1/31/2012

Family and Friends Amazed by Shen Yun's Performance in Escondido, California (Photo)

By a Clearwisdom reporter

(Clearwisdom.net) Shen Yun Performing Arts New York Company completed its five-show run at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido, in the San Diego area, on January 22, 2012. The final performance on Sunday, along with several prior shows, was sold out well in advance.

Among the lucky audience members at the Sunday matinee was a group of family and friends from the local area, including Joan Ho, her friend Toni Day, her daughter Eudoria Lee, and Eudoria's friend Adelyn Chan. Delighted with their experience, the women were happy to discuss their impressions of and personal takeaways from the show.

Toni Day, Joan Ho, Eudoria Lee, and Adelyn Chan took in the Shen Yun performance at the California Center for the Arts in Escondido on January 22, 2012.
“They are sharing the cultural heritage and the beauty of the fact that there is hope.”

Ms. Ho grew up in Hong Kong and holds undergraduate and post-graduate degrees from U.S. institutions. She has taught science and foreign languages in high school and college for over 20 years, and has been active in promoting Asian performing and cultural arts in schools and the community, especially in the San Diego area.

Ms. Ho was deeply touched by the spiritual content of Shen Yun's program, which aims to revive the rich, divinely inspired cultural heritage of China dating back thousands of years. Along with taking the audience on an unforgettable journey through diverse dynasties, regions, and ethnicities of historical China, the program highlights the struggle that people face in modern China, where freedom of religious and spiritual belief has been harshly suppressed by the communist regime for over 60 years.

One of the dances entitled, “The Choice,” for example, alludes to the persecution of the followers of Falun Dafa, a peaceful meditation practice rooted in the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance. Having known about Falun Dafa prior to seeing the show, Ms. Ho said, “I really strongly believe that they should have the right and freedom to practice their religious practice and belief. ... The truth is, this group is being persecuted in China, and I deeply feel for them.”

Ms. Ho continued, “From my perspective, [Shen Yun] is not just here to present the artistic skills, they are not just here to present the musical culture of China. I think the underlying message they are trying to share with the audience and all of us is that they are speaking up in a peaceful manner to the world and to China, to us, for human rights and the freedom for Chinese people in mainland China and everywhere to practice freedom of thinking, freedom of artistic expression.”

“I think it’s from the depth of the heart and soul that they are sharing the cultural heritage and the beauty of the fact that there is hope. I think that’s so important, because right now people in China cannot see, cannot feel, and I wish them the best,” she added.

“It is truly an amazing experience!”

Ms. Ho's daughter, Eudoria Lee, is a senior in high school, born and raised in southern California by parents from Hong Kong and Taiwan. With a background already rich in diversity, Ms. Lee was delighted to learn more about traditional Chinese culture, and provided her own feedback after the show.

“My parents wanted me to know about my own culture, so I enjoy reading about the Chinese classical legends and stories, but I had never seen such a grand production of authentic Chinese culture like Shen Yun Performing Arts,” she said. “I am glad that I came, because I am [now] more than ever inspired to learn more about Chinese history, Chinese classics, and cultural traditions and arts.”

“I really liked the artists' sincerity and authenticity in conveying messages of love, loyalty to family and country, and upholding the value of righteousness for the hope for spiritual and artistic freedom, to bring about a more peaceful world,” Ms. Lee added. “I have waited for four years to see the show and I finally had a chance to see it. It is truly an amazing experience, to be remembered! The young dance artists [of Shen Yun] are my model and inspiration!”

Ms. Lee's friend and classmate Adelyn Chan has a particular interest in video and film, and “loved the cinematic backdrop” featured in the Shen Yun production. Finding the show to be a highly memorable experience, she drew inspiration from it for her own future endeavors.

“Although I am Chinese and my parents came from Hong Kong and I go to Chinese school, I have not been exposed to such fine artistic cultural presentations and it is an awfully powerful experience I will never forget,” she said. “It will have an impact in my art, since I want to be a graphic artist someday.”

“What an inspirational group of artists, who speak to the hearts of all people!”

Toni Day, a retired U.S. government worker, had lived in Taiwan for three years and has a keen interest in Chinese culture. “What extraordinarily talented musicians, ingenious choreographers, [and] gifted dancers performing with grace and virtuosity! What exquisite and colorful costumes and backdrops that captivated audience imagination from start to finish with finesse!” she enthused.

“The original composition of the Eastern and Western music is quite amazingly well blended and pleasing to listen to,” she added, referring to Shen Yun Orchestra's unique synchronization of traditional Chinese instruments with Western philharmonic base.

Ms. Day lauded what she saw as setting this show apart, “Shen Yun is able to capture the finest art form, expressed through music and dance, that delightfully unfolds the history and culture of China with dazzling scenes and stories. What is unique about [the Shen Yun artists] is that they all gave their spirits and souls to perform with one mind, one heart, and oneness at the highest caliber artistically.”

“I admire these young people with Chinese heritage, who have made such a commitment to work diligently and persistently to uphold their ideals of traditional Chinese culture and values, and devote their time and life to share such an amazing wealth of cultural and spiritual heritage with all people around the world. What comes through in their performances are their sincere belief and hope for religious and artistic freedom of expression, as well as their calls for spiritual revival of Chinese cultural traditions,” she continued.

Ms. Day concluded with high praise and a message for Shen Yun performers, “What an inspirational group of artists, who speak to the hearts of all people because these traditional values they hold dear to their hearts are universal to us all! Your mission to inspire people to search [for] the heavenly values is far more worthy of our efforts, to search for above-the-material things of this world. You have given us gifts of inspiration to take away. Thank you again for your dedication, and keep up with your spirit of hope! Good luck in your endeavors!”

Shen Yun Performing Arts has three equally large companies that tour the world simultaneously with the mission to revive the 5,000 years of divinely inspired, traditional heritage of China. Shen Yun will be performing in Kansas City Missouri, Augusta Georgia, Eugene Oregon, Cincinnati Ohio, Park City Utah, and Vancouver Canada, in the week of January 31-February 5, 2012. For more information, visit http://www.ShenYunPerformingArts.org.

Posting date: 1/31/2012 
Category: Reports on Shen Yun

Nuremberg, Germany: Calling for an End to the Persecution (Photo)


(Clearwisdom.net) Falun Gong practitioners from Nuremberg, Germany, often hold activities in front of St. Lawrence's Church, calling for an end to the persecution of Falun Gong in China. Last weekend, they came here again, holding banners and collecting signatures from passersby.


Practitioners hold banners in the snow in front of St. Lawrence's Church, Nuremberg

Although it was snowing, many people stopped by and signed the petition to show their support for an end to the 12-year persecution in China.

Posting date: 1/31/2012
Category: Community Events
Chinese version available at
 http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2012/1/30/德国法轮功学员在风雪中呼吁制止迫害(图)-252535.html

1/28/2012

Shen Yun Receives High Accolades from Accomplished Performers in Ballet, the Arts and Hollywood

By a Clearwisdom reporter


(Clearwisdom.net) Shen Yun Performing Arts concluded its five-show run in the Greater Los Angeles area, the epicenter of the entertainment industry and home to Hollywood, on Saturday, January 14, 2012, receiving much praise from celebrities, artists, and the general public. This was Shen Yun’s eighth visit to Los Angeles since 2006.

Based in New York, Shen Yun Performing Arts consists of three companies that tour the world simultaneously each year with the mission to revive China’s divinely inspired, traditional cultural heritage. Integrating story-based classical and ethnic Chinese dance, masterful vocal solos, live orchestra and animated backdrops, Shen Yun’s 2012 production takes the audience on a colorful, soulful and educational journey through five thousand years of Chinese civilization, from antiquity to contemporary China.

Shen Yun performed two shows at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Orange County, California, on January 11-12, followed by three performances at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles on January 13-14. All five performances were sold out.

Over 11,000 people attended the Shen Yun performances in the Los Angeles area. Many audience members indicated that they looked forward to seeing Shen Yun return to the region next year. Several also asked for advance notice to make sure that they could secure the much-sought-after tickets for their family and friends next time around.

Renowned Actress: “I’m sure everyone around the world will want to see this show”


Actress Ms. Carole Wells with friend at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on January 14, 2012. (Courtesy of SOH Radio Network)

Renowned actress Carole Wells, whose decades-long career includes many accomplishments in television, movies and publishing, found Shen Yun inspiring. “It’s so inspiring, because besides the visual beauty, the story is good—because it does tell the sad side of what’s happened in China, along with the happy side,” she said after the Saturday matinee, according to The Epoch Times. Along with a dazzling display of historical and cultural diversity of China, Shen Yun presents several stories set in contemporary China, highlighting the ongoing suppression of Falun Dafa, a spiritual meditation practice, by the Chinese communist regime.

“It’s very special, and I think everyone should see it, and I’m happy to see so many Chinese people here seeing it,” said Ms. Wells of the production. “I’m sure everyone around the world will want to see this show.”

Artists, Celebrities and Public Praise Shen Yun


Actor Drew Carey at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on January 14, 2012. (Courtesy of The Epoch Times)


“The artistry is really fantastic,” said celebrity comedian and TV star Drew Carey, who attended the Saturday matinee, bringing along eight of his friends, according to The Epoch Times. “Those are spectacular dancers.”

Musician and composer Mr. Richard Leach, who has performed with such music legends as Ray Charles, Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra, described the Saturday evening performance as “breathtaking,” according to the paper. Noting the “wonderful music” and the “great orchestration,” Mr. Leach was also taken with the vocal soloists featured in the performance. “I liked the singing, the sopranos, the words on the screen [translations of the lyrics sung in Chinese]. Those messages were very profound,” he said.

