(Clearwisdom.net) On the last weekend of June 2011, the two-day 40th Multicultural Festival was held in Victoria Park of Kitchener, Canada. Colorful tents were set up in the park. Falun Gong practitioners participated in the festival and their stand caught the attention of many visitors.
Many visitors came to the Falun Gong stand
Practitioners taught folding paper lotus flowers and Chinese calligraphy, and other practitioners demonstrated the Falun Gong exercises.
Emma (middle) and her sister experience the serenity of sitting meditation
Eleven-year-old Emma could sit in the double-crossed leg position and enjoyed the serenity of sitting meditation. Her sister learned Falun Gong two years before and taught Emma. They were interested in Chinese culture and wished to watch the Shen Yun performance.
Many people asked about learning Falun Gong and group practice sites. Many visitors were shocked by the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) persecution of Falun Gong and signed a petition calling for an end to it. One gentleman in his 60s from England signed the petition after understanding the facts about the persecution. He also brought his 80-year-old mother and his sister to learn about Falun Gong.
Many children came to learn how to fold paper lotus flowers. One practitioner explained, “Lotus grows in mud, but the flower that emerges from it is pure and beautiful. It inspires us to keep our virtuous character in the secular world. The lotus signifies the uplifting of one's realm. The golden lotus symbolizes eternity.”
People started to leave when it became dark. When the practitioners were ready to disassemble the stand, a middle-aged man named Eric came and talked with the practitioners for quite a while. He said that he worked in stage art and later changed to TV media. He was interested in the Falun Gong principles of Truth-Compassion-Forbearance.
Chinese visitors touched
Many Chinese visitors also visited the Falun Gong booth. Some Chinese students came to learn about Falun Gong and find out about the CCP’s persecution of Falun Gong.
Mr. Xu came with his wife and daughter to the Shen Yun stand, which was beside the Falun Gong one. The couple had watched a Shen Yun DVD in China and saw a live Shen Yun performance in Europe last year. He said, “On the streets in Europe, you can see huge posters of Shen Yun Performing Arts. I felt pride in the theater when I saw how the non-Chinese audience loved the Shen Yun performance. I'd say that Falun Gong is remarkable!”
