(Minghui.org) The Falun Gong booth was unique among the over 50 booths at the Astor Place Festival, a community event held in the SOHO district of Manhattan on July 29.

Practitioners shared their experiences with the spiritual and uplifting practice while the soothing Falun Gong exercise music could be heard in the background.

Passersby asking for more information about Falun Gong

Falun Gong appeals to young and old alike.

A lady was amazed to see practitioners quietly doing the exercises in a noisy street market and wanted to learn more about the practice.

A young lady was very much in agreement with the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and interested in the healing power of Falun Gong. “If everyone could change a little bit, it would be a big leap for the whole society.”

“I've often talked about the persecution of Falun Gong in China in my class,” a high school teacher said. He had known Falun Gong from previous events long ago.

A lady who signed the petition asking the U.S. Congress to help end the persecution asked, “Why would the Chinese government want to persecute Falun Gong? Everyone has the right to meditate.”