Mr. Stephen Lenske, a lawyer attending the Friday evening performance, thought “the dancers were magnificent” and the stories presented through the dance “very interesting.” He was also impressed by the “beautiful costumes,” “beautiful backdrops and fantastic music,” noting that “the transitioning between the video [digital backdrop] and the dancers was excellent” and “the precision was absolutely outstanding.”


Ms. Victoria Ananyan at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on January 14, 2012. (Courtesy of The Epoch Times)
Ms. Victoria Ananyan, a soloist ballerina with San Francisco Ballet, was so taken with Shen Yun on Friday night that she returned to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion the very next day to see the performance again, reported The Epoch Times. “I got really inspired, and I had to come back and see the show once again,” she said, calling the performance “awesome” and “spectacular.”

“I want to recommend everybody watch [Shen Yun],” Ms. Ananyan added.

Posting date: 1/17/2012
Category: Reports on Shen Yun

Shen Yun: A Heavenly Experience for Mississauga, Canada, Audience Members (Photos)


(Clearwisdon.net) Shen Yun’s five-show run at the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga, Canada, from January 19-22 evoked thunderous applause and lavish praise from audience members.

二零一二年一月十九日至二十二日,美国神韵国际艺术团再次莅临加拿大第六大城市密西沙加市,在生活艺术中心上演了五场神韵晚会。
Shen Yun’s five-show run at the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga, Canada from January 19-22
Diplomat discovers China’s heart in Shen Yun

加勒比海国驻多伦多资深外交官菲利普斯先生表示,我从节目中看到了对神、对创世主坚定的信仰
Mr. Phillips, a diplomat stationed in Canada from a Caribbean country, said Shen Yun opened his eyes to China's ethnic diversity and true spiritual heritage.


Mr. Phillips, a diplomat posted to Canada from a Caribbean country, said that Shen Yun was “beautiful.”

“I thoroughly enjoyed it. It gives a completely different picture of China and the rich culture that this nation possesses. And what is also interesting is the spiritual overtones that comes through with each performance; very rich, very powerful, very interesting,” he said.

“I see a strong belief in God, in the creator, and in the fact that he is really in charge of whatever is happening and he determines the end. He’s in charge of the last events, and deliverance will come for mankind.”

He continued, “It tells me, therefore, that the Chinese have had a strong heritage of belief in a divine being who is creator and also the controller of the universe.

“I will recommend this performance to anyone. It gives a better understanding of Chinese culture and of the Chinese nation as a whole. … It’s really unfortunate that these performances cannot be performed in China.”

While the forms of Chinese dance are being staged in China, the connotations originally invoked by this art form are absent, notes Shen Yun’s website.

“Today, on the surface, the Chinese Communist Party claims to be reviving traditional Chinese culture. But no matter how its efforts are framed, they are ineffectual. For the Chinese Communist Party removes the cultural essence of respect for the divine, thereby extracting the heart and soul of traditional Chinese culture. Shen Yun seeks to revive these virtues the world over,” it reads.

For Mr. Phillips, Shen Yun was not only an introduction to true Chinese culture, but also a reminder of the deeper meaning of life.

“In spite of what the world is going through at this time, which seems to be economic gloom and natural calamities, there is hope because God is in charge, which gives you courage to face the future knowing that the future is not left to man’s imaginations or man’s doings, but to the workings of a divine being.”

China’s diverse ethnicities


Mr. Phillips commented on the different Chinese ethnicities presented in the show, saying that they were an eye-opening and memorable experience for him.

“Sometimes one gets the impression that all China is one, but there are different groups that possess their own unique culture, which contributes to the rich nature of the country.

“I will recommend this show for anyone who wants to understand Chinese culture better—the wide diversity and the hugeness of this nation.”

Beyond the subject of the dances, he was also impressed with the caliber of the performance.

“I think it was excellent. I’m certainly impressed, as I said, with the discipline, the professionalism, and the kind of perfection that goes into it. I’m impressed and I enjoyed it,” he said.

“The orchestra was wonderful. I think the music and the performances were just in perfect harmony. And the variety of instruments, you know it was just impressive that everything was so harmonized.

“The costumes were very colorful. Quite a lot of thought, imagination, and creativity, went into the production of those costumes. There was a costume for just about every performance which I think was quite impressive and it must have demanded quite a lot of creativity to do that,” noted Mr. Phillips.

“The show is great, it is a wonderful performance. It really demonstrates great discipline and everything was performed with grace.”

Actress and ballerina: Shen Yun is an ‘amazing experience’

电影制片人、Knightscove
Actress and ballet dancer Brittany Bristow (left); her father, Leif (right); and mother, writer Agnes Bristow (center), attended the Shen Yun Performing Arts on Sunday Jan. 22.

Actress and classically trained ballet dancer Brittany Bristow attended the Shen Yun show to get a deeper appreciation for the artists’ talent, and for the challenging techniques in classical Chinese dance.

“I just appreciate it so much because I know how much precision it takes, how much practice, and just how difficult it is. I’m a classically trained ballet dancer, but I can’t imagine studying [classical] Chinese dance. It's remarkable,” she said.

‘They’re just phenomenal dancers’


“There’s a beautiful power to the men and women in the troupe. They’re just phenomenal dancers.”

Ms. Bristow, who sees the show every year, attended Shen Yun with her father, Leif, and mother, screenwriter Agnes Bristow. She said it’s obvious the Shen Yun performers have a deep passion and commitment to their craft.

“I was lucky this time. I got to sit very close and you feel how much those dancers love what they do, and how much they love sharing their story,” she said.

“It's just beautiful to watch, they’re so passionate and expressive.”

Ms. Bristow chose to see the show for a second time because of the diversity of ideas and themes presented through the dances and costuming.

“I think a lot of why it’s so enjoyable is how colorful it is. There’s so many different types of dance within it. There’s the happier dances and the sad, and the dances explaining some of Chinese history and the fairytales,” she said.

“I love the costuming, I think it’s absolutely stunning. The colors are brilliant. It’s not very often that you get to see such extravagant costuming in a performance and it’s beautiful. I loved all of them.”

One dance that stood out for her was a dance called “Snowflakes Welcoming Spring.”

In this folk dance, the performers use sequined handkerchief “snowflakes” as continuously-twirling props to capture the mood of a season’s transition.

“I loved the snowflakes—that was a beautiful, beautiful piece. I loved the handwork and the intricate handwork of the snowflakes themselves. I was sort of captivated trying to figure out how they were doing everything. That was beautiful.”

“Its an amazing experience and a beautiful display of artwork. It was a wonderful gift,” she concluded.

Soprano ‘blown away from the moment the curtain rose’

来自加拿大西部的女高音歌唱家阿德莉娅‧麦卡洛克为神韵歌唱家的演唱所感动
After seeing the acclaimed classical Chinese dance and music production on Friday night at the Living Arts Centre, soprano and vocal teacher Adria McCulloch was deeply moved.

When soprano and vocal teacher Adria McCulloch was given a ticket by one of her students to see the Shen Yun Performing show, she had no idea what to expect.

But after seeing the acclaimed classical Chinese dance and music production, she was deeply moved.

“Absolutely loved it,” said Ms. McCulloch.

“I was just blown away from the moment the curtain rose. The costumes are just breathtaking, the dancing is just phenomenal, and the singing and the music was just so beautiful, and it was really, really emotionally moving.”

Ms. McCulloch teaches in Toronto, holds a Master of Music degree, and has performed with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Regina Philharmonic Chorus, and Cowtown Opera. After hearing the vocal soloists of Shen Yun, Ms. McCulloch had a burst of warm praise to give.

‘They use incredible technique, that’s opera’

“They use incredible technique, that’s opera, it’s a really authentic vibration that comes from the core, and they obviously believed in what they were singing, and their connection to the text was especially powerful and moving and just really created a lovely overall shape. It was beautiful,” she said.

The singers perform original compositions in the Chinese Mandarin language using the bel canto operatic singing technique, grasping its highly difficult technical requirements while retaining the proper Chinese articulation and diction.

Although the lyrics are displayed in Chinese with English translation on the backdrop, she said that was not important for her.

“Honestly, I wasn’t even watching the lyrics, because I didn’t need to, because they emote so well with their vocal color and their performance … To be honest, I couldn’t take my eyes off of them, so I didn’t need to look at the translation.”

She said she believes she understood the songs even without knowing the language.

“I think they were trying to emote a beauty from within—a beauty and a truth—and that it comes from a divine light.”

In its spiritual core, Chinese culture embraces the values of benevolence, honor, propriety, wisdom, sincerity, and a deep reverence for the gods and the heavens, something that strongly resonated with Ms. McCulloch.

“I think it’s really important to have that connection, and I think that music and the fine arts especially are sort of the highest form of praise for that type of emotion, for that type of feeling,” she said.

She added, “In saying that fine art is the highest art form for praising that type of feeling, I believe that the voice is the direct link to the emotional center and their authenticity in performing with their voices, I was just blown away. It was beautiful.”

Ms. McCulloch was also fascinated by the Shen Yun Orchestra, a unique fusion with a Western philharmonic orchestra.

“They’re incredible. They’re just incredible,” she said of the musicians. “It was really beautiful. I loved hearing the unison strings, the European strings, and then I loved the color that the traditional Chinese instruments added to that. They blend, yet they don’t blend, but it’s really interesting!”

Exciting energy of the colors

Commenting on the costumes of the dancers, Ms. McCulloch expressed how impressed she was by the brilliant colors and designs.

“I think [the colors] really added to the drama on stage because it was almost very jovial … It was really fun. It was really exciting energy that it brought,” she said.

