Shen Yun Breathes Life Into China’s Historic Characters and Tales

All but lost in the East, the essence of an age-old culture rises in the West. In a special series, The Epoch Times takes a close look at the renaissance of China’s traditional culture and how a New York based performing arts company has become its driving force.

Over the past 5,000 years, China amassed a diverse legacy of heroes, characters, myths, and legends, and this rich treasure trove is what Shen Yun Performing Arts draws inspiration from.

The New York-based performing arts company takes these timeless tales of ancient China and presents them to audiences through the medium of classical Chinese dance.

The great General Yue Fei, the Monkey King, Journey to the West, the Yellow Emperor, the Terracotta Warriors—Shen Yun has done them all.

But it’s not just that these are entertaining stories—it’s the ethics and upright traditions that their characters embodied that Shen Yun also aims to portray. In ancient China, adhering to values such as honour, loyalty, selflessness, striving for excellence, tolerance, and filial piety (respect for parents) was a way of life.

For instance, Hua Mulan, who is believed to have lived sometime during the Northern and Southern dynasties (386–589), disguised herself as a man and went to war in place of her father because she feared he wouldn’t survive the ordeal.

She fought beside her male counterparts for 12 years, and nobody guessed her secret. After the war ended, the emperor bestowed honours on Mulan and wished to make her a high-ranking official but she declined, preferring to return home to care for her aging parents.

The legend of Mulan inspired the Shen Yun dance, Mulan Goes to Battle.

Shen Yun has also told the tale of Wu Song, a famous character from the classic novel Outlaws of the Marsh who saved a village from a marauding tiger even though he’d had a bit too much to drink that day.

Another Shen Yun favourite is the story of Li Bai (701–762), arguably the greatest Chinese poet of all time.

Known as the Poet Transcendent, Li Bai’s work was the epitome of the classic Tang Dynasty poetry. Li Bai was a wandering spirit, and his travels across China led him into the company of Daoists, literary men, and high officials, all of whom admired him greatly. He left behind 20 volumes of writing and some 900 poems.

Le Zun’s Vision

Shen Yun’s piece A Dunhuang Dream is a dedication to the legacy of the Mogao Grottoes, also known as the “Thousand Buddha Caves,” home to one of the most outstanding collections of Buddhist paintings and statues in the world.

The story goes that in 366 A.D. during the Tang Dynasty, a Buddhist monk named Le Zun, who was making the long journey to the Western Paradise, stopped by Sanwei Mountain near Dunhuang to take a rest. There, he had a vision of a glorious golden Maitreya Buddha floating in the sky. A thousand more Buddhas appeared, surrounded by flying fairies playing heavenly music.

Le Zun had learned painting and sculpture, and he used his skills to recreate his vision and filled a cave with paintings and statues of the divine scene. Some years later another monk had an identical vision at the same place, and he filled another cave with artwork depicting what he saw.

Mogao quickly became a pilgrimage site. Over the years, more than 500 caves were dug into Sanwei Mountain, many of them during the Tang Dynasty. Today, the caves hold some of the finest Tang Dynasty artworks, including a 30-metre statue of Maitreya Buddha, one of the tallest in the world.

Successfully portraying these legends from China’s rich history is no small task, and that’s where classical Chinese dance comes in.

Within Chinese dance lie China’s deep cultural traditions, which allow its movements to be richly expressive so that even the personalities and feelings of characters can be portrayed with clarity and accuracy.

Through dance, General Yue Fei displays his bravery and loyalty, Chen Xiang splits a mountain to rescue his mother, Monkey King and Pigsy escape another dicey situation, delicate Udumbara flowers bloom, and Terracotta Warriors awaken from the dust.

As Shen Yun readies for another world tour, continuing with its renaissance of traditional Chinese arts and culture, audiences can look forward to seeing more of China’s most interesting characters take centre stage.

Chinese AIDS Whistleblower Condemns Regime’s Cover-up

Elderly female doctor claims 10 million AIDS patients in China, with most contracting the disease through blood donation

In Houyang Village, Henan Province, Gao did a survey of children born after 1996 from AIDS infected parents, and found that 38% had contracted AIDS. (Courtesy of Gao Yaojie)

About two years ago, Gao Yaojie, an elderly Chinese medical doctor and AIDS activist, painstakingly avoided layers of surveillance by the Chinese communist regime and escaped to the United States. Her mission: to show there is an AIDS epidemic in China whose extent and cause authorities have been hiding.

