Michigan: Falun Dafa Warmly Received During Art Fair

(Minghui.org) The annual Ann Arbor Art Fair, held July 21-23, 2022, is one of the largest open-air art exhibitions in the U.S. Midwest. It attracts nearly 500,000 visitors and spans more than 30 streets. Local Falun Dafa practitioners are invited to participate in the festival every year. This year, practitioners’ exercise demonstrations attracted even more people than in previous years. Some people asked to be shown the exercises on the spot and asked about the location of the local practice site.

Practitioners participated in the Ann Arbor Fair held July 21-23, 2022.

Practitioners demonstrated the Falun Dafa exercises during the event.

Many people stopped to converse with practitioners and learn about Falun Dafa.

Some people learned the exercise on the spot.

“May I ask what they are practicing?” A person was curious while pointing to practitioners who were demonstrating the exercises. The practitioner who was distributing information explained what Falun Dafa is and that everyone is welcome to learn the exercises for free at a local park. She also told them how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has persecuted Falun Dafa for 23 years.

The Ann Arbor Arts Festival is held near the University of Michigan’s campus. An employee said he’s worked at U of M for more than 30 years and explained that he used to practice yoga. When he noticed practitioners meditating in front of the booth, he wanted to learn more and took information about Falun Dafa and the local practice site.

When a Western lady walked past the booth a practitioner handed her a flyer about Falun Dafa. She stopped to look at it and immediately asked where she could learn the exercises. When she found out that there are free classes every Sunday morning at Gallup Park, she thanked the practitioner.

When Diana from Wixon passed by the booth, she stopped to read the display boards. She said she wanted to learn to meditate and was very interested in Falun Dafa. When she was told what Falun Dafa was about and the five exercises, she said that this was exactly what she had been looking for. She immediately asked where she could learn the exercises. She was very happy to learn the practice site was a thirty-minute drive from her house. She picked up a flyer and jotted down the contact number of the practitioner who is in charge of that practice site.

Two people came to the booth and said they wanted to buy Falun Dafa’s main book, Zhuan Falun. However, practitioners only had one copy at the booth. When they learned that they could read the book online free of charge, they used their mobile phones to take a photo of ‘On Dafa’ so that they could read it when they wanted.

One woman asked for information about Falun Dafa. After speaking with a practitioner, she took a copy of the “30^th Anniversary of Falun Dafa Being Introduced to the World” Minghui magazine from the table. Just then, she noticed the Zhuan Falun displayed on the table and said, “I want this book.” The practitioner told her that the copy was only there for display and not for sale. The lady pleaded and said, “I really would like to have this book.” In the end, her sincerity moved the practitioner and she gave her the book.

Many people said they knew about the CCP’s persecution of Falun Dafa and wanted to know more about the spiritual practice. One elderly Western gentleman explained that his daughter works as an English language teacher in Shanghai, China. He knows that the CCP is an authoritarian regime and has brought great suffering to people in China. After listening to the practitioner clarify the truth in depth the gentleman said that he planned to learn more about Falun Dafa.

Background: What Is Falun Dafa?

Falun Dafa (also known as Falun Gong) was first introduced to the public by Mr. Li Hongzhi in Changchun, China, in 1992. The spiritual discipline is now practiced in over 100 countries and regions worldwide. Millions of people who have embraced the teachings, which are based on the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, and have learned the five exercises, have experienced improved health and well-being.