(Clearwisdom.net) On the fifth day of the first month of the Year of
Yiyou (Sunday, February 13, 2005), the grand "Year of the Rooster Parade
for Love and Prosperity" took place in New York's Manhattan Chinatown.
Manhattan's Chinatown has been well known in the U.S. and even the entire world
for a long time. Many Chinese people from the Mainland have lived here and
prospered for generations. It is also the oldest Chinese community in New York
and it is a testament to the Chinese people's hard work and success outside of
China. Its special location and social customs have attracted numerous
Westerners to come visit Chinatown. Day after day, and year after year,
Chinatown has also witnessed Falun Dafa practitioners' touching history of
introducing and validating Dafa in this area.
On this day, 400 Falun Gong practitioners took part in the grand Chinatown
"Parade for Love and Prosperity." Their procession was full of power
and grandeur, and their performance was rich and colorful. Over the past few
years, Falun Gong practitioners have been hoping to utilize this opportunity to
display the beauty of Falun Dafa. In 2005, Manhattan's Chinatown finally opened
its door to practitioners.
The parade organizers this year clearly expressed that no individual should
decide who is qualified or not to participate in the parade. Therefore, this
year all groups or organizations that applied for participation were welcome to
take part. The organizers did not only welcome Falun Gong practitioners to join
the Lunar New Year parade, but also said that the number of participants was not
restricted. This critical decision gave the New York Chinatown parade a fresh
and new look and added a sense of auspiciousness to the parade.
1. Falun Dafa practitioners have persistently clarified the truth over the
past few years
Over the past few years, Falun Dafa practitioners around Manhattan's
Chinatown have persistently displayed truth-clarifying posters on street corners
and have told passers-by about the goodness of Falun Dafa. The local
practitioners have also persevered in practicing the exercises outdoors every
day. Their practice has displayed the beauty and peacefulness of Dafa to
numerous people. Over the past few years, the Fa-study group in Chinatown has
never been interrupted. On weekends, the sound of reading aloud is even louder
and clearer. In the past two to three years, more and more Chinese and Western
practitioners have joined the Chinatown Fa-study or practice sites.
Over the past few years, practitioners from New York City and surrounding
areas have conducted many large-scale activities including group practice, photo
exhibits and grand parades, with the number of participants ranging from 500 to
4,000. They have also held several large-scale dance and music performances and
free movie shows. Using various means, practitioners have introduced Falun Dafa
and its beauty to the local community, told people about the Jiang faction's
cruel persecution against Falun Gong, and called for justice and conscience to
improve the situation in China.
2. Justice prevails
The Chinese Communist Party (Jiang's regime) has not only rampantly
suppressed Falun Gong in Mainland China, but it also extended its persecution to
this free land of the U.S. In particular, in New York's Chinatown, the Chinese
Consulate hired some people like Liang Guanjun to spread lies slandering Falun
Gong and threatening and bribing other organizations in the community to
discriminate against Falun Gong practitioners. Liang Guanjun and other
accomplices attempted to interfere with practitioners' parade several times but
were stopped by police officers.
New York Falun Gong practitioners clarified the truth about Falun Dafa to
related government officials and institutions in New York City and New York
State, and explained the facts to them about how the Chinese regime has flaunted
American law to trample on the freedom of belief of people in America. At the
same time, practitioners have sought legal counsel and filed a lawsuit in the
New York Supreme Court against Liang Guanjun and others who have assaulted
practitioners. The lawsuit is currently in process.
Falun Gong practitioners' persistent truth-clarification over the past few
years has allowed the entire population of Chinatown to look at Falun Gong with
new eyes. Previously, people did not understand what Falun Gong was, and even
held negative opinions [due to the slanderous propaganda from Mainland China]
or sometimes made fun of it. Now, they have started to learn about and
understand Falun Gong and they support Falun Gong.
3. Spreading the beauty of Dafa, Falun Gong practitioners' procession is
warmly received by spectators
Chinatown became excited and full of happy anticipation because of the
parade. It was estimated that about 200,000 people watched this parade. The
streets and avenues were filled with crowds of people.
Three practitioners holding a banner imprinted with the words, "Falun
Gong," led the procession of 400 practitioners. A 50-people exercise
demonstration troupe followed. Practitioners displayed the elegant and smooth
exercise movements according to Master's verses. Following them was a banner
with the words, "Truthfulness-Compassion- Forbearance." Then came the
New Year's Greetings banner with the words, "Happy New Year," and two
dragons and four lions. They danced to harken the arrival of the Year of the
Rooster. The Tang Dynasty drum troupe and flag troupe exhibited the virtue and
vigorousness of Tang Dynasty culture as well as its tolerant demeanor. A fairy
dance troupe followed, displaying Dafa practitioners' grace, peace and nobility.
What was most lovely was the group of young practitioners from Minghui School.
These pure children sincerely told people, "Falun Dafa is great." The
waist drum troupe was full of power and grandeur. Dafa practitioners from across
the world carried small flags that read,
"Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance" and "Falun Dafa," and
warmly waved toward the spectators to express their New Year's Greetings.
 
Waist drum troupe member |
Lion dance |
Fan dance |
A brilliant and colorful float was at the end of the procession, on which
stood practitioners representing several different ethnicities. There was also a
monk practitioner on the float. They solemnly demonstrated the five sets of
Falun Gong exercises, creating a beautiful and peaceful scene.
A great number of people with video and still cameras were attracted when the
practitioners were still in the process of lining up for the parade. A Western
boy even learned the Falun Gong exercises on the spot. His father stood by and
looked very proud of him.
The Falun Gong exercise music and the song, "Falun Dafa is Good,"
resounded over the sky above Manhattan's Chinatown.
Throughout the entire parade, spectators on both sides of the streets smiled,
raised their heads in anticipation, waved non-stop and took many pictures. They
did not want to miss such a beautiful moment. In front of the main podium, the
organizers introduced the arrival of the Falun Gong procession, their exercise
demonstration, the performances by the Tang Dynasty drum troupe, the fairy dance
troupe, the waist drum troupe, and their beautiful float. The master of
ceremonies praised the Falun Gong procession for displaying the best of
traditional Chinese culture.
People seemed reluctant to leave even after the parade was over. Many people
wanted to take pictures with the practitioners. In a car, a Western boy dressed
in Tang Dynasty costume gave the thumbs up toward practitioners.
As the New Year begins, Dafa practitioners hope that all kind-hearted people
throughout the world will have the opportunity to learn about the beauty of
Falun Dafa and thereby create a wonderful future for themselves.
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