Since her arrival Gao has published three books and is preparing two more. She spends at least four hours a day at her computer writing books, even though she finds doing so exhausting. Two days ago she fainted at home.

Though 85 years-old, Gao does not regret enduring such hardship. She said she “hopes that her writings can improve the situation of AIDS patients in China.”

Chinese authorities have been persistently denying that the rampant spread of AIDS in the country was caused by blood selling. In “The Sixth International Experience Sharing Conference of AIDS Prevention in China” held in late November, China’s Minister of Health, Chen Zhu, continued to stress that sexual contacts had been the primary route for the transmission of AIDS in China. Chen added that since the first AIDS victim was identified in 1985, there have been 429,000 reported cases of HIV-infection and AIDS patients, leading to a death toll of 86,000.

Gao condemned the number cited by the Ministry of Health as ridiculously low.

“Chen is talking nonsense,” Gao said. “To-date, the HIV-infected population has exceeded 10 million. Ms. Ding Zilin, whose son was killed at the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989, said she had identified 202 bodies after the massacre [the Party claimed that no one had been killed]. I would like to claim that I can locate more than 200,000 graves of AIDS victims. I once went to an AIDS-stricken rural village and saw 6 victims buried that very day.”

Gao explained that there are different types of HIV found in Chinese AIDS patients and most of the disease’s contraction can be traced to the practice of selling blood.

“There used to be 10,000 places across China where you could sell blood,” Gao said. “Contraction due to blood transfusion has always been the last thing that they [the authorities] want to admit. They obstinately attribute the cause to sexual intercourse. As a matter of fact, sexual transmission was responsible for less than ten percent of the cases. In contrast, sixty percent of those who engaged in blood selling contracted HIV.”

Gao added that blood-selling in China has not disappeared but has merely assumed different forms—a formerly public practice has gone underground and shifted from the north to the south. Because the HIV-infected blood was sold to the entire country, there have been increasing reports of infection in the cities due to blood transfusion.

She has also found other abuses. “Now there exist even more appalling things such as stealing money from AIDS donation funds,” Gao said. “Those who are supposed to be in charge dare to steal both money and property, and they deceive everyone. During the last few years, they have suppressed everyone who dares to speak up. Now many people are dying and the number is even approaching the level of the Great Famine [1958-61].”

Gao has had a very tough life. Because she was born to a large and wealthy family, she was classified as a “Class Enemy” during the Culture Revolution. She was locked up in a morgue for nearly eight months.

After the Cultural Revolution, she was transferred to Henan Province to work as a doctor and lecturer in medical science. During a consultation in 1996, she met an AIDS patient. She suspected that this patient had contracted the virus during a blood transfusion and she worried that there might be more than one victim. Out of her sense of responsibility as a doctor, she started to become involved in AIDS prevention.

After a long period of both open and secret investigations, she found that since the 1980s, many people had been selling their blood to make money in mainland China. Many poor citizens contracted AIDS in this way and the victims could do nothing but wait for their death in despair, leaving behind many children who also had AIDS.

Gao’s care for AIDS victims and her attempt to reveal the truth behind the epidemic in China resulted in the Chinese Communist Regime targeting her. In order to continue providing care and support for AIDs patients in China, the 85-year-old Gao decided in the winter of 2009 to leave her home and family and become an exile in the United States.

chinareports@epochtimes.com

Mr. Li Kongxiang Dies after Three Days of Brutal Interrogation (Photos)

By a Clearwisdom correspondent from Zhejiang Province, China

Name: Li Kongxiang (李孔祥)
Gender: Male
Age: 64
Address: #1 Puhu Road, Ninghai County, Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province
Occupation: Unknown
Date of Death: November 11, 2011
Date of Most Recent Arrest: November 7, 2011
Most Recent Place of Detention: Sanmen County Special Patrol Police Division (三门巡特警大队)
City: Ningbo
Province: Zhejiang
Persecution Suffered: Sleep deprivation, beatings, torture, physical restraint, home ransacked, interrogation

(Clearwisdom.net) Mr. Li Kongxiang, 64, was a Falun Gong practitioner from Ninghai County, Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province. He died on November 11, 2011 after being interrogated and tortured for three days by police at the Sanmen County Special Patrol Division.

