(Clearwisdom.net) On May 13, 1992, a wonderful and sacred day, Falun Dafa was introduced in Changchun, China and started spreading worldwide. Over the past twelve years, by word of mouth, Falun Gong has been spread to more than sixty countries throughout the world. From the Great Wall to the Rhine River, from the Gold Coast to the Statue of Liberty, from the ancient capital of six dynasties to Sun Moon Lake, from Capital Hill to the Place des Nations, melodious Falun Dafa music resounded through the air, and the serene and peaceful group exercises could be seen everywhere. The spread of Falun Dafa transcends cultures, national boundaries, time and space. Wherever Dafa is introduced, many find that it is what they have been looking for. Those who have attained it are delighted with it. The number of practitioners is increasing daily.

In July 1999, an outrageous villain in China started the most virulent and brutal persecution ever seen in human history, against the belief in "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance."

On May 13, 2000, Falun Dafa practitioners from all over the world celebrated the first World Falun Dafa Day.

Today, on May 13, 2004, Falun Dafa practitioners from the Metropolitan New York area went to Forley Plaza in Manhattan to solemnly celebrate the Fifth World Falun Dafa Day and to express our respect and gratefulness to Teacher.

Forley Plaza is located between New York City Hall and Chinatown. It is surrounded by the New York Judiciary buildings. Constant streams of people come and go.

On May 13, the sky was clear and blue. On Forley Plaza flags waved, colorful balloons flew, female practitioners were dressed as beautiful celestial maidens, melodious music resounded and the eye-catching Dafa banners fluttered in the breeze. Forley Plaza was decorated beautifully.

Exercise demonstration

Dragon dance

Dance from the Tang Dynasty

Symbolic trial of Jiang

The tortures endured by practitioners in China

The tortures endured by practitioners in China

Passersby learn about the persecution in China

Information booth to introduce the lawsuits taking place worldwide against Jiang

New practitioners learning the exercises

Chorus, "Coming for you"

Proclamations issued by local government officials

Group photo

1. The air is filled with joyful songs and melodious music

On the plaza, colorful balloons lifted the vertical banner with English and Chinese words, "May 13 World Falun Dafa Day" and "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance" and declared the great day to the people of the world. Banners with the Chinese and English words, "Falun Dafa," "Falun Dafa is great," and "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance" were displayed around the plaza. Eighteen triangular flags with blue backgrounds and yellow borders that read, "Dafa" were lined up in a row in front of the stage. On each of the two sides were four long narrow flags imprinted with the English words "Falun Dafa," and the Chinese words, "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance." The Falun emblem was displayed between the English and Chinese words. On the left-hand side of the plaza, large-scale photo posters depicting the facts of the persecution were displayed. The extensive photo exhibit of "The Peaceful Journey of Falun Dafa" was shown on the right-hand side of the plaza. The site layout was solemn, beautiful and full of power and grandeur.

Dafa practitioners dressed in yellow exercise suits formed the Chinese characters, "Fa rectification" and performed the group exercises to the exercise music, to start off the celebration of the Fifth World Falun Dafa Day. The scene was solemn and sacred.

At noontime, the program began with the performance, "Lions and Dragons Dance between Heaven and Earth." A golden lion was paired with a purple dragon, while a silver lion danced with a golden dragon. The golden lion unfurled a Chinese banner with the words, "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance," while the silver lion unfurled an English banner with the words, "Falun Dafa is great." The lions and dragons danced and pranced, and conveyed to the people the grandeur of the occasion.

A dance performance entitled "Heaven" told the story of celestial beings being moved by grand Compassion to save all beings. They pledged their help to Teacher in making the universal principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance known to all of mankind.

The music, "Splendid Tang Dynasty" described the transcendent culture from the Tang Dynasty. The dance, "Playing Drums with Divine Might," put the unyielding integrity of Dafa practitioners on display.

The dance, "Lotus Flowers," performed by four young practitioners, displayed the purity of the lotus flower, which grows out of the mud but remains pure.

