(Minghui.org) The month of June in Portland, Oregon is sunny and flowers are in full bloom. The Portland Rose Festival, which has a history of more than 100 years, once again attracted a large number of people. A popular feature of the Rose Festival, the Starlight Parade, was held in downtown Portland on the evening of June 3, 2023.
The sidewalks of downtown Portland were lined with people hours before it got dark. They set up chairs and found prime spots to wait for the parade to start. At 8:00 p.m., the parade officially started, and beautifully-decorated floats drove along the parade route one after another. Some showcased singing and dancing, or exotic customs. There were high school bands and marching teams of various social groups.
Accompanied by elegant music, the Falun Dafa practitioners’ float appeared. Their float was a beautiful boat decorated with flowers and clouds. The words “Falun Dafa is good” and “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance” were written on the sides of the boat. Practitioners on the boat wore gold exercise outfits and demonstrated the five sets of Falun Dafa exercises. Some practitioners were dressed in ancient Chinese costumes, or sat inside lotus flowers, and waved to the parade spectators.
Practitioners marching alongside the float held banners with the words, “Falun Dafa is Good” and, “Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance is Good.” Young practitioners carried beautiful lotus lanterns.
Falun Dafa procession and float in the Starlight parade in the Portland Rose Festival
Spectators exclaimed, “Wow, it’s so beautiful!” and, “Very beautiful!” Some people imitated the practitioners’ hand gestures as they demonstrated the exercises on the float.
When the golden sails on the boat slowly rose, people burst into cheers and applause.
The parade moderator introduced Falun Dafa, and said Dafa is based on the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, and that Falun Dafa has drawn people of different races, countries, regions, ages and religious beliefs to cultivate.
Later, the organizer of the event told practitioners that it was a pleasure working with them.
Background: What Is Falun Dafa?
Falun Dafa (also known as Falun Gong) was first introduced to the public by Mr. Li Hongzhi in Changchun, China, in 1992. The spiritual discipline is now practiced in over 100 countries worldwide. Millions of people who have embraced the teachings—which are based on the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance—and learned the five exercises have experienced improved health and well-being.
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