On November 7, 2011, a group of officers, led by Ninghai County 610 Office instructor Fan Haocheng, broke into Mr. Li's home. They ransacked his house and arrested Mr. Li without showing any identification or legal documentation. In the following days, his family inquired about his whereabouts through various avenues, but they received no information.



Mr. Li Kongxiang

Three days later, on November 10, Mr. Li's daughter received a phone call from the Sanmen County Special Patrol Police Division informing her that she needed come to pick up Mr. Li. Mr. Li returned home around 6:00 p.m. that evening.

According to Mr. Li, he was transferred to the Sanmen County Special Patrol Police Division after he was arrested. Chief Luo and about a dozen special police officers attempted to extort a confession from him by torturing him. They deprived him of sleep for three days, and they tied him to an iron chair. He was tied up so tightly that he couldn't move. The officers took turns beating him severely. They called Mr. Li's family when they saw that he was close to death.

Mr. Li was on the verge of death after three days of torture. He was very weak and unable to sit up. His whole head, back, abdomen, and inner thighs were black and blue. His stomach was discolored and swollen.



Mr. Li's body, after three days of torture in police custody

When his family offered to cook something for him, he stated that he was not hungry, that he was very tired, and that he only wanted to sleep. He later awoke around 10 p.m. just to eat a small amount of oatmeal before falling back to sleep. At 2:10 a.m., he called his sister to inform her that he had pain everywhere, and that his stomach was bloated and especially painful. He had difficulty urinating; when he did urinate, he passed large quantities of blood. Mr Li. passed away later that day.

Mr. Li's daughter was determined to press charges against the officers who had murdered her father. The officers offered a settlement of 70,000 yuan. They threatened and pressured Mr. Li's family into cremating his body right away, and his body has since been cremated.

Mr. Li began practicing Falun Gong in 1995, and enjoyed good health and inner peace ever since. He was arrested multiple times for practicing Falun Gong after the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began to suppress the practice in July of 1999.

We hope that people worldwide will pay attention to the ongoing persecution in China. We cannot allow such atrocities to continue to take place.

Agencies and personnel involved in the persecution of Mr. Li Kongxiang:

Pan Benmiao, head of the Ninghai County 610 Office
Fang Haocheng, instructor for the Ninghai County 610 Office: +86-13906606139 (Cell)
The Ninghai County Police Department: +86-574-65347000, +86-574-65536000

The Sanmen County Police Department:
Zhang Zhengwen, chief of the Special Patrol Police Division: +86-576-83306629
Luo Junjie, deputy chief of the Public Security Division
Yu Yongqing, chief of the Domestic Security Division: +86-13906550721 (Cell), +86-576-83306510

Posting date: 12/5/2011
Category: Death Cases
Chinese version available at
http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2011/12/3/宁波李孔祥被刑豆逼供三天三夜致死-图--250111.html

10-Year Anniversary of Western Falun Gong Practitioners' Appeal in Tiananmen Square (Photo)

By Joel Chipkar

(Clearwisdom.net) Half a world away from home, I look into the mirror to see if the spy camera is visible. I am in Beijing, China, and have sewn a pinhole camera into the shoulder strap of my backpack. After catching my own eyes in the mirror, a bolt of fear stabs through my heart. Being caught as a spy in Mainland China is no small charge. They apply the death penalty for much smaller crimes.

After a brisk but shaky five-mile walk to Tiananmen Square, I stand aghast at the size. It’s really hard to imagine it filled with tanks and students. The day is bright and chilly. The gentle, cold north wind hits my face as I catch sight of the main flagpole. I arrive at the rendezvous point standing alone, wondering if they are going to make it.



Before I know it, over 30 people from over ten countries, wearing their national flags, gather to appeal for an end to the persecution of Falun Gong. On cue, most sit in meditation while a few unfurl a 12-foot golden banner sporting three giant Chinese characters that read, “Truthfulness, Compassion, Tolerance.” Passersby are shocked. I stand motionless capturing the event with my hidden video camera. In less than 30 seconds police vans scream in from all directions.