“The colors were incredible,” she added. “A few times there I thought my retinas were going to explode in my head, and the color choices were just so tasteful and interesting. They were beautiful.”

She also took special notice of the “water sleeves” used in classical Chinese dance and “how [the dancers] incorporated their costumes into the dance moves, like an extension of their arms.”

The sleeves linger in the air after a movement is finished, producing a trailing-ripples or fluttering-wings effect.

It was Ms. McCulloch’s first time seeing classical Chinese dance, and its rich expressive power stood out for her, especially the lovely postures and hand gestures of the dancers.

“It’s beautiful. I watched their hands … their hands are just so beautiful and I can see that there were different postures that they were using, and I saw them repeated throughout,” she said. “I’m really excited to learn more about that, specifically what their positions mean. It was just so fluid.”

Authentic stories

A hallmark of Shen Yun is its mini-drama pieces inspired by stories and legends that span Chinese history from the Yellow Emperor through the Tang and Song dynasties up to the modern day.

Some of the story-based dances tell of the persecution of the practitioners of the Falun Dafa spiritual faith by the communist regime in contemporary China.

Those were the pieces that spoke to Ms. McCulloch the most.

“Overall, the pieces that I enjoyed the most were the pieces of religious persecution. I thought that they were particularly authentic and really tragic and moving and I just, I can’t believe it … I really will take that away with me,” she said.

‘Spectacular, breathtaking, just beautiful, pure magic’

She said the dancers and other performers showed conviction and shared something everyone could identify with in their hopes to an end to spiritual suppression.

“It’s really important for everyone to come together and identify that and witness that and talk about it, and express that, and try to change that,” she said.

“Spectacular, breathtaking, just beautiful, pure magic,” said Ms. McCulloch.

Writer: ‘I always enjoy traditional Chinese culture’

Also in the audience was writer Agnes Bristow, a big fan of traditional culture.

“I thought the costumes were phenomenal,” she said.

“I thought the pacing of it was very good. I love the choreography, it has such a nice, gentle flow to everything, and I like the graphics,” Mrs. Bristow said after the performance.

“I think it’s very professional,” added Mrs. Bristow, who has seen Shen Yun several times and attended Sunday’s performance with her husband, Leif Bristow, a film producer and director, and their daughter, Brittany, an actress and dancer.

“I always enjoy the traditional Chinese culture. It’s really nice—it’s really refreshing to see that. I always, always enjoy it, and this year, actually, many family members came out to see it as well and they really enjoyed it.”

Mrs. Bristow co-wrote Blizzard, a 2003 movie starring Christopher Plummer, Whoopi Goldberg, and her daughter, Brittany.

She was particularly impressed by Shen Yun’s unique animated backdrops that often act as an extension of the pieces being played out on stage.

“I think it really adds so much character to the show, because you get more of a fuller picture of what’s going on.

“With the characters in the background and the way it transforms, like with the Monkey King you’ve got the mountain and the stone, and it just progressively comes, reaching out to the audience, and by the time it gets to the stage you see the real-life character emerge from that and I thought that was quite brilliantly done,” she said.

Shen Yun endeavors to renew the ancient Chinese heritage through dance and music that is true to the culture’s deep spiritual essence with its values of compassion, propriety, wisdom, honor, and reverence for the gods and the heavens.

“I always find it fascinating, the whole concept of good and evil and the contradictions between those two forces, and I think the show depicts the good triumphing over the evil forces that compromise us and interfere with our ability to have happiness in our lives,” said Mrs. Bristow.

“I think that certainly is the message I get from the show, that if you have purity in your heart and your spirit and in the way you conduct life, that you will triumph in the end. That’s what I get from it and I think that’s a good message.”

She concluded, “I think it’s wonderful, really enjoyed it, so I’m really glad we came.”

Chinese supermarket owner: ‘The most exhilarating performance ever!’

Mr. Lin, a large supermarket owner, attended the show with his wife.

“From the beginning to the end of this performance, I felt inspired and perfectly at peace. I've watched many movies and TV shows in my life, but none can compare to what I saw today” he enthused.

“This show is like a breath of fresh air, I'm really excited.

“The dancing was like a crystal, clear spring water, making me feel thoroughly refreshed; the music, it was as if I was listening to it in a heavenly palace; the backdrop was even more natural than watching three-dimensional movies, the scenery and landscape were very real; and the historical stories, it seems like I’ve known them before, but today is the first time that I understand their inner meaning.”

“China's 5,000 years of traditional culture is worthwhile for us to pass on, carry on, and promote. I'm proud to be Chinese!”

Posting date: 1/28/2012
Category: Reports on Shen Yun
Chinese version available at
 http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2012/1/24/神韵再临加拿大密市-五场爆满-一票难求-图--252291.html

1/19/2012

Brisbane, Australia: Condemning the Persecution of Falun Gong on World Human Rights Day (Photo)


By Xinning Chen, Clearwisdom correspondent

(Clearwisdom.net) On December 10, 2011, World Human Rights Day, Falun Gong practitioners held two events in Brisbane, Australia, to call for an end to Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s persecution of Falun Gong.


法轮功学员在澳洲布里斯本广场(Brisbane
Falun Gong practitioners held an event on Brisbane Square to condemn the persecution in China

Human Rights Day is celebrated annually all over the world on December 10 to honor the United Nations General Assembly's adoption and proclamation, on December 10, 1948, of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). This year, practitioners in Brisbane held a morning event in Chinatown to expose the CCP persecution and promote withdrawing from the CCP and its affiliated organizations.

A bus carrying Chinese tourists stopped near the practitioners’ activity. Some of the tourists smiled and others were curious. Practitioners talked to them to let them know the facts and encourage them to quit the CCP.

One practitioner stood beside the bus and talked with the tourists. He said that more and more Chinese people now know the facts, “There's been a very big change. A couple of years ago, some people that did not understand cursed us and even wanted to attack us. This is a free country. Our events are legal. They did not dare to actually attack us. Now it is quite different. Many people have gradually learned the facts. They want to hear the explanations and look at the posters. I think more and more people will stay away from the CCP.”

The afternoon event to call for an end of human rights persecution in China was held on Brisbane Square.

It was the peak shopping season before Christmas, and there were many passersby. Some practitioners demonstrated the exercises, some distributed informational materials, and others collected signatures. Many people signed the petition calling for an end to the persecution.

A practitioner who participated in the event said, “Falun Gong practitioners are being persecuted in China. The CCP still harvests vital organs from living Falun Gong practitioners for lucrative profits. We are here today to tell everyone that China’s human rights are being trampled. We want everyone all over the world to know the facts about the persecution.”

Posting date: 12/18/2011
Category: Community Events
Chinese version available at
 http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2011/12/15/布里斯本学员国际人权日谴责中共迫害(图)-250585.html

Taiwan: Practitioners in Yilan Wish Teacher a Happy Chinese New Year (Photos)


By Tang En

(Clearwisdom.net) On January 15, 2012, several days before the Chinese New Year, practitioners from Yilan County gathered in Luodong Sports Park and did the Falun Dafa exercises together. They had a group photo taken and sincerely wished Teacher a happy Chinese New Year.


Practitioners in Yilan, Taiwan, wish Revered Master a happy Chinese New Year


Practitioners from Yilan County exercise together in Luodong Sports Park

Wholeheartedly Grateful to Teacher after Regaining Healthy Bodies and Minds

The air was crisp after an afternoon shower. These practitioners, who have benefited so much from practicing Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, felt their hearts glow. As the Chinese New Year approaches, they feel especially grateful for Teacher’s grace.

Falun Dafa is spread mainly by word of mouth. Many people became practitioners after witnessing family members regain their health due to the practice. Mr. Chen is a dentist. He used to have chronic depression and insomnia. They both disappeared after he practiced Falun Dafa. His wife, Ms. Zhuo, is a nurse. She began to practice in 1999. Mr. Chen’s father is a businessman and had practiced many kinds of qigong after he retired. After seeing Mr. Chen benefit from the practice, his father, who was 70 years old at the time, learned Falun Dafa as well and soon his heart problems were healed.

Mr. Zeng is a retired teacher from a vocational high school. He and his entire family practice Falun Dafa. His wife, Ms. Yu, had severe migraines. Her symptoms were aggravated by even a tiny sound. Her migraines improved significantly a week after she started to practice Falun Gong and her problems with her autonomic nervous system were gone. She never used to attend her husband’s school activities but now she attends most of them. Ms. Yu’s two sisters and her daughter have also been practiticing for many years.

Mr. Zhang began to practice Falun Dafa in 1999 after his brother-in-law told him about the practice. Before he started, Mr. Zhang frequently felt generally unwell and had a hard time breathing. When the symptoms got worse, he felt as if he were going to die. He went to different hospitals, but they could not find anything wrong with him. Three months after he began the practice, he was completely healthy. His wife and two children all became practitioners.

Posting date: 1/19/2012
Category: Greetings
Chinese version available at
 http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2012/1/17/臺灣宜蘭學員集體煉功-向師父拜年(圖)-251942.html

True Happiness Is Found the Moment We Discover Dafa



By Yi Jiayan

(Clearwisdom.net)

"Oh how many years we wandered, Oh how many years we waited. Today our hearts rejoice, Today our spirits awaken. Behold! Behold! Behold! The time has come. Oh how many years were we lost, Oh how many years of seeking. Today we know, Today we shout in exultation. Behold! Behold! Behold! The Falun is turning. Behold the Truth, Behold the Compassion; Behold the Tolerance, Heaven and earth set right!" The lyrics of "The Law Mends the Cosmos"

When the renowned Chinese tenor Mr. Guan Guimin sang the song "The Law Mends the Cosmos," many Falun Gong practitioners could relate well to the lyrics. After all, they no longer "wandered" or "waited" after they found Dafa. It might have been the moment when they attended the Falun Gong classes taught by Mr. Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Gong. It might have been the moment when they read Zhuan Falun, Falun Gong's main text, for the first time. It might have been the moment when they learned to practice the Falun Gong exercises.

