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Denmark: Promoting Falun Gong at the Aarhus Health Expo (Photos)
(Clearwisdom.net) Between the 4th and 6th of March 2005, a Health Expo
was held at the Scandinavian Center in Aarhus, the second largest city of
Denmark. This expo is popular among the people of Denmark, who came to learn
about different methods of health and fitness from experts of various
nationalities. Falun Gong practitioners from Denmark went to Aarhus to take part in the expo
and help people learn more about Falun Gong. This was the third time that
practitioners have joined this expo. They prepared materials in Danish, English
and Chinese, such as leaflets and VCDs. They were pleased with the keen interest
of the public, as many people came to find out more about Falun Gong. There happened to be an empty area beside the Falun Gong stall that
practitioners could use and this was a perfect spot for teaching people the five
sets of exercises. A television on the stall showed a video of Master Li, the
founder of Falun Gong, teaching the exercises in person. At the same time,
practitioners were enthusiastically distributing materials, chatting with people
and demonstrating the exercises. The practitioners noticed that this year people were much keener to learn
more about Falun Gong than they were at the 2004 Aarhus Health Expo. After
several years of efforts to raise awareness about the persecution, practitioners
have matured in their methods. In a discussion before the expo took place, the
practitioners agreed that although it is very important to let people know that
Falun Gong practitioners in China are suffering under a campaign of genocide,
people had come to the expo to learn about health and fitness and the
practitioners had to be considerate and thoughtful in their conversations with
people. The practitioners talked about the amazing effect that practicing the Falun
Gong exercises have--one reason why the practice grew so fast in China--and then
went on to explain how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has always been averse
to any large group of Chinese people getting together. The CCP has done so many
evil things to the Chinese people that they could never win people's hearts, so
they work hard to control people's minds and bodies. But Falun Gong did win
people's hearts and, after it was introduced to the public in 1992, was
practiced by 100 million people in 1998. The Danish people could instantly
understand why Falun Gong is persecuted by the CCP and went on to express their
condemnation of the brutal persecution and torture. One man had a lot of knowledge about the totalitarian regime in China and
after taking a Falun Gong leaflet he later came back to find out more. A
practitioner handed him a copy of "Nine Commentaries on the Communist
Party" published in The Epoch Times newspaper and recommended that
he should read it. The man left very satisfied, knowing that he had something
really special. Many people asked for another leaflet after they got one because they wanted
to take one home for a friend. They gazed at the TV screen, deeply attracted by
the elegant and peaceful exercises, and didn't want to leave for a long time. A
lady applauded repeatedly, "How beautiful! How beautiful!" Many people
learned the exercises on the spot and asked for details of their nearest free
practice site. Some of the other exhibitors also came to understand Falun Gong. This was the
first exhibition following the publication of the Danish version of Falun Gong's
main text Zhuan Falun. Some people bought the book on the spot. Others
asked for the addresses of bookstores where Falun Gong books are available. On the first day of the expo, reporters and camera operators from the local
TV station, TV Denmark, and the largest local newspaper, Aarhus Stiftstidende
came to film the Falun Gong stall. TV Denmark gave practitioners positive
coverage in their daily news bulletin. The next day, Aarhus Stiftstidende published the above
photo of a meditating practitioner as the symbol of the Aarhus Health Expo. The
picture was put in the most significant position of the front page, and there
were interview reports and photos on another page. In the report entitled
"Rescued Smile and Chinese Style Tolerance", they wrote: "'On one corner, there are many people mediating in the lotus position
with eyes closed. These people, known as Falun Gong practitioners, are
practicing their exercises. These group exercises are outlawed in China. Mrs. Hau, who has lived in Denmark for twenty years, opened her eyes and
stood up. She has cultivated Falun Gong for eight years. Mrs. Hau said,
"It's been the best time in my life since I started cultivating Falun Gong.
I'm not anxious any more, I'm not angry any more, and I'm not ill any more.
Falun Gong has aroused great interest among the people of Denmark.'" http://www.clearharmony.net/articles/200503/25460.html
Posting date: 3/21/2005
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