My Unforgettable Memory of April 25, 1999

(Minghui.org) On the evening of April 24, 1999, while we were studying the Fa, a practitioner came and told us that some practitioners had been unlawfully arrested by the police in Tianjin, and they refused to release them. We decided to go to the central government in the morning to appeal. Everyone in the group said they would join the effort.

I sold breakfast for a living. I thought to myself: I won’t open for business tomorrow, but I’ll go to appeal instead. I suffered all kinds of diseases in the past, but they were all gone after I started practicing Falun Dafa. I must speak up when fellow practitioners faced unjust treatment.

I couldn’t sleep that night and thought: I might just get up and make some sesame seed flatbread, in case those who went to appeal get hungry. I got up and baked the sesame seed flatbread. It was almost dawn when I was done. I put the bread in a big bag, put on some clean clothes and left.

When I arrived at the meeting spot, a number of practitioners from my village had also arrived. A practitioner who worked as a purchaser told us that their factory was going to deliver goods to Beijing and we could ride in the big van. This was good news, and seven or eight of us got in the van. On our way, we kept reciting poems in Hong Yin. It was such a wonderful and unforgettable experience! The driver said, “You are really good at memorizing so many poems, and everything said in the poems makes sense!” The kind-hearted driver took a detour and dropped us off near the National Appeals Office in downtown Beijing.

We arrived at Fuyou Street just past 6 a.m. on April 25. There were already a lot of practitioners there, from various places such as Tianjin, or the nearby provinces of Hebei, Liaoning and Heilongjiang. The atmosphere was very calm and peaceful. We lined up alongside them and waited quietly, keeping a passage open for pedestrians.

In the middle of the road, there was a line of police officers, a few yards apart. They also looked relaxed. Many practitioners left home in a hurry and didn’t bring any food or drink. They went to buy snacks in nearby shops around lunchtime. As there were so many of us, the instant noodles, snacks, fruit, and tissues in nearby shops and kiosks quickly sold out. I handed out the sesame seed flatbread I prepared to practitioners around us. Everyone was happy and we chatted quietly while we ate.

A female practitioner from Tianjin said, “I suffered from stomach cancer, but recovered through practicing Falun Dafa. I was given a death sentence by three hospitals, but I am completely healthy now.”

Around 4 p.m., a few pigeons on a big locust tree nearby suddenly flew away, making a big noise. We all looked up, and some people saw a giant golden Falun spinning on top of the big locust tree, which rose higher and higher. There were many small Falun underneath it, which were colorful and very beautiful. The police also looked up. A female practitioner from my village said, “Look, there are small Falun everywhere on practitioners.” But I couldn’t see any at the time.

Everyone became quiet again. I saw some practitioners put their hands together in front of their chest, so I did the same. Suddenly, I saw that the sky and the ground turned into a golden color and the scene lasted over 20 minutes. At that moment, I wasn’t sure if I was in the clouds or mist in the sky. I forgot who I was and what I was doing. That wonderful scene was beyond any human language! Looking back now, I still feel very emotional. The experience was truly unforgettable!

After a discussion between Falun Dafa representatives and the then premier Zhu Rongji, the authorities agreed to release the practitioners in Tianjin and allow us to peacefully practice our faith (although the regime didn’t keep its word and still ordered the persecution three months later). Practitioners began to leave quietly after 9 p.m., leaving the place neat and clean. Practitioners even picked up the cigarette butts thrown down by the police and them put in rubbish bins.

It was almost midnight by the time I got home. That day has left me with the most beautiful memory! It was a great experience that we will remember forever!