(Clearwisdom.net) On the fifth day of the first month of the Year of Yiyou (Sunday, February 13, 2005), the grand "Year of the Rooster Parade for Love and Prosperity" took place in New York's Manhattan Chinatown. Manhattan's Chinatown has been well known in the U.S. and even the entire world for a long time. Many Chinese people from the Mainland have lived here and prospered for generations. It is also the oldest Chinese community in New York and it is a testament to the Chinese people's hard work and success outside of China. Its special location and social customs have attracted numerous Westerners to come visit Chinatown. Day after day, and year after year, Chinatown has also witnessed Falun Dafa practitioners' touching history of introducing and validating Dafa in this area.
On this day, 400 Falun Gong practitioners took part in the grand Chinatown "Parade for Love and Prosperity." Their procession was full of power and grandeur, and their performance was rich and colorful. Over the past few years, Falun Gong practitioners have been hoping to utilize this opportunity to display the beauty of Falun Dafa. In 2005, Manhattan's Chinatown finally opened its door to practitioners.
The parade organizers this year clearly expressed that no individual should decide who is qualified or not to participate in the parade. Therefore, this year all groups or organizations that applied for participation were welcome to take part. The organizers did not only welcome Falun Gong practitioners to join the Lunar New Year parade, but also said that the number of participants was not restricted. This critical decision gave the New York Chinatown parade a fresh and new look and added a sense of auspiciousness to the parade.
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1. Falun Dafa practitioners have persistently clarified the truth over the past few years
Over the past few years, Falun Dafa practitioners around Manhattan's Chinatown have persistently displayed truth-clarifying posters on street corners and have told passers-by about the goodness of Falun Dafa. The local practitioners have also persevered in practicing the exercises outdoors every day. Their practice has displayed the beauty and peacefulness of Dafa to numerous people. Over the past few years, the Fa-study group in Chinatown has never been interrupted. On weekends, the sound of reading aloud is even louder and clearer. In the past two to three years, more and more Chinese and Western practitioners have joined the Chinatown Fa-study or practice sites.
Over the past few years, practitioners from New York City and surrounding areas have conducted many large-scale activities including group practice, photo exhibits and grand parades, with the number of participants ranging from 500 to 4,000. They have also held several large-scale dance and music performances and free movie shows. Using various means, practitioners have introduced Falun Dafa and its beauty to the local community, told people about the Jiang faction's cruel persecution against Falun Gong, and called for justice and conscience to improve the situation in China.
2. Justice prevailsThe Chinese Communist Party (Jiang's regime) has not only rampantly suppressed Falun Gong in Mainland China, but it also extended its persecution to this free land of the U.S. In particular, in New York's Chinatown, the Chinese Consulate hired some people like Liang Guanjun to spread lies slandering Falun Gong and threatening and bribing other organizations in the community to discriminate against Falun Gong practitioners. Liang Guanjun and other accomplices attempted to interfere with practitioners' parade several times but were stopped by police officers.
New York Falun Gong practitioners clarified the truth about Falun Dafa to related government officials and institutions in New York City and New York State, and explained the facts to them about how the Chinese regime has flaunted American law to trample on the freedom of belief of people in America. At the same time, practitioners have sought legal counsel and filed a lawsuit in the New York Supreme Court against Liang Guanjun and others who have assaulted practitioners. The lawsuit is currently in process.
Falun Gong practitioners' persistent truth-clarification over the past few years has allowed the entire population of Chinatown to look at Falun Gong with new eyes. Previously, people did not understand what Falun Gong was, and even held negative opinions [due to the slanderous propaganda from Mainland China] or sometimes made fun of it. Now, they have started to learn about and understand Falun Gong and they support Falun Gong.
3. Spreading the beauty of Dafa, Falun Gong practitioners' procession is warmly received by spectators|
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Chinatown became excited and full of happy anticipation because of the parade. It was estimated that about 200,000 people watched this parade. The streets and avenues were filled with crowds of people.
Three practitioners holding a banner imprinted with the words, "Falun Gong," led the procession of 400 practitioners. A 50-people exercise demonstration troupe followed. Practitioners displayed the elegant and smooth exercise movements according to Master's verses. Following them was a banner with the words, "Truthfulness-Compassion- Forbearance." Then came the New Year's Greetings banner with the words, "Happy New Year," and two dragons and four lions. They danced to harken the arrival of the Year of the Rooster. The Tang Dynasty drum troupe and flag troupe exhibited the virtue and vigorousness of Tang Dynasty culture as well as its tolerant demeanor. A fairy dance troupe followed, displaying Dafa practitioners' grace, peace and nobility. What was most lovely was the group of young practitioners from Minghui School. These pure children sincerely told people, "Falun Dafa is great." The waist drum troupe was full of power and grandeur. Dafa practitioners from across the world carried small flags that read, "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance" and "Falun Dafa," and warmly waved toward the spectators to express their New Year's Greetings.
  Waist drum troupe member |
  Lion dance |
  Fan dance |
A brilliant and colorful float was at the end of the procession, on which stood practitioners representing several different ethnicities. There was also a monk practitioner on the float. They solemnly demonstrated the five sets of Falun Gong exercises, creating a beautiful and peaceful scene.
A great number of people with video and still cameras were attracted when the practitioners were still in the process of lining up for the parade. A Western boy even learned the Falun Gong exercises on the spot. His father stood by and looked very proud of him.
The Falun Gong exercise music and the song, "Falun Dafa is Good," resounded over the sky above Manhattan's Chinatown.
Throughout the entire parade, spectators on both sides of the streets smiled, raised their heads in anticipation, waved non-stop and took many pictures. They did not want to miss such a beautiful moment. In front of the main podium, the organizers introduced the arrival of the Falun Gong procession, their exercise demonstration, the performances by the Tang Dynasty drum troupe, the fairy dance troupe, the waist drum troupe, and their beautiful float. The master of ceremonies praised the Falun Gong procession for displaying the best of traditional Chinese culture.
People seemed reluctant to leave even after the parade was over. Many people wanted to take pictures with the practitioners. In a car, a Western boy dressed in Tang Dynasty costume gave the thumbs up toward practitioners.
As the New Year begins, Dafa practitioners hope that all kind-hearted people throughout the world will have the opportunity to learn about the beauty of Falun Dafa and thereby create a wonderful future for themselves.