(Clearwisdom.net) In August 2, 2009, the International Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance Art Exhibition, co-sponsored by the Taiwanese Falun Dafa Association and the Xinsancai Culture Association, opened at the National Mazu High School, displaying 45 paintings by professional Chinese and Western artists who are themselves Falun Gong practitioners. The display touched many of the viewers. President of the Republic of China Ma Ying-jeou, and Premier Liu Chao-Shiuan both offered letters of welcome and congratulations for the success of the art exhibition.

The Mazu islands are approximately 114 nautical miles from Keelung, and are only miles away from mainland China. On the day of the exhibition's opening, besides gifts from the President of the Legislative Assembly Wang Jin-Pyng and Chairman of the Kuomintang Wu Po-Hsiung, many other flowers and banners were received from local and national VIPs including Minister of the Interior Liao Liao-yi, Fukien Province Governor Xue Xiangchuan, Taiwan Solidarity Union Chairman Huang Kunhui, Lianjiang County Governor Chen Xuesheng, Taitung County Governor Huang Zhongsheng, Miaoli County Chief Liu Zhenghong, Nantou County Chief Li Chaoqing, Yilan County Chief Lu Guohua, Taipei County Chief Zhou Xiwei, Pingtung County Chief Cao Qihong, Hualien County Chief Xie Shenshan, Taoyuan County Chief Zhu Lilun, Keelung Mayor Zhang Tongrong, Taichung Mayor Hu Zhiqiang, Taitung Legislative Assembly Member Jiang Yixiong, Cai Tongrong, Tu Xingzhe, Ke Jianmin as well as Lianjiang County Hospital President Xie Chungfu.

Congratulatory letter from Premier Liu Chao-Shiuan

Flowers from President of the Legislative Assembly Wang Jin-Pyng

Gift from Minister of the Interior Liao Liao-yi

Flowers from Secretary of the Executive Assembly and Governor of Fukien Province Xue Xiangchuan

Calligraphy gift from Chairman of the Kuomintang Wu Po-Hsiung

The exhibition opened at 10:00 in the morning, with music performed by the Divine Land Marching Band. Amid enthusiastic applause, President of the Xinsancai Culture Association Zhang Jinhua officially opened the exhibition by lifting the veil from the painting The Pure Lotus. Zhang thanked Mazu High School for providing the exhibition hall so that everyone can enjoy the beauty of the paintings. "Joy can be passed on. You can feel a new energy as you see these paintings on exhibit."

Zhang explained that many of the paintings on display have won awards internationally. The spirituality of the painters allows the audience to feel a sense of compassion and true beauty.

Zhang added, "I've been asked many times before on the opening ceremony of the Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance Art Exhibition, why is it Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance instead of Truthfulness-Compassion-Beauty. My reply was, 'Only true beauty is able to endure and persist, to persist in the arts, to persist in life, to persist in the glory of humanity - such is the eternal true value of art and humanity."

Youqing Co. Ltd President Li Yuezhen unveiling Tragedy in China.

As she unveiled Tragedy in China, President Li Yuezhen of Youqing Pty Ltd said, "The first time I looked at this painting I thought it was a photograph. Only after studying it closely did I realize that it was painted.

From the expressions on her face [referring to the woman in the painting], I can almost hear her voice." Li thanked all the artists involved in the exhibition for sharing their paintings, which are so filled with meaning and which touched her deeply.

Divine Land Marching Band performing in front of the Lianjiang County government building.

A day before the exhibition, the Divine Land Marching Band performed in the streets to help spread the word about the exhibition. Starting from Haibin Park in Jieshou Village, the band played "Falun Dafa is Good" and many other songs in front of the county government buildings.

On the day of the exhibition, a local artist who had learned about the persecution of Falun Gong by the Chinese Communist Party came to visit the exhibition with several friends. After seeing the paintings, he exclaimed, "The paintings are so vivid!"

A soldier closely studying the paintings.

Members of the public visiting the exhibition.

Tour guides were available to explain the meaning behind each painting.

A tour guide explained, "These paintings have traveled to over forty countries and have been displayed in over 200 exhibitions. It is a collection of art by many well-known artists from different backgrounds, including sculptor Zhang Kunlun, painter Zhang Cuiying, Li Yuan, Chen Xiaoping, Dong Xiqiang, and others. The paintings emphasize traditional draftsmanship and painting technique. These paintings often induce compassion in the minds and hearts of the viewers."

One gentleman who works in Mazu exclaimed, after viewing the paintings, that through the exhibit he had come to know about a group of cultivators who use their life to defend their faith, "They have displayed the most magnificent side of humanity, something that the Chinese Communist Party is most afraid of."

He said, "I stood in front of the painting Walking Out of Prison with Faith for a long time. I find it miraculous. After seeing the painting I became very concerned with the plight of the lady in the painting." He explained that many people in Mazu have property in mainland China and do not dare to talk about Falun Gong, under the Communist Party's pressure. "If people are subject to pressure, it goes to show even more the truth about the persecution. In talks held across the straits, human rights should be the first and the foremost issue."

Many soldiers who were off duty also came to visit the exhibition. One soldier from Taipei had previously heard about the persecution of Falun Gong and other faiths by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on television. After seeing the exhibition, he felt that it was impossible to understand why any faith should be persecuted, "In Taiwan, everyone has the right to different faiths and beliefs. We have freedom; how wonderful it is for us to live in Taiwan."

Another soldier exclaimed angrily after seeing the paintings depicting the CCP's organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners, "Such tyranny is of utmost evil. It destroys human conscience and clouds humanity. Such acts are despicable."

Several children gathered in front of a painting showing a boy imprisoned in a cell and asked, "Why do kids get arrested?" A tour guide who was nearby explained to them the truth of the persecution. One girl replied in tears, "Even children are imprisoned. The Communist Party doesn't even spare the children; they are very evil."

On August 3, the local paper Mazu Daily printed a front page report about the Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance Art Exhibition. The report stated, "Masterpieces, showing daily until August 12, open to all members of the public."