Mr. Xiao Yue, a practitioner from China, obtained tickets for Falun Gong classes from his father in January 1994. When he met Mr. Li Hongzhi for the first time, his first thought was, "I shall follow him!" He described the feeling of an orphan that had finally found his mother. He felt happy, safe, warm and joyous. However, Mr. Xiao Yue had some regrets. "I was completely mesmerized by Teacher's lectures. I always wished that Teacher would speak more. Falun Gong unfolded a brand new world to me that I had been longing for. In hindsight, that was a joyous period of time. Since then I have veered away from striving for fame and self-interest. Falun Gong healed my traumatized heart, as well as my physical illnesses. I started a new beginning in life. Teacher pulled me out of the tainted world and cleansed my soul. He has led and guided me on a path to purity. I felt I must have done three lifetimes of good deeds to earn the wonderful fortune of finding Falun Gong!"

Mr. Ma Rao, a resident of Singapore, recalled his experience of attending Mr. Li Hongzhi's Falun Gong classes. "I saw Teacher for the first time in 1994. I attended his class in Yanji from August 20 to 27. After Teacher finished the lectures and addressed all the questions, he gave a speech and then suddenly started making big hand signs. In that instant I felt as though something had hit me. My eyes became warm and they welled up with tears. I did not know why I was so touched, but I thought from now on I have a Teacher."

A Chinese student in Michigan, USA went to New York in March 1997 and listened to Mr. Li Hongzhi's lecture. That was when he finally met the Teacher he had admired for so long. Teacher was able to use common language to explain the structure of the universe from the microscopic to the macroscopic level. Although the Chinese student could not comprehend it completely, he was very touched with Teacher's great wisdom and compassion. He has been practicing Falun Gong ever since.

Many people had the great fortune to attend Teacher's Falun Gong classes in person, but even more people decided to practice Falun Gong after reading Zhuan Falun.

One person said, "When I came across a passage in Zhuan Falun, I suddenly realized it pertained to me. I was instantly steered to the right path from the wrong one I had strayed to for years. I finally found Falun Gong and I was overjoyed. I laughed from the bottom of my heart. I could not contain myself. I laughed so hard that I woke my wife up. She asked what was wrong with me. I told her, 'I received a book from heaven. I finally found the Buddha Fa.' Tears flooded my face while I laughed, and I was overjoyed beyond words."

This is the happy memory of a man from China who called himself by the nickname of Qing Feng. He was a renowned qigong master in the 80's in China, but he did not understand any high-level cultivation. Little by little, his complexion grew sickly. Dark circles around his eyes grew increasingly severe. While he was feeling lost, two of his friends who used to practice qigong introduced Falun Gong to him at the end of 1994. They loaned him a copy of Zhuan Falun. That night Qing Feng started studying it after his family went to bed. It was the very first time he had studied the Buddha Fa. He felt as though Zhuan Falun was written just for him because he found answers in every lecture of the book. He felt joy from the bottom of his heart. He could not contain his laughter and tears. He laughed and cried while he read the book. He began to practice Falun Gong and entered a new world.

There are countless such examples.

Ouyang Qiyan, an elderly man from China, borrowed Zhuan Falun from an acquaintance at the beginning of 1998. A week later he told the lender excitedly, “At our age we might not have read 10,000 books, but we must have read several thousand, yet I have never read such a great book. Zhuan Falun is extraordinary!”

In the fall of 2003, Gui Xin, a Falun Gong practitioner from China, obtained Gyeokamyurok, a book of prophecy written by Korean monk Nam Sa-go around the same time as Nostradamus, while she was shopping in a traditional market in China. She was drawn to the part that refers to Falun Gong and Mr. Li Hongzhi. She found a copy of Zhuan Falun and read it from cover to cover. She felt no words could describe her feelings. She felt the book touched her soul. She made up her mind to follow Falun Gong's principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and to become a better person.

Mr. Chen Jinying, a hair stylist in Taiwan, said that August 2, 2001 was the most important day in her life because that was the day when she started practicing Falun Gong. Marriage problems and poor health no longer troubled her. She said, "I didn't receive very much education, but Zhuan Falun had a huge impact on me when I studied it the first time."

Mr. Lin Shengxiong, a Taiwanese college student, felt a similar impact from Zhuan Falun. While he was a graduate student at Tsing Hua University studying software engineering, he enjoyed reading The Epoch Times newspaper. He was particularly drawn to stories of people practicing Falun Gong. Later on he went to a Falun Gong group practice location in the Neihu district of Taipei. He had a discussion with a volunteer assistant for nearly four hours. He then brought a copy of Zhuan Falun home. That night he stayed up studying it from cover to cover. He was blown away by its profound contents. He found answers to many unsolved questions he had in life.

Mr. Gan Xufeng is the manager of a hardware store in Xinying, Taiwan. One day he attended a Falun Gong group practice. While he was practicing the second exercise, he felt something rotating rapidly around his elbows. The feeling was so real. After he finished the exercises, the old elbow injury that had troubled him for over 20 years since his school days disappeared without a trace!

Many people share these extraordinary experiences when they practice Falun Gong exercises:

"When I initially practiced the first exercise, I felt completely relaxed. I felt very light, as light as a feather and floating in the clouds and protected by a bubble. I tried to rotate my arms, but I lost the feeling in them." This was the feeling of a practitioner in Taiwan. Before she started practicing, she was depressed and despaired in life because her father passed away and her marriage was in shambles. Falun Gong brought hope and happiness to her life.

"The school principal taught us the five Falun Gong exercises. With the relaxing exercise music in the background, we practiced the sitting meditation. I felt enveloped with a very peaceful and compassionate energy field, and it felt great! Once while I was practicing the sitting meditation, I was brought into a dimension by a powerful energy with gold and red radiance. I felt an unprecedented level of peace and comfort, as though I had returned to my true home. It was magical, brilliant and grand! It was completely different from our human world. My spirit traveled in the celestial realm for nearly an hour before it returned. That was when I finished practicing the sitting meditation. I never felt like this when I practiced other qigong."

Another practitioner from China witnessed the famous "gold key" test. In May 1993, he attended a medical training held by a Chinese qigong academy. The school principal told them a story. The principal had met Mr. Li Hongzhi in person while he was working at the Chinese Qigong Association. He handed Mr. Li Hongzhi a key, and he shook the key a few times and returned it to him. The principal immediately had the Chinese Science Academy analyze the key and found pure gold in the key. The principal passed the scientific analysis of the key to every student in the class. The Falun Gong practitioner read the report, which contained the analysis in a graph and the scientific conclusion.

He wrote an article entitled "A Gold Key."

"It was not a coincidence. The gold key not only manifested Mr. Li Hongzhi's power, but also represented a metaphor. The key unlocked my heart. All of sudden I saw the truth of the universe, and understood the true meaning of life --- seeking Teacher, practicing Falun Gong and becoming a genuine cultivator. It is the gold key that unlocks the heavenly gate that will only open once in an eternity. It unlocked a path to heaven, and unfolded the prospect to a most beautiful future."

Posting date: 1/14/2012
Category: New Practitioners' Stories
Chinese version available at
http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2011/12/27/真福-幸遇真理的那一刻-251105.html


Shen Yun Receives High Accolades from Accomplished Performers in Ballet, the Arts and Hollywood


By a Clearwisdom reporter

(Clearwisdom.net) Shen Yun Performing Arts concluded its five-show run in the Greater Los Angeles area, the epicenter of the entertainment industry and home to Hollywood, on Saturday, January 14, 2012, receiving much praise from celebrities, artists, and the general public. This was Shen Yun’s eighth visit to Los Angeles since 2006.

Based in New York, Shen Yun Performing Arts consists of three companies that tour the world simultaneously each year with the mission to revive China’s divinely inspired, traditional cultural heritage. Integrating story-based classical and ethnic Chinese dance, masterful vocal solos, live orchestra and animated backdrops, Shen Yun’s 2012 production takes the audience on a colorful, soulful and educational journey through five thousand years of Chinese civilization, from antiquity to contemporary China.

Shen Yun performed two shows at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Orange County, California, on January 11-12, followed by three performances at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles on January 13-14. All five performances were sold out.

Over 11,000 people attended the Shen Yun performances in the Los Angeles area. Many audience members indicated that they looked forward to seeing Shen Yun return to the region next year. Several also asked for advance notice to make sure that they could secure the much-sought-after tickets for their family and friends next time around.

Renowned Actress: “I’m sure everyone around the world will want to see this show”



Actress Ms. Carole Wells with friend at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on January 14, 2012. (Courtesy of SOH Radio Network)

Renowned actress Carole Wells, whose decades-long career includes many accomplishments in television, movies and publishing, found Shen Yun inspiring. “It’s so inspiring, because besides the visual beauty, the story is good—because it does tell the sad side of what’s happened in China, along with the happy side,” she said after the Saturday matinee, according to The Epoch Times. Along with a dazzling display of historical and cultural diversity of China, Shen Yun presents several stories set in contemporary China, highlighting the ongoing suppression of Falun Dafa, a spiritual meditation practice, by the Chinese communist regime.

