(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa practitioners in Croatia traveled to the coastal city of Rijeka on May 9, 2026, and held an event in the city center to celebrate World Falun Dafa Day, which falls on May 13.
The event was held on Korzo Avenue, the most famous pedestrian street in Rijeka, Croatia. Both sides of the street are lined with cafes, shops, and historic buildings, blending the laid-back atmosphere of a harbor city with the charm of an old European town, and serving as a key landmark where locals and visitors gather to relax and stroll.
Practitioners set up yellow tents and displayed Falun Dafa books and flyers in more than 10 languages that introduced Falun Dafa. They demonstrated the exercises and distributed flyers to passersby, introducing Falun Dafa to pedestrians who were interested in the practice. Many pedestrians spoke with practitioners, expressed their interest in Falun Dafa cultivation, and signed the petition to support the practitioners’ efforts to end the persecution.
Falun Dafa Practitioners Introduce the Origin and Meaning of World Falun Dafa Day
A Falun Dafa practitioner named Neven introduced the practice to passersby in front of the information booth and explained the origin and purpose of celebrating World Falun Dafa Day.
On May 13, 1992, Falun Dafa’s founder, Mr. Li Hongzhi, first introduced this practice to the public in Changchun, China. This day is also Mr. Li’s birthday. Therefore, to celebrate the positive impact that Falun Dafa has had on the physical and mental well-being of millions of people worldwide, and also express their gratitude to Master Li, this day has been designated as World Falun Dafa Day since May 13, 2000.
Falun Dafa practitioners are celebrating World Falun Dafa Day.
Practitioners demonstrate the exercises while others distribute flyers and introduce the practice to passersby.
Pedestrians sign the petition calling to end the persecution.
Pedestrians Compliment the Principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance
After listening to a practitioner explaining that Falun Dafa practitioners abide by the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, an elderly man said that these are all very noble humanitarian principles and that Falun Dafa practitioners are doing a great kind deed. He also mentioned that people should revisit these principles every day, because everyone often loses themselves in all sorts of mundane problems.
He said that the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance are suitable for everyone, be it children, adults, or the elderly. He asked the practitioner to introduce the practice further and said that he would praise the practitioners’ kind acts on his radio broadcast. Following the introduction, the practitioner invited him to learn the exercises so that he could learn more about the practice.
A history and geography teacher remarked while conversing with a practitioner that she was worried about the current state of the education system and the interpersonal relationships in society. She thought that it is difficult to persist in maintaining one’s moral principles in such an environment, but Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance are important values in the youth’s education. Therefore, everyone must not forsake these principles.
People Hope to Learn More about Falun Dafa
Many pedestrians fully agreed with Falun Dafa’s principles and expressed interest in learning the exercises.
A young man, who lives in Rijeka, said that he would join the local group practice; another young man from Poreč inquired in detail, hoping to learn more about the practice. A practitioner suggested that he read the main book of Falun Dafa, Zhuan Falun.
A practitioner introduced Falun Dafa to a mother and her daughters, and gave them a handmade small lotus flower keepsake that had the words “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good” printed on it. The practitioner also provided a detailed explanation of the symbolic significance of the lotus: the lotus grows from the silt at the bottom of the lake, ultimately blossoming into a beautiful flower upon the water’s surface; when people abide by the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance and persist in being a good person, they will bring hope and a wonderful future to both themselves and others.
The mother accepted the keepsake and thanked the practitioner, saying that it was definitely not a coincidence that they met practitioners and learned about Falun Dafa. She expressed her wish to learn more about the practice.
A few pedestrians said that they had practiced Falun Dafa in the past, so encountering practitioners this time seemed like a signal reminding them to return to cultivation in Falun Dafa.
One woman shared that she had already learned the five exercises and felt that she feels more energetic now, whether it at work or at home. She also bought Falun Dafa’s main book, Zhuan Falun, and had started reading it.
People Sign the Petition to Support Ending the Persecution
A young couple said that they had heard of Falun Dafa before. The gentleman had just visited China not long ago and had seen that there were people practicing qigong in the park. When a practitioner explained to him that the CCP bans its people from cultivating in Falun Dafa, he was very surprised. He said that he had never heard of the CCP’s persecution of Falun Dafa, and he could not understand why the CCP is persecuting Falun Dafa practitioners.
A practitioner also explained to passersby how Falun Dafa practitioners are being persecuted by the CCP in China. Since 1999, this brutal persecution has been going on. After hearing this, people signed the petition to stop the CCP’s persecution.
On this day, the message of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance was being conveyed quietly along the Adriatic Coast.
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