(Minghui.org) The Taiwan Lantern Festival is being held in Taichung from February 8 through February 23, 2020. Falun Dafa practitioners in Taiwan have participated in this important festival during the Chinese Lunar New Year for many years.
Their entry, a three-story-high Falun Dafa boat lantern drew many event attendees. The boat took a year to make and has 12 large lotus petals on the boat body, nine Falun emblems on the sails, and three flags with words “Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance” on the mast. It shines brightly at night.
Many visitors boarded the Falun Dafa Boat lantern and took photos and videos. Practitioners have also been on site to teach the exercises and help the public learn more about Falun Dafa, also called Falun Gong.
The huge boat lantern is eye-catching at 2020 Taiwan Lantern Festival.
During the first day of the festival on February 8, Falun Dafa practitioners’ waist drum team, chorus team, and flag group performed in front of the Falun Dafa Boat, bringing added joy to the festival. Several local community leaders who participated in a lighting ceremony said they appreciated the practitioners’ contributions.
Waist drum team performs on February 8, 2020.
Falun Gong Admired
Chang Chin-hua, Director of the Taiwan Falun Dafa Association, and invited guests at the lighting ceremony.
Director of the Taiwan Falun Dafa Association Chang Chin-hua participated in the lighting ceremony for the Falun Dafa Boat.
“Boarding a boat has a connotation in traditional Chinese culture of bringing people to a more sacred, more special realm, so it also carries connotations of bringing blessings to everyone,” Chang said.
Wung Mei-chun, former council member of Taichung County, appreciates and admires practitioners for their contributions.
Wung Mei-chun, former council member of Taichung County, said she appreciated the practitioners for making the lantern and hopes it will bring blessings to the local people. “I admire Falun Gong,” she said.
Wung said that she had been in contact with practitioners when she was in office and was impressed by the practitioners’ efforts to stop the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) state-sanctioned organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners. She hopes everyone will pay attention to the issue and help stop these crimes.
Chan Chin-chang, the mayor of Chuolan Township, praised the boat lantern and said it was meaningful. He hoped that the boat lantern would dispel disasters and repel bad things, bring prosperity to the local area and good health to the people.
The Falun Dafa boat lantern is located right next to the train station. People who have been commuting by train saw its construction process and came to the festival to check it out.
Mr. Chi from Kaohsiung took his family and his grandchildren to enjoy the lantern and board the boat. His whole family said the boat was spectacular.
“The feeling of boarding the boat is great,” said Chi with a smile, “The view is open and magnificent. I am so lucky today.”
Tourists Support Falun Gong
Visitors sign a petition protesting the persecution of Falun Gong in China.
Many visitors told practitioners that they liked the boat lantern. Some wanted to learn more about Falun Gong and asked to learn the exercises right away. Some also inquired about local group practice sites.
Practitioners collected signatures from tourists for a petition protesting the persecution in mainland China. Many people wanted to sign the petition.
Three female tourists from Israel boarded the boat. One of them, Noy Gotlib, said, “Amazing! It looks really awesome!”
A practitioner named Hsiaohui asked the three women to support Falun Gong practitioners in China and explained that the CCP is still persecuting Falun Gong. She invited them to sign a petition protesting the persecution.
Hsiaohui also told them about some of the benefits of practicing Falun Gong. One of the ladies took a paper-folded lotus flower from her bag and said, “I know Falun Dafa is good!”