“It’s very special, and I think everyone should see it, and I’m happy to see so many Chinese people here seeing it,” said Ms. Wells of the production. “I’m sure everyone around the world will want to see this show.”

Artists, Celebrities and Public Praise Shen Yun



Actor Drew Carey at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on January 14, 2012. (Courtesy of The Epoch Times)

“The artistry is really fantastic,” said celebrity comedian and TV star Drew Carey, who attended the Saturday matinee, bringing along eight of his friends, according to The Epoch Times. “Those are spectacular dancers.”

Musician and composer Mr. Richard Leach, who has performed with such music legends as Ray Charles, Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra, described the Saturday evening performance as “breathtaking,” according to the paper. Noting the “wonderful music” and the “great orchestration,” Mr. Leach was also taken with the vocal soloists featured in the performance. “I liked the singing, the sopranos, the words on the screen [translations of the lyrics sung in Chinese]. Those messages were very profound,” he said.

Mr. Stephen Lenske, a lawyer attending the Friday evening performance, thought “the dancers were magnificent” and the stories presented through the dance “very interesting.” He was also impressed by the “beautiful costumes,” “beautiful backdrops and fantastic music,” noting that “the transitioning between the video [digital backdrop] and the dancers was excellent” and “the precision was absolutely outstanding.”



Ms. Victoria Ananyan at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on January 14, 2012. (Courtesy of The Epoch Times)

Ms. Victoria Ananyan, a soloist ballerina with San Francisco Ballet, was so taken with Shen Yun on Friday night that she returned to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion the very next day to see the performance again, reported The Epoch Times. “I got really inspired, and I had to come back and see the show once again,” she said, calling the performance “awesome” and “spectacular.”

“I want to recommend everybody watch [Shen Yun],” Ms. Ananyan added.

Posting date: 1/17/2012
Category: Reports on Shen Yun

1/17/2012

Reviving and Representing True Chinese Culture (8 of 9)



Divine Art—A Window Into the Genius of Shen Yun Performing Arts, Part 8

All but lost in the East, the essence of an age-old culture rises in the West. This is Part 8 of a nine-part series that explores traditional Chinese culture to reveal a deeper understanding of the genius of New York-based classical Chinese dance company Shen Yun Performing Arts.


Shen Yun Performing Arts' curtain call at Philadelphia, in The Merriam Theater on Friday, Jan. 6, 2012. (Edward Dai/The Epoch Times)

Sophisticated dance techniques, an orchestra joining instruments of the East and West, beautiful costumes, and a stunning backdrop—this is Shen Yun Performing Arts at first glance. It’s easy for audiences to see the beauty and whimsy that the performances exude.

To the novice, it is a beautiful and charming theatrical experience. Yet for many Chinese around the world, Shen Yun has come to represent nothing short of a savior and torch bearer of their precious authentic culture.

Such values as propriety and wisdom, respect for the heavens, and belief in divine retribution originate from China’s three religions of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism and have been the essence of traditional Chinese culture. However, the foundations of traditional culture have been largely lost due to systematic attack by the Chinese communist regime.

5,000 Years of Culture

Since ancient times, China has been known as the “Celestial Empire,” referring to the belief that the divine, through various dynasties, transmitted a rich and abundant culture to the Chinese. Chinese culture is thus known as “divinely inspired,” and over a continuous recorded history of 5,000 years, ancient Chinese ascribed many of their greatest achievements in science and the humanities to deities. For example, the god Cangjie created Chinese characters, Shennong imparted agriculture, and Suiren revealed the uses of fire.

China’s three religions have been the bedrock of Chinese civilization. Taoist thought was systemized by the sage Lao Zi over 2,500 years ago in his book Dao De Jing (Tao Te Ching). The book expounds on the mysterious Way of the universe, which he calls the Tao.

Confucianism emphasizes a moral code for governance, family, and individual conduct. The teachings of Confucius (551 B.C.–479 B.C.) were the guiding principles for nearly every Chinese dynasty beginning with the Han. All who wished to become an official had to pass civil-service examinations that comprehensively tested their grasp of the Confucian classics and their moral code.

In A.D. 67, Buddhism reached China from ancient India. Its focus on personal salvation and meditation had a profound effect on Chinese culture, lasting until today.

Under the influence of these faiths, Chinese culture has spawned a rich and profound system of values. The concepts of “man and nature must be in balance,” “respect the heavens to know one’s destiny,” and the five cardinal virtues of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and faithfulness are all products of these three religions’ teachings, and traditional Chinese way of life was tied inextricably with these ideas.

It was also under the guidance of these tenets that trade, diplomacy, law, the arts, medicine, and engineering flourished in a uniquely Chinese fashion. Innovations such as paper, printing, the compass, and gunpowder were first invented in China, long before their discovery in Europe.

Systematic Destruction

In the last 60 years under communist rule, the foundations of traditional Chinese culture have been largely lost. Atheism was forced upon society, and socialism ascribed as the people’s new religion.

To send the message that the old world was ending, the communist regime not only destroyed cultural sites, temples, and relics, beginning with the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s, but also has created its own culture of violence and tries to legitimize it though art. Propagandistic plays, films, and songs praise the power of the regime, instead of the traditional respect for the divine inherent in Chinese culture.

Today, the Chinese regime claims to be reviving traditional Chinese culture through Chinese language learning centers and cultural exchange programs overseas, but all of these only serve to promote its own Party culture, not that of Chinese people’s ancestors, from which it has severed modern Chinese.

Cultural Revival: One Show at a Time

With the passage of time and several generations, the true divinely inspired Chinese culture was on the brink of extinction. It was with great urgency that in 2006, New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts was formed by overseas Chinese artists with the mission of reviving 5,000 years of divinely inspired Chinese culture.

By presenting Chinese culture in the context of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism’s influence in daily life, Shen Yun is able to capture the unadulterated essence of Chinese culture as it organically developed over the centuries.

“Shen Yun has manifested the spirit of Chinese culture authentically and thoroughly. I am moved deeply [by the performance]” said Dr. Liang Huaimao to The Epoch Times in Taipei following a Shen Yun performance in March 2010.

Dr. Liang is the president of the Chinese Nation Cultural Development Association in Taipei. He went on to say, “There is a vast expanse of national [Chinese] culture. Since culture is life, watching a Shen Yun performance is really touching.”

Dr. Liang described the spiritual impact that Shen Yun had brought to him as “heart-shaking.”

Ninety-two-year-old Huang Qunying, a prodigy artist, poet, painter, and calligrapher, first saw Shen Yun in 2009 and was very moved by the performance. He returned in March 2011 to a performance in the city of Taoyuan, Taiwan, with eight guests including his wife, daughter, and students.

Mr. Huang cheerfully told The Epoch Times, “Shen Yun is an ideal form of education through entertainment, which is a fountain that can inspire the wisdom of life, the source of cultural arts, and the zenith of truthfulness, gracefulness, and beauty.”

Talking about Shen Yun’s impact on society, Mr. Huang said, “Shen Yun has blended the essences of tradition, history, culture, ethics, morality, and modern technology into an exquisite form of performing arts, which can purify people’s hearts and make society more peaceful.”

He went on to say that seeing Shen Yun perform “makes people feel touched and exhilarated.”

National treasure Chinese calligrapher, Master Huang Qunying, attends the Shen Yun Performing Arts International Company's show in Taoyuan. (Liang Shujiang/The Epoch Times)
Mr. Li Chiao, former national policy adviser to the president of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and winner of the National Award for the Arts in 2006, told The Epoch Times after a performance in Taipei that “Shen Yen has sufficiently and perfectly displayed the quintessence and the wonderfulness of Chinese culture.”

Mr. Li added that the Shen Yun performance “rehabilitates the truth about Chinese culture.”

For more information about Shen Yun Performing Arts and Chinese culture, please visit: Shenyunpreformingarts.com/learn.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts, which will perform an all-new 2012 program at Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater January 11–15. To learn more about Shen Yun Performing Arts and Chinese culture, view a calendar of Shen Yun’s 2012 world tour, and for ticket information, please visit www.ShenYunPerformingArts.org.

Mr. Dong Peng Imprisoned for Nine Years--Wife Dies from Mistreatment (Photos)



By a Clearwisdom correspondent in Heilongjiang Province

Name: Yu Libo (于丽波)
Gender: Female
Age: 39
Address: Zhaodong City, Heilongjiang Province
Date of Death: November 2011
Date of Most Recent Arrest: Unknown
Most Recent Place of Detention: Heilongjiang Provincial Women's Prison (黑龙江省女子监狱)
City: Harbin
Province: Heilongjiang
Persecution Suffered: Illegal sentencing, imprisonment, home ransacked, detention

Name: Dong Peng (董鹏)
Gender: Male
Age: Unknown
Address: Unknown
Occupation: Former employee of Zhaodong Gold and Jade Company
Date of Most Recent Arrest: February 2000
Most Recent Place of Detention: Hulan Prison, Heilongjiang Province (黑龙江省呼兰监狱)
City: Hulan
Province: Heilongjiang
Persecution Suffered: Illegal sentencing, beatings, hung by handcuffs, imprisonment, torture, home ransacking, detention

(Clearwisdom.net) Mr. Dong Peng from Zhaodong practices Falun Gong, as did his wife, Ms. Yu Libo. Mr. Dong was illegally sentenced to nine years in prison, and his wife to eight years. On May 1, 2011, the couple were finally reunited, but their happiness didn't last long. Ms. Yu died as a result of being devastated by severe physical and mental torture. This brutal persecution separated the couple, who had been reunited for only six months, forever.

