Chicago, U.S.A.: Falun Gong Participates in Thanksgiving Parade (Photos/Video)

By a practitioner from Chicago

(Clearwisdom.net) The 74th Chicago Thanksgiving Parade was held on State Street, November 22, 2007. Falun Gong practitioners were again invited to perform in the parade. WGN 9 broadcast the parade live. About one million families watched it on TV. The parade host introduced Falun Gong to the audience and thanked practitioners for bringing beautiful and pure Chinese culture to the parade.

Falun Gong group in the parade

The lotus flower on the float--the symbol of purity

Most members of the dragon and lion dance groups are Western practitioners

Practitioners pass by a famous theatre in Chicago

The first Chicago Thanksgiving Parade was held in 1934. Since then, it has been held every year. The organizers pick about 100 groups from numerous applications. It is one of the few parades to be broadcast nationwide on television.

Practitioners participated in this parade for the first time in 2003. They have been invited back every year since. This year, the group was led by three young ladies dressed in traditional Chinese costumes and holding the Chinese characters: "Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance," which is the principle that practitioners follow. Big banners, which read "Falun Dafa" and "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance" followed after them.

Ying-Tang Dragon and Lion Dance group came from New York to participate. Nine practitioners from different countries carried a 30-foot long gold dragon. This was the second time the group had performed in Chicago. They also performed in the NTDTV Chinese New Year Spectacular in Chicago in 2005.

Thousands of spectators warmly welcomed the practitioners' entry in the parade. They took photos and waved. The parade host said, "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance! That is very good."

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