In the months that followed more foreigners from around the world would travel to China in an attempt to awaken the Chinese people to the unjust persecution and defamation of Falun Gong happening in their country.

That was ten years ago.

An Appeal for Conscience

The appeal made headline news around the world, and so accomplished part of what we had set out to achieve. People who had never heard about the persecution of Falun Gong now knew about it. And this awareness was the first step toward more people demanding the Chinese regime stop it.

However, our hearts were set on changing things in China. Our appeal was focused on telling the people of China who are smothered by a media blockade to awaken to the realities of the evils happening in their own-censored back yard and not blindly follow an illegal persecution.

In the past ten years we have come to understand more deeply how difficult what we were asking was.

China has an ancient, rich culture that brings deep and unshakeable pride to its people. It was built on the teachings of honor, loyalty, compassion, responsibility and most notably the pursuit of truth. Each dynasty understood the importance of spirituality, and although each change of dynasty was tumultuous, after the change Chinese people lived hundreds of years in relative harmony.

The era of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) rule, however, has been different than any other time in China’s history.

Since seizing the rule of China in 1949, the CCP has made enemies of its own citizens by waging countless campaigns against them and by turning citizens against each other in order to sway focus off of the corruption of the regime itself. Approximately 80 million people have died unnatural deaths as a result.

The Party has created one crisis after another: the 1950’s mass regime-created famine during the so called “Great Leap Forward,” the terrifying Cultural Revolution that ended in the mid-70’s which targeted and destroyed all spirituality that could potentially empower the people, the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989, the real-time, ongoing persecution of Falun Gong etc. As a result, every family in China has at least one relative who has faced persecution by the CCP. Yet, partly because of this unending terror, many Chinese blindly follow the CCP and its propaganda.

China’s Moral Dilemma

The CCP’s China has become a place where people are forced to live without the freedom of belief, where people are afraid to say one wrong word in public for fear of arrest and torture, and where thinking of others, standing up for principle, and acting out of integrity have been replaced by fear, jealousy, selfishness, and indifference.

Chinese people witness daily the unjust arrest, abuse, discrimination against and dehumanization of groups all across China: the attacks on the Uighurs and Tibetans, the crackdowns on house Christians and papal Catholics, the silencing and jailing of human rights lawyers, the injustice done to those whose homes are demolished in order to enrich local officials, the threats to the parents to stop protesting over the deaths of their children killed in collapsed schools during the Sichuan earthquake—the list is endless.

For the past 12 years Chinese society has also been witness to the arrest, torture, and killing of Falun Gong practitioners. Tens of thousands of imprisoned practitioners have been murdered by state-owned hospitals to fuel the regime’s multi-billion dollar organ transplant tourism.

The affects of the blows to the moral fabric of society are becoming more visible everyday.

I watched a YouTube video of a 2-year-old baby who wandered out of her parents store onto a street in China where she was hit twice by vans and lay on the road dying. 18 people walked by without stopping or helping. Chinese manufacturers sell poisoned milk, poisoned baby food, diluted or tainted drugs, and contaminated drywall to consumers for money.

Looking to the Future

Every Sunday morning my mother and I get together to practice the Falun Gong exercises in a nearby park. Sometimes during the sitting meditation I open my eyes and look at her spare, 70-year-old body as she sits with perfect posture, her eyes gently closed with a little smile on her face. She looks so peaceful. I remember when family fights and violent tempers ripped through our not so happy home. It was like magic to me how in less than a year this seemingly simple spiritual discipline brought calm into my family’s life.

The peaceful look on my mothers face was in complete contrast from the look of shock on the faces of those Chinese people in Tiananmen Square that day.

They had forgotten that in the beginning Falun Gong was awarded and praised by the CCP for the benefits it brought to the Chinese people. It was even congratulated by the Public Security Bureau for “bringing the crime fighting virtues back to China.” It would not be long until the popularity of Falun Gong would threaten the corrupt state and its fear of citizen empowerment.

