(Minghui.org) The second Minghui Summer Camp in Romania was held from June 20 to June 28, 2026, in the Neagra Șarului township of Suceava County.
The camp was held in an area called Țara Dornelor located near Călimani National Park. It is a particularly beautiful setting, with mountains covered in fir trees and other conifers, pastures where animals graze, as well as rivers and mineral springs.
Țara Dornelor, the location of the Minghui Summer Camp held from June 20 to 28, 2026. (Minghui.org)
Organizers said the goal of the summer camp was to guide the children to learn about the importance of developing good character. Aside from simply spending time with the children, the organizers understood that educating children well is only possible with the improvement of their own character. This was a major theme throughout the week-long session.
Building Confidence in the Children’s Own Strength and Calmness
The camp program was designed to balance recreational activities, games, and free time with study, exercises, and empowerment. The priority throughout the camp was to uphold Falun Dafa’s principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance.
Children participated in the camp alongside their adult family members. A key part of their day was meditating and studying the Falun Dafa teachings. They did the Falun Dafa exercises, read from the book Zhuan Falun, and shared their cultivation experiences and insights with each other to encourage each other.
The children read from Zhuan Falun every day. (Minghui.org)
Children and adults practice the Falun Dafa exercises in a park in Vatra Dornei. (Minghui.org)
Children and adults do the exercises in Adventure Park in Gura Humorului. (Minghui.org)
The organizers planned a variety of engaging activities for the children. The first days of the camp included hiking, and swimming in the pool as a group to help everyone get to know each other better and to bond as a team. They later worked on more creative projects together, including a performance and a choir. In each of these activities, the children had to be patient with each other, listen to each other, and listen to the adults in a respectful manner. With each passing day, as they studied the teachings of Falun Dafa and did the exercises, they became more and more calm and self-controlled.
Georgiana was one of the educators at the summer camp. She said that one thing new they did this year was discuss sending forth righteous thoughts with the children. This is an exercise in Falun Dafa that helps quiet the mind and eliminate negative thoughts.
Clara at the calligraphy workshop (Minghui.org)
Clara, a 16-year-old camper, said, “I felt great at this camp! Even though the first few days weren’t easy, the only things that helped me feel better were and are the exercises, studying the Fa, and sending righteous thoughts. I now have more confidence in myself and feel stronger.”
The confidence and calmness the children built at the camp continued even after the camp was over. David, 10, shared an experience that reinforced what he had learned in the camp.
David, a camper at Minghui Summer Camp (Minghui.org)
“It was a great camp. It helped me become calm and my heart stopped being troubled. Let me tell you a story: after I finished the camp and returned to Galați, I went to karate training again. At the punching bag, when a kid hit me for no reason, I calmly asked him, ‘Why did you hit me?’ He said, ‘I just wanted to.’ I didn’t get upset and didn’t say anything. That’s what the camp helped me with,” David said.
“During the camp, I read Falun Dafa books and did the exercises. I acted in a play as the Monkey King. I ate watermelon and it was fun. I can’t wait for the next camp,” David said.
Family Members Witness a Change in the Children
Ildiko, the mother of two children—Alexandru, 12, and Leo, 8—said the atmosphere at the camp was really positive.
She also said that unlike on previous occasions when they were in a group setting, her son Leo, who has a form of autism, was much calmer and did not need as much attention. Her husband helped with activities at the camp, and Ildiko was able to participate in Fa study with other adults and practice on the waist drums.
Her daughter, Alexandru, shared her feelings: “I liked the camp because I was able to read a lot and do the exercises every day with my friends. I visited many beautiful places. I was very excited to meet the others there and I can't wait to see them again at the next camp.”
A practitioner’s extended family members also joined the camp activities. Two more families with three children came. Although these family members did not practice Falun Dafa, they happily agreed to be part of the group and participate in the artistic activities—a performance and a small choir.
One of the boys participated in Fa study with the other children and was happy to be with them. Georgiana said, “I gave him the book Zhuan Falun so that he could study too, and because he wanted to continue with online study with the children when he got home, I told him that he could take it with him, as long as he took care of it.”
The children take part in the performance “How the Monkey King Appeared.” (Minghui.org)
The choir performs “Falun Dafa is good.” (Minghui.org)
Increasing their Capacity
Despite the camp having scheduled activities every day, every adult and child was encouraged to move at their own pace and see how far they could push themselves.
Georgiana said that they adjusted the schedule to study one whole lecture of Zhuan Falun every day. With more people joining the morning exercises and Fa-study, the understandings that were shared were deeper. The adults’ perseverance also motivated the children.
Clara, one of the campers, shared that she was able to push past her limit in meditation. “One day, when we were doing the exercises with the other children, Marius told us that if we closed our eyes and focused more on the music, our hands wouldn’t hurt so much. So for exercise 5, I chose the one-hour option. I was able to sit still, my hands didn’t hurt anymore, and I felt like a different person,” she said.
This persistence also extended to challenges the children faced with some activities at the camp. While learning to play the Chinese waist drum, Clara said that she was able to be less emotional about it.
“I really liked learning to play the waist drums. Even though I got a little confused, I managed to catch the rhythm quickly and I didn’t have such big emotions like before. I managed to chase away the thoughts and illusions I had. Even now I’ve forgotten about them, but I know I had them,” she said.
Several members of the waist drum group (Minghui.org)
Cooperating in Art Study
During the camp, artworks made by Falun Dafa practitioners were displayed in the dining hall. The purpose of this small art exhibition was to visualize and analyze the painting techniques used, as well as the artists’ themes, by promoting beauty.
A small painting exhibition was set up at the Minghui summer camp to teach children about classical art. (Minghui.org)
The children and adults prepared a performance about the origin of the Monkey King, inspired by the depiction of the story in Shen Yun. They choreographed and improvised costumes, and used a laptop and projector to create the set. The children had to learn to work together as a team and also learned about the characters in the Chinese classic novel Journey to the West through this endeavor.
“At the end of the camp, we all shared our joy and gratitude that we were together for so long and that we could improve together. The children helped organize the meals, were more serious and involved, gave [Falun Dafa] flyers to people, and were more patient with each other,” Georgiana said.
Children and their companions are grateful for the fulfilling experience. (Minghui.org)
After returning home, the children decided that during their summer vacation they would study more online together, stay in closer contact with each other, and help each other remember the lessons they learned together at the camp.
“Recently, I have noticed a difference between how I look in pictures taken at school or in other contexts and those taken at this camp. In the pictures from the camp, I look happier, and my face is more serene. After the camp, I was able to stop spending so much time on my phone, and I was able to admit my mistakes. I enjoy it every time I come to the camp,” Clara said.