法轮功学员董鹏
Mr. Dong Peng
法轮功学员于丽波
Ms. Yu Libo
董鹏、于丽波
Mr. Dong and Ms. Yu

Mr. Dong was formerly employed at the Zhaodong Gold and Jade Company. He was widely respected as a good person for his honesty and kindness. He worked hard and never complained. Mr. Dong and Ms. Yu were a happy couple, and were married in the spring of 1998. After the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) started persecuting Falun Gong, they went to Beijing to appeal for justice for Falun Gong. They were arrested and returned to Zhaodong. Both of them were detained at the Zhaodong Detention Center. Ms. Yu was three months pregnant at the time.

Ms. Yu was detained for more than four months before she was released, because her family had found someone to help her. She was seven months into her pregnancy. Before the baby was a year old, she was sentenced to eight years in prison and incarcerated in the Heilongjiang Provincial Women's Prison. Her husband, Mr. Dong, was sentenced to two years in a forced labor camp. He was later sentenced to nine years in prison and taken to Hulan Prison.

The baby was raised by his grandparents. This year, 12-year old Tianyu was finally able to live with his parents. But he was sad to see that his mother's health kept deteriorating. She eventually died due to being tortured in prison for eight years. She died at the age of 39. Though they were married for 13 years, the couple had only lived together for a little over two years.

Mr. Dong went to Beijing to appeal for justice for Falun Gong in February 2000 and was arrested. The Zhaodong Police Department sent officers to take him back. They handcuffed him on the train and confiscated 100 yuan that he had in his pocket. At the local police department, officers beat all the Falun Gong practitioners who had gone to Beijing. A police officer kicked Mr. Dong's left eyebrow, and blood poured out. The scar is still visible today. These officers claimed that the beatings had been carried out by officers in Beijing, not them. Mr. Dong was later put in a detention center. There, he was put in foot shackles and affixed to a wall next to a chair for more than a week. Police officer Liu Weizhong also handcuffed him, then took him home, and ransacked his home. In June 2001, police officer Ren Jiansheng ordered Mr. Dong to sign a paper. This paper was actually supplemental material that set up Mr. Dong to be sentenced to a forced labor camp. Mr. Dong was detained for 16 months (more than the maximum detention limit) in a detention center, then taken to Suihua Forced Labor Camp, Heilongjiang Province, where he was incarcerated for two years.

On April 18, 2002, Mr. Dong was arrested at the home of practitioner Mr. Zhang Zhiguo in Changwu Town, Zhaodong, by agents from the Zhaodong 610 Office, officers from the Zhaodong Police Department including Ren Jiansheng and Liu Weizhong, and others from the Changwu Police Station. He was carrying 600 yuan with him, which was confiscated. He was pushed into a police car barefooted and his head was covered. He was taken to Detention Center Number One in Harbin City at 10:00 p.m. that day, and later taken to Detention Center Number Seven in Harbin City in the Daoli District. Officials from the 610 Office set up a special team to interrogate him at night. They tortured him in attempts to get a confession. He was forced to sit on an iron chair for three days, and was only allowed to wear underwear. Police officers opened the window and poured cold water all over him. Mr. Dong was taken to the Zhaodong Detention Center in July. In October, he was sentenced to nine years in prison and taken to Hulan Prison.
中共迫害法轮功学员的刑具:铁椅子

An instrument of torture used by the CCP on Falun Gong practitioners: The iron chair

In October 2002, Mr. Dong was abused in the Training Division of Hulan Prison. He was forced to stand, prohibited from sleeping, and pressured to sign the three statements. In October 2003, Lv Mingdong, then political head of the Fourth Division, tried to force Mr. Dong to write the three statements. They punished him because he didn't sign them. Mr. Dong was kicked in the nose, which bled. When he returned to his prison cell, officers ordered inmate Xun Dequan to brutally beat him, but not to kill him. Inmates turned his hands behind his back and tried to lift them up. Practitioners Mr. Wang Feng and Mr. Li Dajie were also beaten. Nine years of inhumane torture caused Mr. Dong's hair to turn white.

The persecution of Mr. Dong's family is only a small sampling of what is going on in China today. Countless other families are enduring this kind of persecution. Please pay attention to the persecution of mainland Falun Gong practitioners.

Posting date: 1/15/2012
Category: Death Cases
Chinese version available at
 http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2011/11/23/董鹏遭九年冤狱-妻子被迫害离世-249738.html

Shen Yun Costumes—Exploring the Fine Art of Chinese Dress (6 of 9)


Divine Art—A Window into the Genius of Shen Yun Performing Arts, Part 6

All but lost in the East, the essence of an age-old culture rises in the West. This is Part 6 of a nine-part series that explores traditional Chinese culture to reveal a deeper understanding of the genius of New York-based classical Chinese dance company Shen Yun Performing Arts.


Celebrated designer Norma Kamali saw Shen Yun Performing Arts as part of a sold-out house at Lincoln Center's David H. Koch Theater, on Jan. 16, in New York City. (Courtesy of NTD Television)

NEW YORK—In China—the land of silk, rich and artful embroidery, and vibrant color—the style of dress has varied greatly over the civilization’s long history and among its 55 ethnic groups.

New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts revives not only the dance and music of 5,000 years of Chinese history and culture, but also features the art of fashion. With each dance is a veritable fashion show in and of itself, consisting of the handmade haute couture reaching across China’s vast geographies and throughout its periods of history.

“I was very impressed with the clothing and costumes,” said famed designer Norma Kamali after seeing Shen Yun perform last January in New York. She attended with friend Jill Spalding, a writer and editor for Vogue Magazine. Both appraised the colorful garb of the different regions of China.

“I saw here the best example of how fabric, clothing, and sleeves can enhance the movement and tell the story,” said Ms. Kamali. “When the sleeves became a part of the rhythm and a part of the overall design of the set, it was very impressive!”

Shen Yun’s costume artists use bright colors to tailor and recreate hundreds of new pieces each season. Every detail is given meticulous attention, and is a result of artistic inspiration and careful polishing. According to the Shen Yun website, “The designers stress harmonic balance and contrast. Their objective is an authentic presentation of the attire that comes from China’s divinely inspired traditional culture, and a consummate stage effect.”

“I really like the flowing, the sleeves, and how it communicates the feelings, how the flowing of the silk was sort of a mechanism for communicating an interior manifestation,”
said Reem Alalusi, a fashion designer and the founder and creative director of Alalusi Couture, when she saw Shen Yun perform last January in San Francisco. “I thought that was beautiful; it’s a beautiful touch, something that every fashion designer tries to achieve.”

The styles reflected in a Shen Yun performance can generally be divided into three categories: Han clothing, the attire worn by China’s vast ethnic minorities, and the regalia of Buddhas, Taos, and other heavenly immortals that are intrinsic to China’s divinely inspired culture.


Models present the winning costumes in NTD Television's Third International Han Couture Design Competition. (Dai Bing/The Epoch Times)

Hanfu

Hanfu, the clothing of China’s ethnic majority, consists of hundreds of variations. The garments are characterized by “loose gowns, wide sleeves, and flat, open collars folded over to the right,” according to the Shen Yun website. “Rather than using buttons or strings, most were kept in place by a sash belt. High hats and wide belts are distinguishing marks of scholars and officials.”

At the same time, traditional Chinese clothing was serious business. The right clothes gave off an aura of refinement and dignity. It embodied the virtues of Chinese antiquity and contributed to the culture’s perception of self.

Ethnic Attire

is as diverse as Chinese culture itself, with great disparities based on region or ethnicity. The 55 ethnic minorities located throughout China display a multitude of styles and an extensive range of colors. Historically, the country’s vastness, along with the great contrasts in geography and climate, led to the various groups developing very different forms of dress and adornment.

For example, “the Tibetan Plateau is known for its frigid yearlong temperatures, powerful sandstorms, and extensive grasslands and pastures. The Tibetan people adapted to their environment with warm and insulating clothing that is also suitable to their itinerant lifestyle,” according to the Shen Yun website.

“The symbolic Tibetan chuba is a long coat that is both practical and fashionable. Chubas are made from sheepskin that is both durable and insulating. The coat is large and loose with big open sleeves that can be rolled up in the heat of the day. At night, an unbelted chuba makes for a comfortable covering for restful slumber.”

Shen Yun has frequently featured folk dances of Tibet, as well as Mongolia, Korea, Dai, Yi, and Miao.

Heavenly Regalia

Shen Yun’s dances often feature heavenly scenes of celestial fairies, Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Daos, and other deities in their respective regalia. From myths and legends to works of art, the depiction of these divine beings in Chinese lore has endured throughout the centuries.

Catching the ‘Eye’ of the Fashion World


The artistry of Shen Yun has drawn the admiration of the fashion and entertainment worlds. Matthew Lynch, editor for the Eye at Women’s Wear Daily (WWD), who oversees all things society and culture, wrote about how Shen Yun was “drawing the fashionable set” at their performance at Lincoln Center last June.

WWD is often referred to as the fashion “bible,” as the daily media of record for senior executives in the global fashion, retail, and beauty communities for the last 100 years.

Lynch published an article accompanied by a photo of New York fashion mogul Donna Karan posing with Shen Yun dancers in costume. Ms. Karan hosted a VIP reception following the Shen Yun performance that was attended by a cross-section from the fashion and entertainment industries such as jewelry designers Ann Dexter-Jones and Zani Gugelmann, author Candace Bushnell who inspired the iconic HBO series Sex and the City, architect and interior designer for countless luxury fashion brands’ boutiques Peter Marino, and actress Nora Zehetner.

Additional reporting by Tara MacIsaac.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts, which will perform an all-new 2012 program at Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater January 11–15. To learn more about Shen Yun Performing Arts and Chinese culture, view a calendar of Shen Yun’s 2012 world tour, and for ticket information, please visit www.ShenYunPerformingArts.org.

