(Clearwisdom.net) On September 16, 2006, Falun Gong practitioners from Queensland, Australia, attended the annual parade in Toowoomba for the seventh time. Falun Gong had the biggest entry in the parade and was warmly welcomed by thousands of spectators.
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Practitioners bring the beauty of Falun Dafa to thousands of spectators
Toowoomba is on the southeast side of Queensland. The local weather is good for all kinds of plants and flowers, so Toowoomba is called "The Garden City." Every fall, a Flower Festival is held in Toowoomba. It is the 57th year of this event. The whole festival lasts 10 days. The parade, with the theme "Flowers and Food," was held on September 16. More than 60 groups took part in the parade.
Practitioners designed a beautiful float this year. They placed many flowers on the float, and hung up a lot of paper lotus flowers on the sides of the float, forming the words, "Falun Dafa." A colorful Falun symbol and banner were hung up at the center of the float. Three young practitioners sat in big lotus flowers.
The parade started at noon. The Falun Gong procession was led by a banner that read, "Falun Dafa is Good" and a big model of Zhuan Falun. Behind the float there was a group of practitioners dressed as celestial maidens, then the Divine Land Marching Band and a waist drum team. The spectators enjoyed their performances very much. When the procession passed by the judges' booth, the host introduced Falun Dafa to the spectators: "Please give a round of applause to Falun Dafa, which is the biggest entry in the parade. It is wonderful. Thank you for bringing us such beautiful dancing and music." The host also told people the schedule and location of the Falun Gong exercise site in Toowoomba.
A Chinese gentleman shouted to practitioners: "You are so wonderful, so beautiful!"
The Divine Land Marching Band, consisting entirely of Falun Gong practitioners, also attended the parade. They played the song, "Falun Dafa is Good." Mr. Yuan, the manager of the band said, "The band has 70 members and was set up 4 months ago. After 4 months' training, we are ready to perform!" Mr. Yuan said: "The parade in Toowoomba is a big one. We hope to bring the beauty of Falun Dafa to Toowoomba through the parade."
Two Western Falun Gong practitioners, who performed a traditional Chinese dance, said, "We both have been practicing Falun Dafa for several years. We want people in Toowoomba to learn about Falun Dafa and its principles—"Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance"— and feel the beauty of it."
The parade ended at 1:00 p.m. Many reporters came to take photos and interviewed the practitioners. Many spectators also took photos with practitioners and the float. The celestial maidens handed out flyers to people and clarified the truth of the brutal persecution of Falun Gong in China.
