the celebration. Tsai said some of her neighbors were practitioners and they were very nice people. She was impressed by the positive energy and expressed her hope that the practitioners would do well in their cultivation.

Hung Qingnan, a volunteer coordinator, said one of his supervisors in the past was a practitioner. “It is a great practice and many people really like it,” he said.

Tax Bureau Chief: Physical Changes

Tax bureau chief Ouyang said he is in good health because he practices Falun Dafa.

Ouyang, a tax bureau chief, received a copy of Zhuan Falun, the main teaching of Falun Dafa when he was 58. “I read the book in three days, and it seemed that all my questions about life had been answered,” he said.

Although he drank and smoked for many years, he was able to quit both that very day. Many physical changes followed, including recovering from migraines and a herniated disc. Seeing how he improved, many of his coworkers also began to practice Falun Dafa.

“I am very thankful for Master Li's salvation,” said Ouyang. “I wish that more people could hear about Falun Dafa and learn it. It is not to be missed.”

A Well-liked Teacher

Ms. Luo, a retired teacher, is well respected by her former students and coworkers.

Ms. Luo, who used to be a college instructor, heard about Falun Dafa from a friend in 1998. Because of a shoulder problem, she couldn't lift her arm, while bone spurs made it difficult to sit or sleep. Both conditions disappeared after she began to do the exercises.

Patient and caring, Ms. Luo earned her students' respect. On holidays, many students wrote her cards. One student wrote, “We wish all our teachers practiced Falun Dafa like Ms. Luo.”

It was easy to get along with her co-workers once she followed the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. One coworker often had conflicts with other teachers, and his students made bad comments about him. One time, this teacher criticized a student of Ms. Luo's.

Instead of getting agitated, Ms. Luo calmly communicated with both of them and resolved the problem. When Ms. Luo was moved to an administrative position, this coworker was in tears and thanked her for her generosity and kindness through the years.

Even though she is retired, Ms. Luo still keeps in close contact with the college. The college president admires her teaching ability and her ethics and often recommends her when backup teachers are needed. Ms. Luo also goes to the college to tell people about Falun Dafa and traditional Chinese culture like Shen Yun.

The Joy of a Restaurant Owner

Restaurant owner Ms. Li says her joy and health come from Falun Dafa.

Ms. Li worked as a nurse for six years before joining her husband and sister to operate a restaurants. Three years later, she broke down out of fatigue and was hospitalized. His sister recommended Falun Dafa to her and gave her a copy of the nine-day audio lectures. After she was released from the hospital, Ms. Li obtained a copy of Zhuan Falun and began to read it.

At that time, the restaurant employees worked in shifts and there was a high turnover. “Keeping Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance in mind, I often considered things from the employee's point of view, such as what was going on with their family, illness, and so on. When I couldn't work it out, I would take their shift so that they could have some time off,” she recalled. This earned the employees' trust, which meant a lower turnover rate and better restaurant performance.

Working in the restaurant means standing more than 10 hours a day with no break. Seeing her smile and energy, one customer asked why she was always in such good spirits. Ms. Li told her she did the Dafa exercises in the morning before going to work every day. “I want to be a practitioner, too!” commented the customer.

Company Founder: The Power of Compassion

Advertising agency founder Ms. Tong says Falun Dafa has broadened her outlook and helped her in her work.

Ms. Tong, the founder of an advertising agency in Kaohsiung, began to practice Falun Dafa 13 years ago. Everyone in her family practices, too. She discovered that the Falun Dafa principles benefited her work in many ways.

For example, as a practitioner, Ms. Tong said she was better at handling conflicts with vendors, clients, and coworkers. One client ordered a wedding invitation. She confirmed the sample with him, but when the invitations were ready, he complained about one character, saying the font had to be adjusted. “That meant I'd have to pay to re-print them. But thinking as a practitioner, I offered to do it free of charge. He was very thankful and we later became good friends,” said Ms. Tong.

Another example were two branch managers she employed. Both of them struck out on their own, taking business from her agency with them. Ms. Tong felt betrayed and upset and planned to bring legal charges against them with recorded video as evidence. But she changed her mind and told them that she would support them in their own businesses. Both of them were very touched and now they have become good business partners.

Many of her employees also started to practice Falun Dafa after witnessing Ms. Tong's good examples. She is grateful that the practice helps her to become a good person and a better person. “Zhuan Falun is the most important thing in my life,” she says.