Taiwan: Practitioners Participate in Lantern Festival Parade and Celebration (Photos)

By Jin Ding

(Clearwisdom.net) On March 10 and 11, 2007, two days before the conclusion of the "Taiwan Lantern Festival," Falun Gong practitioners' Divine Land Marching band, waist drum team, and flag and drum team were invited to participate in the parade. Under the golden light of the setting sun, the moving performance of these practitioners impressed the spectators and brought the celebration to its peak.

Flag and drum performance

To celebrate the 2007 Lantern Festival, from March 3 to 11 the Chiayi County Government held a splendid "Taiwan Lantern Show" on the county square. Each night, the twinkle of colorful lights and fireworks shined across the broad plains. Tens of thousands people went to watch the show. On the large stage in front of the main lantern, there were song and music performances by domestic and foreign bands.

On March 10, the 300-member Divine Land Marching Band performed on the square and won acclamation from the spectators.

An older man said, "This is the first time in my whole life to see such a band. It is wonderful." His friend said, "It seems that I was waiting for this performance." Someone in the crowd said, after hearing the comment, "On the streets in Taiwan, most bands only have a few people. Such a band, with 300 people, is rarely seen."

A long row of trumpet players passed by, sending forth stirring music. A young girl gazed in delight and continued to applaud warmly even after the band had passed by.

The band members wore blue jackets and cream-colored trousers. The procession was dozens of meters long and marched toward the main lantern area.

The practitioners' waist drum team participated in the parade on March 11, as did the flag and drum team. The waist drum team members wore yellow kerchiefs on their heads and yellow outfits and carried drums at their waists. Their powerful play resounded in the air to wake up people in the maze.

The flag and drum team was composed of six drum players and four flag bearers. The strong performers wore blue long trousers, blue vests, and black boots. Their performance on the county square was especially appealing. The big sound from the six drums was accompanied by the intricate movements of four yellow flags, each with the Chinese character "Tang" in red. The spectators concentrated on their performance and gave warm and long applause after it concluded.

A practitioner said, "Practitioners spread the grace of Dafa through various means and hope that more people will learn about Falun Gong."

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2007/3/15/150815.html

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