It would also not be until 2006 when the world would finally have a clear answer of why the CCP continues its crackdown on Falun Gong. Mr. Chen Yonglin, a high ranked Chinese Embassy Official in Australia would defect from his post and state: “The Chinese Communist Party has always relied on violence, lies, and advocating atheism to maintain its power. They could not understand Falun Gong practitioners’ peaceful efforts to protect their freedom of belief. Now they feel they can’t let people know about what has been done to Falun Gong in China.”

Today millions around the world cherish the teachings of Falun Gong and the focus on morality that it has brought into their lives. It is something China needs desperately.

Ten years later, our appeals have been joined by countless actions from practitioners and citizens who have taken the same end in view.

Millions of practitioners inside China continue to operate home workshops where they print leaflets and fliers for distribution to their fellow citizens. Outside of China Falun Gong practitioners have created state of the art firewalls to break down the Chinese regime’s Internet blockade. With this new flow of information over 100 million Chinese in and out of China have renounced membership in the CCP and its affiliated organizations.

Thousands of government officials from countries around the world have stood in solidarity with Falun Gong. Millions of people worldwide have signed petitions and written letters calling for an end to the illegal persecution and to bring those responsible in China to justice.

Although it was 10 years ago it still feels like it was yesterday. My heart was beating out of my chest as I raced on a rickshaw through Beijing back to my hotel while Tiananmen Square faded behind me. My only question: Did we succeed or did we fail?

Ten years later I feel a great honor to have been a part of a movement that continues to stand up in the face of tyranny for the protection of others.

Throughout history good and evil has played out in frightening and inspiring stories. The line has been drawn in the sand more times than one can count. Today we keep deep in our hearts a wish that more and more people will stand on the right side.

Joel Chipkar is a real estate broker and human rights advocate living in Toronto, Canada. View the video that Chipkar shot at
 http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2001/11/26/16209.html

Posting date: 11/29/2011
Category: In the News

Falun Gong Float Makes an Elegant Appearance at Chicago's Thanksgiving Parade (Photos)

By Xiao Su in Chicago


(Clearwisdom.net) McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade was held on the morning of November 24, 2011, on State Street in downtown Chicago. Several hundred thousand spectators lined the streets to watch. Falun Gong participated in the parade for the ninth year, and brought their creation: Huge Lotus Flowers. Chicago Tribune reports on the parade featured photos of the Falun Gong float.


 Chicago practitioners take part in 2011 Thanksgiving Parade


Elegantly dressed practitioners demonstrate Falun Gong exercises on a beautifully decorated float


Falun Gong float in Chicago's 2011 Thanksgiving Parade


Spectators watch Falun Gong parade procession pass by


 Photo of Falun Gong float on the Chicago Tribune website

According to Mr. Yang Sen, president of the Mid-US Falun Dafa Association, “It is a challenge to present a new look in the parade each year. This year, they got inspiration from the Hollywood Parade in Los Angeles. In 2005, a Falun Gong parade float dazzled attendees with a lotus flower that stood six feet tall. The local Chicago Falun Gong contingent decided to adopt a similar design.”

There were also different-colored small lotus blossoms on the float, on which practitioners demonstrated the Falun Gong exercises and other movements. Chicago's largest newspaper, Chicago Tribune, published a photo of the Falun Gong float on its website, and several hundred thousand television viewers saw Falun Gong practitioners and their elegant demeanor via live broadcast on TV.

The annual McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade is one of the most grand parades in Chicago and the mid-U.S. Applicants must go through a rigorous screening by the organizing committee in order to secure an opportunity to appear in the parade. Falun Gong contingent made its first appearance in the Chicago's Thanksgiving Parade in 2003. Its creative and unique design impressed the organizing committee, and thereafter has been invited to take part in the parade in the ensuing years. It is the ninth year now.

Background

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a traditional Chinese spiritual discipline for mind and body. The practice involves slow, gentle movements and meditation. It is easy to learn, enjoyable to practice, and free of charge. Its principles are based on Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. The practice was first introduced by Master Li Hongzhi in China in 1992 and quickly spread by word of mouth throughout China and then beyond. Its beneficial effects in uplifting an individual's physical health, spiritual well-being, and moral character, not to mention its positive influence in the community and society as a whole, have been undeniable. In fact, Falun Gong is practiced by over 100 million people in 110 countries. The main works of Falun Gong are available in over 30 languages.

