(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa practitioners were invited to the ninth annual Vietnamese Heritage Festival (Vietfest) in McLean, Virginia to introduce Falun Dafa to the public.

This two-day event was held August 20-21, 2022 on the Plaza at Tysons Corner Center, the largest mall in Northern Virginia. The organizer invited local practitioners to participate in the event.

Practitioners demonstrated and taught the Falun Dafa exercises. They gave out informational flyers and little paper lotus flowers as gifts. The booth was a unique sight in the event. Many people registered to attend the exercise teaching sessions at the local practice site or online.

A young Chinese woman came over when the event was about to end. She said, “I want to learn Falun Dafa.” She explained that she was only 25 years old, yet she already had grey hair due to the pressure she was living under in the U.S. So, she thought of learning Falun Dafa and her parents in China supported her wish. She came to the event because her company organized the trip. She was very happy to meet practitioners.

A father and son came to learn the exercises. The 10-year-old boy attentively learned all five exercises.

Practitioners were invited to demonstrate the exercises on stage. People quietly and attentively watched, and many videotaped the demonstration. 

Practitioners demonstrated the Falun Dafa exercises on stage during the festival.

People learn the Falun Dafa exercises during the Vietnamese Heritage Festival.

The local police had a booth next to the practitioners’ booth. Many officers were very interested in the exercises and some registered to attend the classes. Four officers came the next day to learn the exercises.

Two young Vietnamese men learned the exercises seriously. One of them, who is majoring in law, said he’d been learning the exercises by himself for six weeks. He wanted to know if he was doing the movements correctly. He said he felt the energy the moment he started to practice, and still felt it after finishing. The other young man asked a lot of questions before he decided to give it a try. They explained that they had the opportunity to read Falun Dafa books ten years ago, but they didn’t take it to heart at that time. As they grew older and experienced various things, they thought about Falun Dafa again. This time they connected with practitioners.

It rained the second day of the festival. However, a lot people came to the booth to learn about Falun Dafa and try the exercises after the rain. A constant stream of people came to the booth.

Some said that they heard about Falun Dafa years ago and wanted to practice. A little girl stopped by to learn how to meditate as soon as she saw the informational boards displayed at the booth. Her parents said that their daughter just loved to meditate, and they supported her decision.

This was the first time many people heard about Falun Dafa and they immediately felt drawn to it. People from other booths also came over and asked for informational materials. A number of Chinese people talked to practitioners and asked many questions.

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.