(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa practitioners from Medellín and nearby cities attended the popular Florecer (Festival of the Flowers) from August 5-10, 2025, and introduced Falun Dafa to local residents and visitors.
The Festival of the Flowers is the most important festival in Medellín, the second largest city in Colombia. Held in the Medellín Botanical Garden, the Festival showcases the variety and quantity of plants grown in the region, highlighting the year-round production of flowers due to the city’s temperate weather. Perennial flower production is a core part of Medellín’s culture and economy, and is celebrated each year with parades, performances, floral displays, and other colorful events. A large number of tourists, both domestic and foreign, flock to Medellín every year to experience the festivities.
According to the event’s official Instagram account, Florecer drew over 83,000 visitors this year. Despite the high demand and high prices for booths, 2025 marks the second year in a row that the organizers offered Falun Dafa practitioners a free booth. The organizers said that they were impressed by the practitioners’ selfless act of volunteering their time and giving away materials to tell the story of Falun Dafa and raise awareness of the persecution in China.
Practitioners introduced Falun Dafa to attendees during Medellín’s annual Florecer festival.
To match the floral theme of the event, practitioners gave away hand-made origami lotus flowers with Falun Dafa’s guiding principles printed on them (Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance) along with an informational flyer. While distributing the flowers and flyers, they also introduced Falun Dafa to people and told them about the ongoing persecution of the practice by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Many people wished to know more about the brutal persecution in China. They were also interested in learning more about Falun Dafa and asked where the local group exercise sites were.
Attendees at the Florecer festival learn how to make lotus flowers.
Visitors Find Joy and Tranquility
Many visitors said they enjoyed a sense of serenity and inner peace while they interacted with practitioners.
Aura said she resonated with Falun Dafa’s guiding principles.
Aura said that she did not know anything about Falun Dafa before she spoke with a practitioner. However, after she walked around the event she felt the practitioners’ booth was special. “I came across this booth at the fair and it gave me a lot of joy,” she said.
After she learned about Falun Dafa, Aura praised Dafa’s values, as well as the concept of self-cultivation and improving moral character. “I congratulate you from the bottom of my heart for this beautiful work you are doing,” she told a practitioner.
When she heard that practitioners are persecuted for their faith, Aura condemned the persecution and said it was “abusive.” She expressed her support for the practitioners in China who are still holding onto their beliefs, and encouraged them to persist in following their path. “We must have an awakening of consciousness, which could mean very difficult moments for us to move forward toward our true self,” she said.
Another visitor, Carolina said that learning how to make origami flowers was helpful and gave her a sense of calm and inner peace, which she attributes to Falun Dafa. “I think it’s an activity that benefits the soul a lot, allowing for tranquility and serenity,” she said. “I hope more people can participate in this and learn about this great meditation practice.”
Carolina said she supported Falun Dafa practitioners.
Carolina said she was touched by practitioners’ determination in their faith despite the adversities of the persecution, and she hopes the persecution ends soon so that Falun Dafa can be freely practiced in China.
Lina also expressed her admiration for Falun Dafa, which she found very enriching. She said she believes that practicing would allow her to deepen her concentration and attention. “All human beings have the right to choose the spiritual path that they like the most,” Lina said. “Cultivation practice can connect us with our inner selves, so it seems to me that it would be very good for [the CCP] to respect and take this practice into consideration.”
Lina feels that freedom of belief is very important.
People Praise the Teachings
A family of four from Mexico were visiting Medellín and wanted to learn how to make lotus flowers. They were also very interested in Falun Dafa.
A family of four from Mexico enjoyed the Falun Dafa booth
Maggie, the mother, said she was happy to learn about Falun Dafa and said the principles could benefit our morally degenerated world.
“I think that this type of practice can help us to become better people. It is important for us to share this with our children and more people,” she said. Maggie was also appalled to learn about the CCP's persecution. She said she does not understand how those who practice meditation and live according to the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance could be persecuted for no reason.
Abraham, the father, said that he also appreciated practitioners’ lifestyle. “I think this lifestyle and teachings are great. I especially appreciate that you are sharing it so that many more people can learn about it and we can build resilience around the world.” He found it very sad that there are those in the world who try to prohibit something that leads to harmony and peace in society.
Respecting Freedom of Belief
In addition to learning about Falun Dafa, many visitors to the booth were worried about the practitioners being persecuted in China and wanted to learn more about their situation.
Patricia said, “I believe that we should have freedom of expression and everyone is free to choose what they like or what they don’t like. We must start by respecting others. I never heard of Falun Dafa before, but I love it.”
Two tourists, Lina and Jerónimo, were also shocked by the CCP’s persecution of peaceful Dafa practitioners.
Tourists Lina and Jerónimo
“I didn’t know having one’s own belief could generate so much conflict and so many problems,” Lina said. Jerónimo said he found it unimaginable that in modern society some people are still being persecuted for having their own beliefs. “It is very unfair to see that we still see countries where people are forced to think just as the leader of the government thinks,” he remarked.
Mariana said, after hearing about the persecution in China, “I find it very problematic for a government to interfere in a practice that improves a person’s mind and body. Thank you for telling me about this and thank you for all your efforts.”
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