(Minghui.org) Practitioners from Seattle, California, and Vancouver, Canada, participated in the annual Seafair Torchlight Parade in Seattle, Washington, on July 29, 2023. Their flower boat, waist-drum team, and the Tian Guo Marching Band were greeted by rounds of applause and cheers all along the parade route.
The Seafair Torchlight Parade, a tradition for over 70 years, is the largest summer event in the Pacific Northwest. Thousands of people saw the parade in person and it was also broadcast live. This is the 17th year practitioners were invited to participate.
Many spectators commented on the beauty of the practitioners’ entry. The Tian Guo Marching Band led practitioners' contingent, along with banner and waist drum teams. Practitioners carried banners in both English and Chinese that read: “Falun Dafa,” “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance,” and “The World Needs Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance,” while young practitioners carried lotus flowers.
Falun Dafa practitioners’ procession and flower boat.
The flower boat is about 16 meters (52 feet) long, 4 meters (13 feet) wide and 3 meters (9 feet) tall. Over the years, the float has been widely praised by local media and parade organizers and has won numerous awards in parades in both the U.S. and Canada.
Alaska Airlines, the sponsor of this year’s parade, video recorded footage of practitioners assembling the flower boat the day before the parade. FOX13 in Seattle interviewed the parade organizers and practitioners as they assembled the float.
The parade started at Seattle's famous Space Needle and wound through the city’s center ending near the Seattle Public Library, a total of 1.2 miles (1.9 km). Many spectators took photos of the float with their cell phones and waved to practitioners. Some people followed the exercises movements while others moved in closer to look at the magnificent float. They cheered every time the sails rose up.
The waist drum team played “Falun Dafa Is Good” and “Joyous Celebration.” Some people waved their arms or danced in time to the drumbeats. Practitioners waved to spectators after each piece ended. When the parade ended, many people surrounded the waist drum team and took pictures.
A woman asked which country the Tian Guo Marching Band was from. She was shocked to learn that, because the band members are Falun Dafa practitioners, they cannot perform in China due to the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) ongoing persecution.
After the parade ended, the flower boat returned to the starting point to pack up. Many people talked with practitioners and asked about Falun Dafa.
A woman said, “I feel very fortunate to see you in the parade.”
Mike Holland commented that Falun Dafa practitioners showcased traditional Chinese culture and said, “This is unbelievable. This is amazing.”
Jeff from Sweden said, “I like the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. I think the waist drum team was great.”
Lydia Megash said, “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance are very important principles.”
Ghislaine Fernando, said, “It seems that practitioners are all either musicians or artists. I am grateful for their performances.”
Organizers of the Penticton Peach Festival in British Columbia, Canada, invited practitioners to participate in their festival next year.
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