(Clearwisdom.net) From July 22 to July 26, 2005, the "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance" International Art Exhibition was held at the Citadel Theatre, Edmonton. In the five-day show, thousands of local residents came to appreciate the paintings and learned about the ongoing human rights atrocities against innocent Falun Gong practitioners in China. Many visitors were deeply moved by the serenity and beauty of Falun Dafa depicted by the paintings.

The exhibition coincided with the Edmonton 2005 World Masters Games at the peak of the tourist season, and people came to the exhibition in a continuous stream. Besides local residents, tourists from many countries including the U.S., Mexico, Ireland, Israel and Korea also came to appreciate the paintings.

A corner of the exhibition

After viewing the paintings, many people were shocked by the ongoing brutal persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China. A large number of the visitors had never heard about Falun Gong or knew very little about it. However, they often commented that the facts of the persecution presented by the paintings were beyond their imagination. One visitor said that he didn't know about the persecution before and that the exhibition was very educational for him. He hoped that the exhibition would reach more people.

After viewing the paintings, very often the visitors came to thank the practitioners for holding this event, which helped them learn about the brutal persecution against people's belief in "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance." A Mexican visitor said that the persecution of Falun Gong was so much like the persecution of Christians. Another visitor stated, "The exhibition displays the truth behind Chinese Communist Party's lies."

While many visitors were shocked and very sad for practitioners' unbearable suffering, they also saw the hope that justice will eventually defeat evil. In the exhibition notebook, a visitor wrote: "The [Falun Gong practitioners'] suffering brings the world the hope for peace."

Many people said that the exhibition inspired them and they could feel an unknown mighty energy behind the paintings.

After learning about the truth, many visitors asked practitioners how they could help to end this persecution. When they were told that many orphans of practitioners were still suffering in China and that overseas practitioners were trying to rescue them, a large number of them donated money to the Rescue Orphans of Falun Gong Practitioners Foundation.

During the exhibition, many people learned the Falun Gong exercises at the site. There were also people who learned how to fold paper lotus flowers, a symbol of peace and purity.

Exhibition visitors learning how to fold paper lotus flowers

At an intersection outside the exhibition building, practitioners distributed all the materials they had prepared. They distributed more than 10,000 copies of Falun Gong truth-clarifying materials and about 3,000 people visited the exhibition. Moreover, nearly 300 visitors signed the practitioners' petition and/or wrote down their comments to condemn the persecution and to express their admiration for the practitioners' conviction in "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance."

A visitor writing down her thoughts

It is worth mentioning that a nearby coffee shop offered free coffee to those at the exhibition after the owner learned about Falun Dafa and the persecution in China. Also, a nearby gallery invited the practitioners to hold another exhibition of this kind.