(Clearwisdom.net) On the evening of July 26, 2008, the 59th Seattle Seafair Torchlight Parade was held. Around 300,000 spectators watched the parade along the 2.5 mile-long parade route in downtown Seattle, and many more watched the parade via TV live coverage.
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| The Falun Gong procession in the 59th annual Seafair Torchlight Parade of Seattle |
| Video: Falun Gong procession in the 59th Seafair Torchlight Parade of Seattle |
Seafair and Media Advertisement
Seafair is Seattle's traditional summer festival. It is a month-long, region-wide barbecue, that brings an entire community together in celebration. For 58 years Seafair has been about community events, parades, the Miss Seafair contest, the Navy and Coast Guard, amateur athletics, airplanes and of course, boat racing. But most of all, Seafair has been about people and it continues to be.
The parade, called the Diamond of Seattle, attracts many thousands of visitors. Falun Dafa practitioners' float won Best Workmanship award last year. KIRO 7 (CBS) TV station showed the float in its program for this year's Seafair. The Seattle Post Intelligencer, the second largest newspaper in Seattle, published an article the day before the parade, which introduced Falun Gong, the exercise demonstration to be held on the float, and the practitioners' hope to bring health and graceful blessings to people.
"Amazing Adventures" - "Voyage into Ancient China"
The parade started at 7:30 p.m. with more than one hundred entries participating in the parade. The theme this year was "Amazing Adventures." The Falun Gong procession included lion dancing, sword dancing, a Fa-boat float, Tang drums, and a flag team to present Chinese traditional culture with the theme, "Voyage into Ancient China."
A large banner with "Falun Dafa" in golden characters and letters was in front of the procession, carried by four practitioners looking like angels. They waved to the spectators. People frequently came up to have their picture taken with these "Celestial maidens."
The sword dancing and lion dancing followed, symbolizing the elimination of evil to bring peace to the people. Their performance won great applause. The spectators especially enjoyed the two active lions.
Falun Dafa Float
The Falun Dafa boat float has a very unique design and is the most magnificent float in Seafair. It is 45-feet long. The golden words "Falun Dafa" on the blue boat looked majestic and solemn. Seven Chinese and Western Falun Gong practitioners demonstrated the Falun Gong exercises on the float. They were dressed in Tang costumes or traditional dress to show that people of different races and ages practice Falun Dafa. Colorful clouds floated between lotuses and foliage. The whole float was immersed in a peaceful atmosphere.
The spectators cheered and clapped and many copied the movements of the fifth exercise.
A group of young American youths shouted in Chinese, "Falun Dafa is good! [Falun Dafa hao!]"
Drumming touched people's hearts
Following the float was a group of waist drummers. The drummers played the song, "Falun Dafa Is Good." Many spectators clapped along to the rhythm of the music, and children especially seemed to enjoy the drumming. The practitioners felt that the drumming touched people's hearts.
Three banners with "Falun Dafa," "Truthful-Compassion-Tolerance" and "Coming for You," and a flag team followed the drum team. The whole procession ended with a large blue banner with the golden words, "Truthful-Compassion-Tolerance."
TV Commentary: "Spectacular"
KIRO 7 (CBC) TV Station carried a live broadcast of the parade. When the Falun Dafa procession passed by the stage, the KIRO 7 co-host introduced the procession to the TV viewers with, "Falun Gong is an ancient Chinese practice system for better health of both mind and body. Falun Gong includes exercise movements and meditation. It is from China and is now practiced by millions of people in 78 countries." The other announcer exclaimed, "Look at the float, it's truly spectacular!"
Newspaper coverage
The next day, the Seattle Times reported on the Seafair Torchlight Parade and mentioned the Falun Gong group. The Seattle Post Intelligencer carried a photo showing the Falun Gong procession.
