World Journal: Falun Gong Attracts Great Attention in Caribbean Days Festival Parade -- The Only Chinese Group in the Parade, Performance of Exercises and Fan Dance Won Warm Applause (Photos)

(Clearwisdom.net, August 4, 2003) World Journal -- Vancouver, July 31 --- The sixteenth Caribbean Days Festival in Northern Vancouver began with a multicultural parade. Twenty-one organizations representing Brazil, the Middle East, Guyana, Mexico and China participated in the parade. The main purpose of the Caribbean Days Festival is to promote the exchange of different cultures and promote the development of local tourism. The Vancouver Falun Gong Association was invited to join this parade. This was the only Chinese group participating in the parade.

The leading section of Falun Gong procession.	Young practitioners on the float.

The parade set off from Victoria Park. Deputy Mayor of North Vancouver Mr. Rod Clark took an open car to lead the parade. Following him were other groups dressed in folk costumes of different countries, festively singing and dancing. After one and a half hours, the parade concluded at Waterfront Park.

Parade organizer Ms. Sherrill Massey said, "We are really excited to have such an organized parade in such a scale. Our original intention was precisely to have everyone contribute to a real Caribbean-flavored festival."

The only Chinese group in the parade procession was Falun Gong. They were warmly received by local residents and tourists. In the Falun Gong procession, there were young children doing sitting meditation on a float, women dressed in bright red Tang Dynasty costumes, a fan dance team displaying the traditional Chinese culture, and a team demonstrating Falun Gong exercises. Wherever they passed by, the audience along the streets warmly applauded them. The Falun Gong procession was graceful, serene yet joyful.

Early this year, the Falun Gong group attended a parade held in the city of New Westminster. They won the "President's Award" --first place among the participants. They were then immediately invited to attend this Caribbean Days Festival Parade in North Vancouver. The Falun Gong practitioners also attended the Grand Victoria Day Parade in May this year and won first place in the walking groups. They also participated in the Canada Day Parade held in the city of Richmond. They were the largest group in the parade. They expressed that they were very happy to participate these parades through which they could exhibit the rich, colorful Chinese traditional culture to western society.