1/16/2012

A Chinese Attorney Stands Up for What He Knows To Be Right


A Chinese Attorney Stands Up for What He Knows To Be Right

By a Clearwisdom correspondent from Gansu Province, China

(Clearwisdom.net) At 9:00 a.m. on December 1, 2011, the Xifeng District Court in Qingyang City, Gansu Province held a second hearing of the charges brought against Mr. Kou Chuangiin. Mr. Kou's attorney, brought in from Beijing to defend him, pleaded not guilty on his behalf. All of those present in the courtroom were thus provided with an opportunity to learn about both the righteous goodness of Falun Gong, and about the brutal truth of the persecution that Falun Gong adherents face under China's communist regime.

Mr. Kou, 60, is a former cadre of the Qingyang Business Bureau. He, his wife Ms. Li Ruihua, and their daughter Ms. Kou Juanjuan, all enjoyed improvements in their health and well-being after they began practicing Falun Gong. However, the Chinese Communist Party has a policy of persecuting Falun Gong, and this has brought great pain to the family.

1. None of the Evidence Presented Showed that Any Law Had Been Broken

During the court's investigation period, the attorney questioned all evidence submitted by the prosecutor and pointed out that all evidence is untenable on the law.

Mr. Kou stated the reason why he practices Falun Gong. He said, “I suffered from liver cancer, stomach cancer, and other illnesses. The hospital declared that I was incurable. Since I started practicing Falun Gong, all my illnesses have disappeared and I have experienced fundamental changes in both my physical health and mental well-being.”

Mr. Kou declared that his arrest and evidence collected against him are illegal. On the day of the arrest, more than a dozen officers from the Xifeng District Police Sub-Bureau pried open Mr. Kou's door and broke into his home. However, none of the officers were wearing police uniforms, and the officers ransacked his home without showing any identification. Mr. Kou saw the search warrant for the first time in court. During the arrest, the officers were violent, throwing him onto the sofa and ordering him not to move. Several people witnessed the arrest, including Mr. Kou's mother, daughter, grandson, and neighbors.

Mr. Kou stated that Falun Gong is a spiritual belief, and that having spiritual beliefs does not violate any law. It is not a crime, nor is it a crime to follow the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance to better oneself. He requested an immediate release.

The prosecutor declared that Falun Gong related documents were extracted from Mr. Kou's computer as “evidence.” She started playing one of them for the courtroom to hear. As the recording began playing on her computer, the words “Traditional Chinese culture teaches us that a promise is as good as a thousand bars of gold ...” sounded out for all to hear. She stopped the recording quickly and began playing it again from another point in the recording. This time, the words, “Traditional Chinese culture teaches us ...” were heard. She stopped it and tried again, but again similar words rang out, “Traditional Chinese ...” She finally just turned it off and carried on.

The prosecutor told the judge, “Here's a recording entitled, 'Ensure your safety by quitting the CCP.'” She tried playing this file, and the following words came out, “Hello, my friend. This is a free phone call to you ...” She stopped playing it. After quite a while, she tried again, “My friend, have you ever joined the CCP, the Youth League, or the Young Pioneers ...” The prosecutor claimed, “This is what we found in Kou's computer. It contains content that is against the CCP.” The people in the gallery who had come to observe the proceedings did not think there was anything wrong with the recordings they heard. Instead, it was apparent that they thought the whole process was actually quite funny.

2. Having Spiritual Beliefs Is Not a Crime – People's Constitutional Rights Are Being Denied

During the proceedings, the attorney maintained Mr. Kou's innocence. He stated that neither Mr. Kou's intentions nor his actions constituted infringements of China's laws or administrative regulations.

The attorney argued that Mr. Kou practiced Falun Gong for the purpose of good health and mental improvement, as well as to better himself by adhering to Falun Gong's standards of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Belief belongs to the area of ideology and is an issue of the field of the mind. A person's mind cannot commit a crime, as there are no “thought crimes” contained in China's law books. Only one's behaviors may be counted as crimes. No matter what a person believes in, as long as he doesn't commit any criminal act, he is not guilty of any crime.

During the trial, the prosecutor didn't provide any evidence of Mr. Kou's, “using a heretical organization to undermine the implementation of law,” the "crime" with which he had been charged.

(Editor's note: Falun Gong teaches people to be kind. There is extensive evidence, beyond the scope of this particular article, that suggests that in fact it is the Chinese Communist Party that is the true heretical organization. [the Chinese characters for "heretical organization" are often alternatively translated as “cult”] It is the CCP that undermines the execution of China's laws and regulations. It is the CCP that abuses and twists the law to its own end to use as a weapon to aid in the persecution of good people)

What cult or heretical organization did Mr. Kou employ? What kind of an organization is it? What do its members, staff, and management structure look like? Is this organization inside or outside of China? What title does Mr. Kou Chuangjin hold within the organization? What capabilities does he have within the organization? Who does he oversee within the organization? What orders did he give? How did he use the organization? Did he obtain orders or funds from the organization? What laws or administrative regulations has he impaired the execution of?

Distribution of Falun Gong materials doesn't violate China's laws. On the contrary, it is the reflection of the freedoms of speech, expression, and belief that are stipulated in China's constitution. Distribution of Falun Gong materials is therefore not a crime; it is in fact an exercise of citizens' rights under the constitution.

As for the contents of the Falun Gong materials, one type includes contents about Falun Dafa cultivation, such as the books Zhuan Falun and Explaining the Content of Falun Dafa. They are all for teaching people how to cultivate xinxing according to the standards of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. There is nothing illegal in them. They don't practice or encourage the sabotage of any of China's laws or regulations.

Another type of the materials are handouts that proclaim “Falun Dafa is good. Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.” Others speak of “Destruction of the CCP is heaven's mandate. Quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations for your own safety,” or “The CCP is disintegrating.” Other materials are about Shen Yun Performing Arts and its revival of 5000 years of China's traditional culture. There are also copies of the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party, “Disintegrating the Party Culture” and so on.

Let's take a look at some of these more closely:

“Falun Dafa is good” is for recommending Falun Gong to others and to illustrate Falun Gong's benefits. It is a behavior of telling the truth and helping others within the range of law. It is definitely not sabotaging any laws. As for “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance,” these are universal principles acknowledged by all of humankind. The DVDs and other materials about Shen Yun Performing Arts present and spread the essence of the five-thousand-year old Chinese traditional culture. This should be cherished as spiritual treasures. Who would, or who could stand against such principles?

As for “The Destruction of the CCP is heaven's mandate” and “Quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations for safety,” “The CCP is disintegrating” and the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party, according to the principles of “sovereignty belongs to people,” social contract theory and Article 41 of China's constitution, which states that “Citizens of the People's Republic of China have the right to criticize and make suggestions to any government agencies and staff members,” these materials represent nothing more than citizens exercising their legal rights.

Falun Gong practitioners have been slandered for no reason. With no public channels open to them to exercise their freedom of expression, they instead produce materials with their own money to clarify the truth to people, to expose the lies propagated about Falun Gong in China's state-run media, and to introduce people to the beauty of Falun Gong. What's wrong with that?

Who has seen any Falun Gong practitioners conduct any acts of violence, extreme behavior, or bring harm to others? Of course everyone in China, and even in many other places in the world, has heard about the so-called "self-immolation" on Tiananmen Square. There have also been claims of Falun Gong practitioners being serial killers broadcast over and over in high profile cases on China Central Television (CCTV). But who doesn't realize that CCTV is nothing but a propaganda mouthpiece employed to vilify anything or anyone out of favor with the CCP regime? In fact, no practitioners of Falun Gong are serial killers. And in fact, no practitioners of Falun Gong set themselves on fire on Tiananmen Square. And who could believe that if practitioners were to do a thing so totally against the Falun Gong principles, that they would do it at exactly the same time as multiple CCTV cameras and gangs of Chinese police with fire extinguishers in hand conveniently happened to be on the scene? This so-called “self-immolation incident,” just as with the serial killer story, is nothing but an elaborate propaganda stunt contrived and shamelessly executed by the CCP in attempts to turn public opinion against Falun Gong, and to thus, in some twisted way, thereby “justify” the persecution Falun Gong in the minds of the public.

Just as the attorney pointed out, there are no “thought crimes” in China's law books. Freedom of belief, also known as religious freedom, has become the norm around the world and has been written into Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. China signed on to both of these treaties several years ago.

Article 36 of the Constitution stipulates: “Citizens of People's Republic of China have religious freedom.” Separation of religion and state is a common principle. Religious organizations should not intervene with their members' political choices. States should not intervene with citizens' religious beliefs. No government agencies should attempt to coerce citizens to stop believing in Falun Gong. Government agencies do not have the right to label any spiritual belief as a “cult”or heretical organization. To do so is a political trespass onto the rights of private citizens, and constitutes in and of itself grave human rights violations.

Mr. Kou Chuangjin's belief in and practice of Falun Gong is a reflection of the religious freedom stipulated by the constitution and the exercise of citizens' legal rights. The judicial agencies' framing of Mr. Kou Chuangjin constitutes the crime of “illegally depriving citizens of freedom of religious belief.” This is a crime that should be prosecuted according to the law.

3. The Suppression of Falun Gong In and Of Itself Broadly and Systematically Subverts China's Legal System

As is widely known, the only legal basis the CCP can use to prosecute Falun Gong practitioners is to claim that they have violated Article 300 of the Criminal Law. This applies to anyone “using a heretical organization to subvert the law.” In fact, such claims completely lack both factual and legal bases.