Posting date: 11/29/2011
Category: Community Events
Chinese version available at
 http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2011/11/28/芝加哥感恩节大游行-法轮功花车展风采-图--249942.html

A Western Practitioner Recalls Group Protest on Tiananmen Square a Decade Ago (Photos)

By Dexiang, Clearwisdom correspondent

(Clearwisdom.net) Nina from Hamburg, Germany began practicing Falun Gong in 1998. In 1999, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) started the brutal persecution of Falun Gong. On November 20, 2001, Nina and thirty-five other Western practitioners from a number of different countries staged a peaceful protest of the persecution on Tiananmen Square in Beijing, carrying a large banner bearing the words “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.” The presence of the Western practitioners allowed people in China and around the world to see Falun Gong’s wide popularity across the globe. The peaceful protest caused a big stir in the West, drawing worldwide attention to the persecution of Falun Gong in China.


Thirty-six Western Falun Gong practitioners protest the CCP’s persecution of Falun Gong on Tiananmen Square. Nina (the fifth from right) sits in the front row.


Practitioners protest the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong in front of the Chinese Consulate (Nina is the second from left)


Nina sits on top of a float and demonstrates the Falun Gong exercises.

For the last ten years, like many practitioners around the world, Nina has not stopped participating in various activities to expose and protest the persecution. She hopes that the persecution will end as soon as possible, and that more Chinese people will learn the truth and get rid of the CCP's control.

The persecution of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is the persecution of the entire human race

In discussing the motives for the peaceful protest in Beijing, Nina said, "I learned that countless Falun Gong practitioners were being persecuted in China, subjected to unfair treatment. There was a Chinese practitioner in Hamburg who was detained for petitioning in China. I felt I should do something."

As a Western practitioner, why did she campaign for practitioners in China? Nina said, "Falun Gong’s principle of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is important for everyone. When Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is persecuted, regardless of where it happens in the world, it is the persecution of the entire human race. Therefore it is important to protest the persecution. Without Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, there would be no life."

The thirty-six Western practitioners had several wishes when they went to Tiananmen Square. Nina explained, "We wanted to show the CCP that many Westerners practiced Falun Gong. Not only did the CCP stage a smear campaign against Falun Gong in China, it also spread its lies all around the world, misleading people across the globe. We wanted to tell the Chinese regime that there are Falun Gong practitioners in dozens of countries around the world.” Nina continued, “We also wanted to let the Chinese people know that Falun Gong is embraced all around the world, because we knew that the CCP used all state propaganda machines to frame and slander Falun Gong. We also hoped that this action would encourage practitioners in China. They cannot go to practice sites or do the Falun Gong exercises at home. Their lives are even in danger. They have no freedom of practice."

Nina recalled that about twenty seconds after they sat down and unfurled the banner on Tiananmen Square, they were surrounded by police, the China National Security agents and plainclothes police. "The police told us to get into the police cars, which we did not obey. They began to use violence. Some practitioners were injured. One practitioner’s fingers were fractured. We were locked up."

"In the past I only knew that many practitioners in Beijing were detained, and did not expect to have it happen to me. Of course, the situation is completely different for Western practitioners. We had informed the German media beforehand, as well as practitioners in Germany. We notified a lot of German officials, which was one of the things that we wanted to achieve, to expose the persecution of Falun Gong in China. At the time, there was not much reported about Falun Gong in the Western media. Whatever little bit there was, it was quoted from the CCP, further spreading the lies that the CCP fabricated against Falun Gong. So it was very important for Western practitioners to do peaceful appeals in Beijing.”

Nina and other practitioners were held together in one large room, and interrogated one by one. "In the beginning we did the Falun Gong exercises, and I meditated. Later, a policeman came in and laughed in a weird manner, which even made me shake. Having seen this, he laughed more loudly. Then he poked me with his hands. The more he did that, the more I calmed down. My attachment of fear was completely gone. I realized that I should finish the meditation. Later he pushed me harder and harder, until I fell to the ground."