The dance, "We Tell the Real Story," performed by western practitioners, described the true story of 36 Western Falun Gong practitioners from 12 countries, who went to Tiananmen Square in 2001 to peacefully appeal for Falun Gong.

The chorus, "Coming for You," told how these 36 Western Falun Gong practitioners bore various hardships, traveled thousands of miles and faced dangers, to come on behalf of the precious Chinese people, hoping to awaken the goodness left in their hearts.

Three renowned vocalists used their songs to express their happiness at learning Falun Dafa and their wishes to "follow Teacher in the human world." The songs resounded on the plaza, extolling the beauty of Dafa and expressing gratitude towards Teacher.

At 2 p.m., the celebration concluded with the full-length dance, "Buddha." This told the story of how the cosmic principles of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance" were brought to the human world, remaking the human world into an Enlightened realm.

The entire celebration was full of power and grandeur, a glimpse into the bright future ahead.

2. The facts of the persecution are explained and a symbolic trial of Jiang Zemin is held

On July 10, 1999, under Jiang Zemin's personal will and despotic power, the "610 Office" was instituted. It is a state-sanctioned terrorist organization that is above the Chinese Constitution and laws, organized specifically for the purpose of persecuting Falun Dafa. After July 20, 1999, Jiang directed the "610 Office" to systematically implement genocidal policies against Falun Dafa, including, "Ruin their reputation, bankrupt them financially, eliminate them physically," and "Falun Gong practitioners beaten to death are considered as having committed suicide." He also issued the directive that, "Their bodies are to be directly cremated without identifying them," all in order to persecute millions of Falun Gong practitioners who firmly persist in their belief.

Over the course of this brutal persecution in China, numerous Falun Gong practitioners have been beaten to death, families torn apart, and countless practitioners have been forced to leave home in order to avoid being illegally imprisoned. Tens of millions of practitioners' family members, friends and colleagues have been incriminated or brainwashed to different degrees. Up to the present, 961 Falun Gong practitioners have been verified to have died from the persecution, with death cases occurring in more than 30 Provinces, Autonomous Regions and municipalities.

The photos displayed on the plaza related the facts of this inhuman persecution that has been ongoing since July 1999:

• Ms. Wang Lixuan and her 8-month baby were tortured to death;

• Ms. Zhang Guiqin was shackled by the Hefei police and shocked with electric batons; she died from the torture, leaving her two young daughters without their mother;

• Ms. Su Qionghua was pushed out of her sixth-floor apartment window by police officers who came to ransack her home, and died. The police altered the scene and made a false report claiming that she committed suicide;

• Mr. Chen Gang was repeatedly beaten, electrically shocked and subjected to brainwashing during the 18 months of his imprisonment in the Tuanhe Labor Camp in Beijing;

• Ms. Wang Yuzhi endured unimaginable ruthless tortures in the Wanjia Labor Camp in Heilongjiang Province. She almost lost her eyesight;

• 19-year-old Chu Congrui was tortured to death in the Haidian Prison in Beijing; When she died, her face was deformed and her head bled profusely;

• A Chinese student in Ireland, Mr. Zhao Ming, was once beaten by police officers using six electric batons simultaneously when he was imprisoned in the Tuanhe Labor Camp in Beijing;

• Ms. Wang Jiqin was severely beaten in the Maojiashan Labor Camp for Women in Chongqing City. She was forcibly injected with an unknown drug and died.

• Ms. Li Yinping was stripped by police officers from Weifang City, Shandong Province, and was electrically shocked on her private parts and other sensitive areas of her body. She died from the torture.

• 63-year-old Ms. Yue Changzhi was illegally arrested 8 times and subjected to brainwashing and severe tortures. She was unlawfully sentenced to 4 years in prison by the Shijingshang District Court in Beijing.

On the plaza, several simulated reenactments of torture scenes, including "Sitting in the Iron Chair," "Punishing by Force-feeding," "Locking in the Iron Cage," and "Long-term Hanging and Beating" were staged.

