(Minghui.org) As spring arrives in the Southern Hemisphere, people in Australia are attending all kinds of cultural festivals to enjoy the beautiful, warm weather and entertainment. Practitioners participated in several festivals near Sydney on September 7 and 8, 2024. They joined a parade and set up booths to introduce Falun Dafa and tell people about the ongoing persecution in China.
Many festival-goers stopped at the practitioners’ booths to learn more about Falun Dafa. In two days, over 60 people signed up for the teaching sessions of the exercises.
Festival and Street Fair in Willoughby
The Tian Guo Marching Band participated in the parade at Emerge Festival held by the city of Willoughby on September 7. Many spectators cheered and took photos when they heard the band’s lively performances.
The Tian Guo Marching Band participated in the parade at Emerge Festival in Willoughby on September 7.
People stopped at the Falun Dafa booth at Emerge Festival to learn about the practice and the ongoing persecution in China.
Two Falun Dafa practitioners demonstrated the meditation exercise at Emerge Festival in Willoughby on September 7.
The Emerge Festival is one of the largest arts and cultural festivals north of Sydney. Over 140 booths participated in the street fair this year. Many came to the Falun Dafa booth and were interested in the practice. A person invited practitioners to his church to introduce the practice and teach the exercises. A medical chief at a nursing home expressed interest to learn the exercises and invited practitioners to teach the elderly residents the exercises.
Mathuri Manda and her son stopped at the Falun Dafa booth.
Mathuri Manda saw the Falun Dafa booth during the festival last year, and this year she told practitioners she wanted to learn how to practice. “I kept telling my child I came here because I wanted to get more information about Falun Dafa,” she said.
Mathuri believes that if everyone behaves according to the principles of Falun Dafa: Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, “It will definitely benefit our society, and everyone will have peace of mind.” She especially thinks that being truthful is important, “Truthfulness is so important. People nowadays often lie about small things. We need to be good examples and teach our children to be honest.”
She encouraged practitioners to continue their efforts to end the persecution of Falun Dafa in China, “The government shouldn’t suppress the practice because it benefits people’s mental and physical fitness.”
She enjoyed the Tian Guo Marching Band’s performance and said, “It’s wonderful!”
Mid-Autumn Festival in Cabramatta
The city of Cabramatta held it’s annual celebration of one of the most important and traditional festivals in Asia - the Moon Festival. The Cabramatta Moon Festival on September 8 is filled with colors and energy and represents the Southeast Asian communities. Practitioners set up a booth at the festival to tell people about Falun Dafa and expose the Chinese regime’s 25-year-long persecution.
People who attended the Cabramatta Moon Festival on September 8 learned about the principles of Falun Dafa and the exercises.
Among the musical performances, authentic cuisine, and Dancing Chinese Dragon, the visitors noticed the practitioners’ calming music and exercise demonstrations. Many learned the exercises and said they experienced relaxing energy and peace. Some wished to continue doing the exercises and said they would join practitioners at Cabravale Park.
Stacy Le praised the principles of Falun Dafa. “I agree with the principles a hundred percent. Everyone needs Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance, and we will have a better world (if everyone practices it),” she said.
Stacy never heard about Falun Dafa before. A practitioner told her that more than 100 million people in China practiced Falun Dafa from 1992 to 1999. The then-Chinese leader Jiang Zemin decided to suppress the practice out of jealousy over the popularity of the practice. Stacy said that it was horrible. “I think it’s wrong, and it shouldn’t have happened,” “We should stop the Chinese regime’s persecution,” she said.
Pesamino Aukusitino stopped at the Falun Dafa booth at the Cabramatta Moon Festival on September 8, 2024.
Pesamino Aukusitino watched practitioners as they did the exercises for a while, and then asked if they could teach him. After learning the first exercise, he said, “It feels great, very relaxing.” He wished to continue learning them. When he heard about the persecution he said, “We need to end it as soon as possible.”
Spring Festivals
Practitioners also participated in the annual St. Mary’s Spring Festival in Penrith and the Springwood Spring Festival in the Blue Mountains, which has been held annually for the past 30 years.
Visitors at the Springwood Spring Festival in New South Wales stopped at the Falun Dafa booth on September 7, 2024.
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