A new life after practicing Falun Gong

Nina had learned about the unfair treatment ofFalun Gong practitioners in China. In the labor camps, practitioners are not allowed to sleep. They are forced to watch TV programs that slander Falun Gong, which causes confusion in their minds. Some practitioners were forced to give up their beliefs. If one does not give up Falun Gong, he could be beaten to death, brainwashed, and so on. "To be honest, although I believe in Falun Gong, the news of the persecution scared me. I was worried whether I could go through with it. I did not know what I would encounter in China, but I did not hesitate. All I thought about was to validate Dafa on Tiananmen Square."

So what gave Nina the courage to take part in the peaceful appeal on Tiananmen Square? Nina said that since practicing Falun Gong she felt she found the meaning of life. She was full of gratitude for Dafa. "Not only did I learn the exercises, but I also gained a new life,” she explained. “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance indeed changed my life. Looking back at my life before joining the practice, I felt it was boring and hopeless. My physical health was poor as well. Often I did not know what my future would be. After practicing Falun Gong, I realized that living by the principle of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance will change one's life drastically. Life is full of vitality."

Nina was willing to devote herself wholeheartedly. "Without Falun Gong, I would feel that my life has no meaning. From this point, when I was asked if I was willing to go to Tiananmen Square, I agreed without hesitation. I wished to validate Dafa. "

The greatness of practitioners in China: upholding their belief under brutal persecution

Through the CCP’s detention that time, Nina understood further the plight of practitioners in China. "For practitioners in China, no media would report about them factually. Few people support them openly. Many practitioners are locked up in prison. Some just disappeared. None of these tragedies drew the attention of foreign media. The CCP fabricates false charges at will. The greatness of practitioners in China is that, despite the brutal persecution, they still uphold their belief and continue the practice.”

A decade of spare time spent on stopping the persecution

Ever since Nina returned to Germany from Beijing ten years ago, she has not stopped campaigning for practitioners in China. She has participated in a numerous Falun Gong activities in Germany, Europe and the United States.

"I spend all my spare time on stopping the CCP's continued persecution of Falun Gong, campaigning for mainland practitioners."

For example, she regularly participates in the protests in front of the CCP’s Consulate in Hamburg. She and her fellow practitioners talk to the Chinese people who come to the Consulate about the persecution, and they have told the German police on duty about Falun Gong. Due to their year-round activities in front of the Consulate, they have become quite familiar with the police on duty and have established friendship and mutual trust between them.

This year Nina also joined the European Divine Land Marching Band and took part in events throughout Europe. Through these activities, she hopes that more people throughout the world will know about the persecution of Falun Gong.

Her wish is that the CCP will immediately stop the persecution of Falun Gong, that the mainland public will have an opportunity to get to know Falun Gong, and that they will read the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party and no longer be deceived by the CCP. She hopes that more Chinese people will quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations.

Posting date: 11/28/2011
Category: Community Events
Chinese version available at
 http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2011/11/21/西人学员忆十年前天安门抗议迫害-图--249688.html

Taiwan: Group Practice of 7,500 Held at Freedom Plaza (Photos)

(Clearwisdom.net) On November 26, one day before the Asian-Pacific Falun Dafa Experience Sharing Conference, over 7,500 practitioners from Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Singapore, and several other countries held a group practice at the Freedom Plaza in Taipei.


Group practice at Freedom Plaza. A spectacular practice site of 7,500 practitioners attracts many tourists

A spokesperson for the Taiwan Falun Dafa Association pointed out that Falun Dafa is now practiced in over 100 countries and regions around the world, with over 100 million people who have benefited from the practice. The number of practitioners in Taiwan is second only to Mainland China. She said, “Today, we formed a portrait of our Master. We want to express our heart-felt gratitude to our Master for giving us a new life, and to let people know the beauty of Falun Dafa and the fact that Falun Dafa is widely practiced around the world.”

Joyce from Sweden learned Falun Dafa in Changchun, in 1993. She said that she was very fortunate to be a part of Master’s portrait. She felt that she was immersed in a giant energy field.




