(Minghui.org) The Moon Festival (Mid-Autumn Festival), one of the most important family gathering holidays in the Chinese culture, falls on September 24 this year. A celebration was held in Deerpark, Orange County, New York, last Saturday. Numerous Chinese cultural shows attracted thousands of visitors, both Chinese and Western.

Local Falun Gong practitioners introduced the ancient self-improving cultivation practice to the public. They demonstrated the exercises and held a workshop to teach them to people interested in learning them.

The festival

Demonstrating the exercises

Practitioners performed traditional Chinese waist drums.

Visitors stopped by the practitioners' booth and asked about the exercises.

The practitioners' float, decorated with lotus flowers and the words “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance” at the entrance of the park. A practitioner dressed as a celestial maiden handed out handmade paper lotus flowers to visitors.

People learning the exercises

John and his girlfriend Kiara learned the exercises. John said the exercises were relaxing. Behind them is Mary from Hungary.

Mary said she has seen Falun Gong activities in Hungary. She was happy and surprised to see them again at the festival, because she loves traditional Chinese culture and wanted to learn the Falun Gong exercises.

Jenesis stayed at the practitioners' booth for a long time, discussing Falun Gong with the practitioners. She left her contact information on the signup sheet and wanted to attend a free Falun Gong workshop. She said, “The principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance agrees with my view of life. I would like to practice it.”