(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa practitioners participated in the annual Chelmford ECO Festival Carnival parade on July 2, 2023, with dragon dances and waist drum performances. This was the second year Falun Dafa practitioners were invited to the event. They received high praise from spectators.

The Falun Dafa practitioners’ dragon dance and waist drum teams participated in the Chelmford ECO Festival Carnival Parade in Essex County, England on Sunday, July 2, 2023.

The Chelmford Carnival parade is one of the events during the month-long Chelmford ECO Festival held in Chelmford, the capitol of Essex County England, from June 10 to July 9, 2023. It was one of the first eco-friendly parades in the UK, featuring costumes, marching bands, flags, puppets, and floats.

The parade started at Shire Hall at 1 p.m. and proceeded along High Street and Moulsham Street before finishing at Chelmsford Museum, which hosted an afternoon of entertainment.

Organizer at the Carnival Parade: “I liked the performance of the Falun Dafa team.”

Malcolm, one of the organizers of the carnival parade, said he liked the performance given by the Falun Dafa team.

Malcolm, one of the organizers of the carnival parade, said that he thought that the Falun Dafa practitioners’ waist drum team was very special. “It is different from other bands. It is professional and has a good rhythm. Everyone likes their performance,” Malcolm said. He added, “The dragon dance performance is very unique.”

Spectator: Supports Falun Dafa Practitioners in Spreading the Truth

Libby, a former shelter manager, followed the parade from start to finish. She praised the Falun Dafa team’s dragon dance and waist drum performances, “It’s very exciting! Absolutely!” She said that she had read the brochure exposing the facts about the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) persecution of Falun Gong (also called Falun Dafa), and she supported Falun Gong practitioners in telling people the facts and opposing the persecution.

Karen’s family said they liked the performance given by the Falun Dafa practitioners.

Karen and her husband spoke highly of the Falun Dafa team’s performances. When they learned about the persecution of Falun Gong in China, they linked it to the persecution of Jews and expressed their disbelief and horror. Karen said, “We had a Jewish friend who was a survivor of a Nazi concentration camp. He passed away two years ago. I am very sad. Now in the 21st century, no one should be subjected to such political persecution.”

Artist Learns the Dafa Exercises: “I feel very comfortable.”

Jessica is an artist who watched the demonstration of the Falun Dafa exercises for a long time. “We stand here and feel energy, calmness, and warmth,” she said. “This is a good way to keep fit. We want to stand with them to do exercises, face the same direction, and feel the energy flowing slowly, just like swimming in water. I felt very comfortable.”

Jessica (left) and Emily

Emily, a school teacher, has a daughter who suffers from anxiety. She believed that the Falun Dafa exercises could help her daughter and her husband. She said, “This exercise is great! It makes people relax, experience peace, and focus on themselves.” She thanked the practitioner for giving her the information, and planned to take her family to the Victoria Park practice site in East London to learn the exercises.

A group of children learn the Falun Dafa meditation exercises.

Falun Dafa exercise demonstration on the stage.

The ceremony ended with the dragon dance and waist drum performance. The host praised the Falun Dafa team for their excellent performance, patience, and expressing peace, and hoped that they would come to the ceremony again next year.