In October 1999, Jiang Zemin unilaterally declared Falun Gong as a cult. It was first broadcast publicly in a Paris-based Le Figaro interview. On October 30, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress hastily followed up with the "Decision Regarding Banning Heretical Organizations, and Being on Guard Against and Punishing the Activities of Heretical Organizations." Based on this decision, there came out “the Supreme People's Court's Notice Regarding Implementing the National People's Congress Standing Committee's 'Decision Regarding Banning Heretical Organizations, and Being on Guard Against and Punishing Heretical Activities' and the Supreme Court and Supreme Procuratorate's Interpretation.”

In the normal course of events in history, the power and legitimacy of a country's leaders and governing organizations are determined by that country's constitution and laws. In China, there is no law that grants the head of state or the Supreme Court the power to determine whether an organization is a cult.

We cannot thus help but ask, “What is the legal basis for Jiang's speech labeling Falun Gong as an heretical organization? What is the legal basis of the notice from the Supreme Court, and of the interpretation by the Supreme Court and the Supreme Procuratorate? What standard has been applied? Who has given them the power? Were there any hearings? Are those who are determined to belong to the category of cults allowed to defend themselves? If allowed, what is the procedure and which organization is to handle the defense?”

Apparently, neither Jiang's speech nor the Supreme Court notices were authorized in accordance with the law. As a result, they are void of any legal effect and should not be used as the basis for court decisions. The CCP is fully aware of this, and fears having it pointed out. There is not a single law that publicly prohibits practicing Falun Gong. Even the list of 14 cults or heretical organizations compiled by China's Ministry of Public Security does not contain Falun Gong.

As a matter of fact, Falun Gong is loosely organized. There is no hierarchy or organizational structure akin to those exhibited by organized religion, or even government. There is no membership. There are no duties or payments required. One is free to come and go.

In this case, the defendant Mr. Kou Chuangjin is an ordinary citizen, an ordinary Falun Gong practitioner. What ability and power does he possess that could result in undermining the full or partial implementation or application of law and/or administrative rules and regulations? And what law or administrative rule did he undermine? As a result, the defense attorney considered the case lacked sufficient evidence, was short of clear facts, and the charges brought by the prosecution could not hold.

Mr. Kou Chuangjin's behavior has violated no law, and he should be released unconditionally.

The CCP judiciary system uses Article 300 of the Criminal Law, “using a heretical organization to undermine the implementation of law,” as a catch-all charge against Falun Gong practitioners, in absence of actual legal wrongdoing. Under normal logic, one might expect the arresting entity to identify what law the accused has undermined, but the CCP simply makes the broad charge and leaves it at that. It’s analogous to creating a law that says “breaking the law is illegal,” and then charging someone with it, but without evidence of any specific wrongdoing. Such circular validation shows the lack of logic and legitimacy of the CCP. Such absurdity has been the legal basis for sentencing thousands upon thousands of practitioners to terms of forced labor and prison, thus destroying their families and bringing about social turmoil. Falun Gong practitioners have committed no crimes by adhering to their beliefs. It is the CCP itself who systematically undermines the law and sabotages the constitution, all with the state power in their hands.

4. Regarding Law, Justice, and Conscience

During the trial, the defense attorney quoted from Dr. Qian Yuejun's book, Overview of German Law, "The sole purpose of making laws is for the sake of the harmonious development of a society. A law that complies and meets social justice must be a kind one. The sole purpose of establishing a court of law is to uphold social justice, not to protect the law. Therefore, a legal trial must be guided by justice. A judge must make a good judgment of justice and tell right from wrong. The most traditional and the most modern way to rule a case is to go by one's conscience, to use one's conscience to tell a good law from a bad one, and to use one's conscience to determine if a verdict is a just one. In this sense, conscience is the highest principle of law and the ultimate method to make a verdict."

In February 1992, two years after the collapse of the Berlin Wall, former East German border guard Ingo Heinrich was tried in Berlin for killing a young man named Chris Gueffroy as he attempted to flee for freedom in West Berlin.

Heinrich's defense attorney argued that he was merely executing an order to shoot any East Germans attempting to escape to West Germany, and that he therefore had no choice but to kill Gueffroy. The defense attorney pleaded not guilty. But the judge did not approve of the argument. A similar argument had been presented at the Nuremberg Trials after WWII. Governments around the world took the same stance – no one should ask for forgiveness using the excuse that they were under orders when they committed immoral crimes. No one should cross the line of morality with the excuse of following orders.

Judge Theodor Seidel found Heinrich guilty and sentenced him to three and one-half years in prison for manslaughter, without bail. The judge told Heinrich that failing to carry out his orders to “shoot to kill” would have been considered a crime at the time, but missing the target would not be. “As a man with a sound mind, at that moment, you had the right to lift your gun up one centimeter. And that’s the responsibility of conscience that you should bear. In this world, conscience is above the law. When there is a conflict between the law and conscience, conscience, not the law, is the highest guiding principle for any action. Respecting life is a principle that should be upheld everywhere. Before you became a border guard, you should have known that even East German law must not violate the highest guiding principle.”

The "highest guiding principle" (or justice) surpasses any law. If any law violates justice, it becomes an unlawful law. Anyone who follows an unlawful law is violating the law.

Dr. Lung Ying-Tai from Taiwan once asked a former East German border guard, "Do you think it is just to try border guards?" He replied, "Of course it is just. The president ordered them to shoot, but no one ordered that they must not miss! You can argue that you must carry out orders to shoot people [crossing the Berlin Wall], but it is murder if you choose not to miss the target!"

Laws exist to protect people's conscience and justice. The justice system is the final frontier to human conscience and social justice. People place their hope in prosecutors and judges. In China, certain laws and orders severely violate conscience. For example, Article 300 of China's Criminal Law pertaining to evil cults, which has been used by the Chinese justice system to frame, suppress, and persecute innocent Falun Gong practitioners, as well as China's Supreme Court's interpretations on the law in 1999 and 2001, is unjust, and severely violates human conscience, moral values, and social justice. The prosecutors and judges are supposed to know the highest guiding principles of law, yet they violated their own conscience to try innocent Falun Gong practitioners and send them to prison. People practice Falun Gong and follow Falun Gong's principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance because they want to become better people, but in the courts of China they are deprived of their personal freedom, are subjected to cruel tortures, and have even lost their precious lives. Countless families have been torn apart as a result! The persecution of Falun Gong practitioners represents the biggest injustice in human history.

5. It is a Wise Decision to Treat Falun Gong Practitioners with Kindness

In the past few years more and more Falun Gong practitioners tried in China's courts have been given lesser sentences. In fact, many have been retried only to then receive lesser sentences or be found not guilty in the first place. Mr. Kou's defense attorney cited such examples from courts in Hunan, Hubei, Shenyang, Shanghai, Fujian, and Tianjin where Falun Gong practitioners were found not guilty or given probation.

The defense attorney believes that the trend suggested by these cases is a sign that the legal professionals in China are awakening to their conscience and have made wise decisions based on the facts. They have made good choices for their own futures and set good legal precedents for future trials of Falun Gong practitioners.

Finally, Mr. Kou's defense attorney expressed his hope that the judge would not make a political case out of it and urged the judge to follow his conscience and make a just verdict.

The judge then announced that he would delay the verdict until the next hearing. The hearing ended at around 11:15 a.m.

Conclusion

To try a Falun Gong practitioner for his or her belief is an insult against the law. It is by no means a criminal offense to practice Falun Gong; it is instead a persecution of one's spiritual belief, and an offense against human rights. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been using China's justice system, including the police, prosecutors, and judges, as a tool to suppress its dissidents. China's justice system no longer upholds justice.

A nation's legal resources should be used to fight violence, crimes, corruption, and other criminal offenses. They should be used to protect taxpayers' lives, freedoms, and property. They should not be used to suppress kindhearted, law-abiding citizens who have a personal belief that is different from that of the ruling party. Those who follow Falun Gong's principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance will never endanger society. Instead, they will only benefit society. If only there were more people who follow the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, then China's society would surely achieve greater harmony and stability. It is just like what Mr. Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Gong, said,

"If everyone searches internally and considers how to conduct himself or herself well, I would say that society will stabilize and the human moral standard will improve again." ("Upgrading Xinxing," from Lecture Four of Zhuan Falun)

It is a heavenly principle that heaven will ultimately reward acts of goodness and punish acts of evil. This is the ultimate guiding principle of all laws and verdicts. Everyone is writing his or her history with his or her own actions. Every person decides his or her own future. It is a crime to sentence a Falun Gong practitioner knowing he or she is innocent. No one can justify that action using the excuse that he or she is only carrying out orders to persecute Falun Gong practitioners. We hope that the prosecutors and judges involved in the trial against Mr. Kou will follow their conscience and moral values, and rule in this and other cases justly. Make the right choice to find Mr. Kou not guilty and release him.

Persons involved in the persecution:

Qiangyang City 610 Office:
Shi Jianguo, director: +86-934-8237199, +86-13993496862 (Cell)
Wen Shixin, deputy director: +86-934-8228324, +86-13993422797 (Cell)
Zhang Jinming, officer: +86-934-8237189, +86-13369348596 (Cell)

Liu Hongtao, deputy head of the Qingyang City Political and Judiciary Committee: +86-934-8237195, +86-13809343001 (Cell)

Qingyang City Police Department:
Director: +86-934-8868281
Deputy director: +86-934-8868282

Posting date: 1/12/2012
Category: Persecution Accounts
Chinese version available at
 http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2012/1/7/寇创金遭第二次非法庭审-律师做无罪辩护-251572.html