Those represent only a tiny portion of the facts of the persecution.

Jiang, the initiator and the chief perpetrator of this persecution of Falun Gong, is personally responsible for this suppression; his responsibility cannot be shirked. In 2002, a lawsuit was filed in Chicago against Jiang, charging him with genocide. In addition, Jiang has also been sued in Belgium, Spain, Germany, Korea, Taiwan and Switzerland.

Today, on Forley Plaza, a symbolic trial of Jiang was held. Four witnesses used their actual experiences, and with conclusive proof they recounted the monstrous crimes committed by Jiang towards Falun Gong practitioners. They prosecuted Jiang for manipulating the state machinery and the state-controlled media to intimidate the entire nation into betraying their conscience and their sense of justice. Through this persecution, Jiang has completely distorted human nature.

With the conclusive evidence before them, the tribunal convicted Jiang of committing genocide, crimes against humanity, murder, rape, and torture.

3. Government officials from different levels in New York State and different cities issue proclamations and send congratulatory letters

Fifteen proclamations and congratulatory letters were received from government officials of different levels in New York State, as well as some cities, in honor of the Fifth World Falun Dafa Day. Two members of Congress sent congratulatory letters; the Presidents of Brooklyn and the Bronx, as well as the Mayor of White Plains sent their proclamations; Four State Senators issued proclamations and congratulatory letters; four State Assemblymen sent proclamations and congratulatory letters; two City Council members also sent their proclamations and congratulatory letters to honor World Falun Dafa Day.

In these proclamations and congratulator letters, the government officials highly praised Falun Dafa, the peaceful cultivation practice that is so beneficial for both mind and body. They highly commended the belief in "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance." In their letters, some officials also condemned the persecution occurring in China and expressed their respect for Falun Gong practitioners who have persisted in peacefully and rationally opposing this brutal persecution and who have tirelessly spread the principle of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance" to their local communities.

4. Support from New York residents

The streams of people coming and going were attracted by the holiday atmosphere of the celebration. Both Western and Chinese people stopped to watch, take photos and request more information. Two schoolteachers brought their children especially to watch the performances. Some passersby asked for information about local practice sites and schedules. Some people immediately requested to learn the Falun Gong exercises. A Chinese person expressed the wish to participate in the celebration that will be held in Flushing on May 16. Gasps of admiration and the words, "So beautiful!" were constantly heard.

The demonstration of the facts of the persecution and the symbolic trial of Jiang also drew people's attention. People were shocked by the simulated torture demonstrations, and they stood and listened to practitioners' testimonies. A passerby said, "Your demonstration and simulations are very powerful! The persecution must be stopped."

5. We proclaim together, "Falun Dafa is great!" and respectfully wish Master a Happy Birthday

At the end of the presentation, all the practitioners took a group photo and proclaimed together, "Falun Dafa is great!" and respectfully wished our esteemed Master a Happy Birthday. Over the past twelve years, our benevolent and great Teacher has always been protecting us and guiding us. The immense Buddha's grace cannot be encountered in billions of years and our gratitude cannot be expressed with words, either in heaven or on earth. Over the past five years, we have been through the most difficult time and we have experienced all kinds of hardship. We will persistently and rationally oppose the persecution willpower unyielding.

May 13, "World Falun Dafa Day" is not only a holiday for Falun Dafa practitioners, but it will become a holiday for all kindhearted people throughout the world. "World Falun Dafa Day" symbolizes the yearning of the world's people for goodness, sincerity and justice. It also manifests the irresistible onrush of the worldwide spread of Falun Dafa. In conclusion, we would like to present a poem written by a practitioner from Singapore:

Millions of lotus flowers in the Fa
Blooming on the sacred day
Each pure lotus presents a pure and devoted heart
Wishing Master a Happy Birthday
No words are able to express Master's boundless grace
Firmly follow Master
To welcome the spring in the new cosmos
Heaven and earth are celebrating together.