Australia: Falun Dafa Practitioners Strongly Supported at Pacific Pines Winterfest

(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa practitioners were very well received at the 2019 Pacific Pines Winterfest held on July 28.

The largest annual community event in the Gold Coast hinterland welcomed well over 6,000 attendees to Central Park Oval, where there was a very diverse mix of stalls, community groups, food, and family-friendly entertainment.

Practitioners with Queensland Member for Gaven Meaghan Scanlon MP (C)

Practitioners delivered the latest copy of the Compassion magazine to incumbent Queensland Member for Gaven Meaghan Scanlon, who took a moment out of her busy day to have her photo taken with the local group of practitioners. Ms. Scanlon said it was always a pleasure to meet with Falun Dafa practitioners.

Practitioners with Gold Coast City Councillor Peter Young and Event Organizer Vikki Hocking (C)

Practitioners also welcomed event organizer Vikki Hocking from the Pacific Pines Residents Group and incumbent Gold Coast City Councillor for Division 5 Peter Young to join practitioners for another group photo.

Ms. Hocking mentioned that Falun Dafa practitioners had been regular participants at the festival and had seen it grow from its humble beginnings as the Pacific Pines United Expo back in 2013.

Councillor Young was interested in hearing more about where Falun Dafa classes are held, and was very pleased to hear they were being promoted through the city’s Active and Healthy Program, which his office has financially supported.

Many people who visited the Falun Dafa stall remarked that they felt very peaceful and serene after taking a flyer and sparkling lotus flower, which symbolizes peace and purity in traditional Chinese culture.

One woman was amazed to learn about the meaning of the lotus and thanked practitioners from the bottom of her heart. She said she would encourage her husband to learn the Falun Dafa exercises.

Another woman said that her encounter with the beauty of Falun Dafa’s peaceful practice “really made her day.”

Practitioners were also invited onto the stage to demonstrate the five exercises. The audience listened attentively to the emcee and afterwards some of them stopped by the Falun Dafa stall to find out where they could find one of the free practice sites.