(Minghui.org) In celebration of the 2025 Mid-Autumn Festival, Falun Gong practitioners in the Greater Los Angeles area gathered at Mile Square Regional Park in Fountain Valley, Orange County on Sunday, September 21, 2025. They did the five sets of Falun Gong exercises together and wished Falun Gong’s founder, Master Li Hongzhi, a happy Mid-Autumn Festival.

Falun Gong practitioners from the Greater Los Angeles area gathered at Mile Square Regional Park in Fountain Valley, Orange County on Sunday, September 21, 2025, to extend festive greetings to Master Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Gong.

Practitioners perform the exercises as part of the day’s event

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a high-level cultivation practice of the Buddha School. It was first introduced in China by Mr. Li Hongzhi in May 1992. Dafa guides practitioners to elevate their moral character and improve their health by following the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, and has gained widespread popularity since its introduction.

Falun Gong is now practiced in more than 100 countries, with books published in 50 languages. Mr. Li Hongzhi and Falun Dafa have received over 10,000 proclamations, resolutions of support, and letters of recognition from governments around the world.

Increasing Number of People Begin Practicing

Andy Ouyang has lived in the United States for half a century after emigrating from Vietnam. He was an electronics engineer before he retired. In late 1998, his older brother introduced him to Falun Dafa. He took to it immediately and embarked on the path of cultivation. Over the years, he has diligently read Mr. Li Hongzhi’s teachings.

“Master has expounded many principles of the Fa, covering the cosmos and explaining phenomena that science cannot account for,” Mr. Ouyang said.

Before beginning cultivation practice, Ouyang suffered from various illnesses. Since embarking on cultivation practice, however, his health has been very good. “Some people ask me, ‘Do you really not take any medicine?’ I tell tell them, ‘I have no illness—why would I need medicine?’”

By practicing the five sets of exercises every day he has experienced significant physical and mental benefits. “My wife and I used to argue frequently,” he said. “When I first began practicing, she was strongly opposed. But after seeing the changes in me, she began practicing.”

Mile Square Regional Park offers a serene and peaceful environment, with a small lake at its center surrounded by lush greenery. The Falun Dafa practice site there has grown from just two practitioners to approximately 30 people each day, most of whom are Vietnamese Americans.

Mr. Ouyang explained, “Our practice site was established on May 13, 2000. Seeing the photos from that time truly moves me, because it was both World Falun Dafa Day and Master’s birthday. We began on such an auspicious day.”

Victoria Quach, a practitioner from Anaheim, recalled, “I had a friend who practiced Falun Gong. When I saw her [after she took up the practice], I noticed a significant change in her. She used to seem dissatisfied with her family and life and was always unhappy. I asked her what happened to make her so different, both inside and out.

“She gave me a book and a DVD. As I read the book, I cried. By the third time through, I thought, ‘If my house was on fire, this is the first thing I’d grab.’ I looked online to see if there were any Falun Gong practice sites in Orange County, and that’s how I found Andy Ouyang.”

Victoria said she used to practice yoga, dance, and aerobics, but could never get up early. “Now I wake up at five in the morning, do my exercises, cook for the kids, take them to school, and then go to work. Every day is like this—very healthy.”

Victoria used to volunteer for charity, distributing food to those in need, believing that helping others was doing good deeds. After practicing Falun Dafa, she realized there was still room for her to improve in living up to the practice’s higher moral standards. She has introduced Falun Dafa to her family and friends. “My entire family practices now, including my daughter who is in college.”

Complete Faith in Master and the Fa

Judy, who now lives in Los Angeles, began practicing Falun Dafa on September 6, 1996. She worked for a government agency in China and suffered from more than a dozen illnesses that made her life unbearable. “My workplace was quite considerate, reimbursing me over a thousand yuan (USD$140) monthly for medication. After I began practicing Falun Dafa, I truly achieved a state of perfect health as described in Master’s book. I had endless energy and profound joy in both mind and body,” Judy shared. “I am deeply grateful to Master. I go to the practice site every morning and evening, without missing a single day. At work, I always put others first and strove to be a good person.”

Judy used to argue frequently with her husband, but soon after she began practicing, he noticed a change in her. She said that he noticed that her temper improved and she didn’t get angry any more. He also saw that her health improved, and realized that the practice is truly effective. He told her that he also wanted to practice Falun Dafa.

In July 1999, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) launched a sweeping crackdown on Falun Gong. “I couldn’t understand why such a wonderful practice was being slandered and defamed,” said Judy. She and others petitioned in Beijing four times. “My workplace authorities forced me to choose between my practice and my job. I said, ‘I want both. My practice makes me better at my job, it benefits the government.’ In the end, they stripped me of my position.”

Judy is deeply grateful to Master Li. “The CCP persecuted me to the brink of death, and I nearly became a victim of forced organ harvesting twice. Each time I was illegally detained, I was subjected to relentless torture. It was compassionate Master who saved me again and again, allowing me to escape death each time.”

She summed up her feelings, “To endure such a treacherous environment, escape China unharmed, and witness countless incredible miracles along the way... the key lies in having complete faith in Master and the Fa.”

During this Mid-Autumn Festival, Judy extends her heartfelt wishes to Master Li for a happy and peaceful holiday.