Many passersby and tourists were attracted to the demonstration and started to learn the exercises

Sang Dexun, 32, is from Brazil. One of his friends gave him a copy of Zhuan Falun eight years ago. He was inspired and started to learn the exercises via the Internet. He said that the biggest benefit from the practice was improvement in mind nature and spirit. He said that he is very peaceful now and hardly moved by anything. Sang is now working on a Master's degree at Taiwan Normal University.



Sang Dexun, a practitioner from Brazil

Practitioner Mingxin (Pen name) is from Israel. As a fresh college graduate, she moved to Hong Kong three months ago for a new job. She came to this conference with fellow practitioners from Hong Kong. Her Caucasian face attracted much attention, and yet she spoke fluent Chinese. She also shared her xinxing improvement, as she is improving in every aspect of life. She learned about Falun Dafa from a friend in 2005.



Macao practitioner Lin Yiming

Macao practitioner Lin Yiming learned the practice in Mainland China. He was on a business trip to Suifenhe, Heilongjiang Province during the Lantern Festival of 1997. A company executive gave him three Falun Dafa books as a gift. On his way back home, he almost finished reading the three books. Lin said that in the past he had tried many qigong practices, because of health problems. When he got the Falun Dafa books, he was deeply drawn into them and started his journey with the practice immediately. His wife and two daughters are now also practitioners. He said that he came this time to learn how to clarify the truth to Mainland Chinese people from fellow practitioners in Taiwan.

When the practitioners formed Master’s Li’s portrait at the Plaza, many Mainland Chinese tourists and other local people were attracted to the site. They asked for Falun Gong truth-clarifying materials and took photos of the scene.

A Mainland tourist told a practitioner that the line-up was spectacular and they could not see this in China. The practitioner then told him, “Falun Dafa is good. Quit the Chinese Communist Party for a safe future.” He smiled and said, “Yes.”

Mr. Ren from Mainland China watched for a long time and exclaimed, “Master Li Hongzhi is very powerful, and Falun Gong is a true cultivation practice. His disciples can sit so long during the lining up.” He commented that the CCP did two major wrong things. The Cultural Revolution and the persecution of Falun Gong.

Another Mainland tourist said that many people had heard about this character-forming event and they came from Hong Kong just to see it. He estimated that there were probably over 100 Chinese tourists who came to Taiwan just to witness this event.

Mr. and Mrs. Huang from Hong Kong stopped by Freedom Plaza on their last day in Taiwan, and they took many photos of the group practice site. Mrs. Huang said that she rarely saw such a spectacular scene in Hong Kong. She said it was hard to believe that so many people can sit together to practice the same exercises. When they learned that Falun Gong is being persecuted in China, they were completely surprised and puzzled.



Two western tourists were fascinated by the practice site

Many passersby were attracted by the peaceful exercise demonstration and started learning the exercises on site.

Mr. Liao Huashi is a high-tech company manager who started practicing Falun Gong six years ago. While he is always busy at work, regular practice of Falun Gong exercises and Fa study have helped him to maintain a peaceful heart. He thus can work more efficiently. Today, his mother, mother-in-law, wife, and child all practice Falun Gong.



Mr. and Mrs. Liao and their child

Ms. Dong Sijin has practiced Falun Gong for 15 years. During the Chinese character event and later Master’s portrait forming, she felt that she was surrounded by a powerful energy field and was not tired or thirsty during the two-hour sitting. Her mind was very pure. Working for a travel agency, she has worked with numerous customers, and she always tries her best to serve every customer to their satisfaction. In any conflict, she now always looks inside to improve her forbearance.

Painter Meng Qiwen attended a nine-day lecture class this past July, and she said that she loves studying the Fa . “I have tried many cultivation practices before, but I knew they were not what I was looking for. When I got in touch with Falun Gong, I realized that this was what I had been looking for, for so long.”

Early in the morning, a police officer came and asked about the schedule of practitioners’ activities. He then left. Practitioner Cai Shouren, who was in charge of renting the venue, said that Taiwan police know Falun Gong well and they respect practitioners.

Cai said, “While Freedom Plaza is next to the Presidential Compound and we have so many people, they are not worried at all. Not a single police officer has been deployed to watch us.”



Posting date: 12/1/2011
Category: Community Events
Chinese version available at
http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2011/11/27/亚洲法会前夕--七千五百人集体炼功-249901.html