(Clearwisdom.net) On October 12, 2010, the annual Oktoberfest Thanksgiving Day Parade was held in Kitchener-Waterloo, Canada. The Toronto Divine Land Marching Band from the Falun Gong group was invited to perform in the parade for the third year. The band, dressed in traditional Chinese uniforms, was a unique one among the 160-plus contingents and its performances received warm applause and praise from spectators.
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| The Toronto Divine Land Marching Band performs in the annual Oktoberfest Thanksgiving Day Parade in Kitchener-Waterloo, Canada for the third year. |
Kitchener-Waterloo is about 100 Kilometers west of Toronto. The area has a population of about 400,000 and half are Bavarian, making it the largest German immigrant community in North America. Every October, Oktoberfest is celebrated with Bavarian customs such as beer, traditional dances, concerts and the Thanksgiving Day Parade. Every year, the festival attracts nearly one million tourists from all over the world. With its two hundred year history, the Oktoberfest Thanksgiving Day Parade in Kitchener-Waterloo has become the largest Thanksgiving Day parade in Canada. This year, over 160 groups participated in the parade and there were nearly 200,000 spectators.
Outstanding Performance
| One of the parade organizers Mr. Mark Sichewski |
Ignoring the drizzle, the crowd enthusiastically cheered for the Divine Land Marching Band's performance. One of the parade organizers Mr. Mark Sichewski said, "The Divine Land Marching Band brings a special flair to the parade. We invited them every year because of their outstanding performance. Also, their uniforms and color are very unique and stand out."
"The uniforms with skirts for the drum section are of Song Dynasty style, " said Band director Jiang Fan, "but the other uniforms are all Tang Dynasty style. These are very traditional uniforms that were used for ancient army exercises. They represent the traditional culture of Chinese. We represented the Chinese community (to participate in the parade), so we shall present our culture to the society."
A couple and their five-year-old boy from Dalian, China were watching the parade. The mother, Ms. Fan, said they had been in Canada for a few years and see Falun Gong in the parade almost every year. "The band is very good. I like it very much. Thank you and happy Thanksgiving Day!" she said to a Falun Gong practitioner.
Ms. Peng has been in Canada for about one year. She and her husband and their two-year-old daughter watched the parade. "I came to the parade last year, too." she said, "but I missed the Divine Land Marching Band. I'm happy that I saw it this time. This is my first time to see such a spectacular band. It is very exciting. I couldn't see this in mainland China [because of the persecution of Falun Gong]. I will learn more about Falun Gong online. I thank them for bringing us such a wonderful performance on Thanksgiving Day."
Visiting scholar Mr. He took photos of the band with his friends. He has been in Canada for only a few months. "Falun Gong's procession is magnificent. This is a different country, and a different environment [from mainland China]. This environment of freedom makes me feel good. A country with freedom is really different." he said.
Distinguished ethnic features and stunning power
| Photographer Derek from London, UK. |
Derek, a photographer from London, took a lot of pictures of the Divine Land Marching Band. He said, "This is a band with the most distinguished features of an ethnic group. Their performance was incredible!"
| Family from Waterloo watching the parade. |
Craig, a local resident, said, "Our family has been happy to see this band for many years. They bring us a great performance every year. Thanks a lot! "
| John Robinson and his wife Jane. |
Mr. John Robinson is 86 years old. He gave thumbs up to the Divine Land Marching Band. He said, "Thank you! Thank you! They performed in many parades. My wife and I are glad to see them every time. They are truly great!"
| Local residents John and Helen family. |
Local resident Helen said, "This is the most unique band I have ever seen." Her husband John said, "Excellent performance, excellent uniforms, full of Chinese culture. I liked it very much. "
| Local resident Heide |
Local resident Heide said, "The band is orderly, with strong rhythm and stunning power."
