5,300 people form the emblem of Falun Gong in Taiwan

TAIPEI, Taiwan – About 5,300 people dressed in color-coordinated clothing took part in a giant formation yesterday at Taipei's iconic Freedom Square. The operation aimed to inspire people around the world and call them to embrace the inherent goodness of their human nature.

Three giant, bright yellow Chinese characters, each formed by more than 400 participants, represented the concepts of “truth,” “compassion” and “tolerance,” the fundamental principles of the spiritual practice of Falun Gong. The rest of the participants formed the practice's multi-colored emblem, the “Falun” or “wheel of law.”

This event, known as character training, is an annual tradition for Falun Gong practitioners in Taiwan; Over the years, this activity has attracted a significant number of practitioners from many regions and countries. This year, practitioners traveled from Malaysia, Indonesia, Mongolia, Macau, Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea.

Hsiao Sung-shan is a retired engineering professor and president of the Taiwan Falun Dafa Association. He said in a press release that people need truth, compassion and tolerance more than ever, given the conflicts and moral decline plaguing the world today.

The three principles “have their origins in moral concepts rooted in traditional Chinese culture,” Hsaio said. He added that these three virtues should serve as a “beacon” for humanity.

Falun Gong, also called Falun Dafa, was first introduced to the public in China in 1992. Its moral teachings and five meditation exercises enjoyed a meteoric rise in popularity, and by the late 1990s official estimates put the number of practitioners between 70 and 100 million.

But in July 1999, the Chinese Communist Party, which saw the popularity of this practice as a threat to its totalitarian regime, launched a vast eradication campaign. Since then, millions of practitioners have been arbitrarily detained in Chinese prisons, labor camps and other similar facilities, and hundreds of thousands of them have been tortured during incarceration, according to the Falun Information Center. Dafa.

Thus, every year, photos from the Taiwan event are a source of inspiration for Falun Gong practitioners persecuted in China, who themselves organized similar events in mainland China before the CCP turned against the practice. .

Huang Chun-mei, organizer of the event and vice president of the Taiwan Falun Dafa Association, told Epoch Times that this year's photos will definitely resonate in people's hearts, and inspire them to be good and better.

“People who exhibit good nature live more freely and are happier,” she says. “If there are more kind people in this world, our society will definitely become more peaceful. »

After the character training was completed, the participants stayed to practice the exercises together.

Falun Gong

Several participants reported Epoch Times of their joy at participating in this event.

Hsiao Yeh-wei, 48, a Taiwanese semiconductor manufacturing engineer, began practicing Falun Gong in late 1999 while he was a graduate student. He explained that after he started practicing, his nasal allergy disappeared and his life took a more meaningful direction.

He added that this was not the first time he had participated in this event.

According to him, the fact that thousands of people from all over the world are willing to come together to celebrate Falun Dafa is a direct refutation of the CCP's slanderous propaganda against the practice.

“Not everyone has to become a Falun Gong practitioner,” Mr. Hsaio continued. “However, if people decide to live their lives according to the principles of truth, compassion and tolerance, they will realize that life is wonderful. »

Harumi Masuda, 56, a company secretary, and Haruki Taku, 20, a law student, came from Japan to participate in Sunday's event for the first time.

“Spectacular,” she said, before adding that she would definitely return to Taiwan in the future.

More than 150 South Korean practitioners participated in the event. Among them, Katherine Kim, an executive at an export and import company, and her daughter Jessica Jin Huff, an eighth-grader.

“I am very excited to be here,” Ms. Kim said. “My heart is beating very hard. I am very happy to be here. »

Ms. Kim explained the circumstances that led her to become a practitioner: she saw conflicting information circulating about the practice and so decided to visit the official Falun Dafa website and find out for herself. After carefully browsing the site, she decided to start practicing in March last year.

“For my child, I hope to be a mother who can do things based on truth, compassion and tolerance, and become a better mother,” Ms. Kim assured. “I continue to work hard to improve. »

When asked how she would introduce Falun Dafa to others, the girl replied, “It is a practice that focuses on the mind and body to improve oneself and people around us.” of oneself.”

During the character training, many Taiwanese and foreign tourists, including Japanese Yutaro Matsunaga, witnessed the scene.

Mr. Matsunaga told Epoch Times that he was impressed by what he saw, and that the size of the character formation had had a “great impact” on him.

Two tourists from the Philippines told Epoch Times of their amazement at the organization put in place by the practitioners.

“It’s very fascinating, especially for us tourists, to attend such an event,” reacted one of them.

His girlfriend, who will remain in Taiwan to teach English at a local public school, found it “comforting to know that such an event was taking place.”