By Tang An

(Clearwisdom.net) May 13, 2009 is the seventeenth anniversary of the introduction of Falun Dafa (also called Falun Gong) to the public, the tenth World Falun Dafa Day, as well as the fifty-eighth birthday of Mr. Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Dafa. Mr. Li, respectfully called Master or Teacher by Falun Dafa practitioners, held the first Falun Dafa seminar on May 13, 1992 in Changchun City of Jilin Province and revealed Truth-Compassion-Forbearance as the characteristic of the universe. He has emphasized that Dafa practitioners should pay attention to the cultivation of their morality and virtue. Through cultivation, all Falun Dafa practitioners have improved their health, xinxing, and morality.

At present, Falun Dafa has been spread to one hundred fourteen countries and regions, and over one hundred million people have benefited from practicing Falun Gong. Falun Dafa books have been translated into over thirty languages and circulated around the world. Falun Gong has won over 1,500 awards and proclamations. In 2000, through the discussion by the Falun Dafa Associations in various countries, May 13 has been chosen as "World Falun Dafa Day" so as to celebrate this great day of mankind. This is the day that Falun Gong practitioners and the world's people celebrate together.

Falun Dafa has been spread to Five Continents and over one hundred million people have benefited from practicing Falun Gong

Falun Gong practitioners practice their exercises accompanied by soft and beautiful music. Such a gentle and harmonious scene may not be strange to many people. From Russia, which is close to the North Pole, to the South Island of New Zealand, near the South Pole, from chilly Northern Europe to hot South Asia, to North America, South America, Australia, or Africa, no matter what kind of language people speak and what races people belong to, people can always find Falun Gong.

On May 9, 2009, more than six thousand Falun Gong practitioners in Taiwan formed the shape of Zhuan Falun, the book that guides them to practice cultivation

Many practitioners indicate that after learning Falun Gong, they have benefited in both their bodies and minds. Besides their healthy bodies, they have also improved their morality. For example, Mr. Ma, a ninety-eight-year-old Tainan resident, who participated in the activity of forming the shape of Zhuan Falun, said that before he learned Falun Gong, he had suffered from all kinds of illnesses, and he had to rely on taking injections and medications to live, so his life was very miserable. Fortunately, he encountered and learned Falun Gong ten years ago, and before long, all his illnesses and suffering were gone; he felt as if he had been reborn. He said that he is very grateful to Master Li Hongzhi for the blessings.

Frank, a law school student in Germany, who will become a lawyer, said that Zhuan Falun has enabled him to truly understand the meaning of cultivation. Through practicing Falun Gong, Frank has obtained good health and harmony of his mind and body. His entire being has become harmonious. He has finished his school very smoothly.

The Chinese Communist Party relentlessly persecutes Falun Gong and Falun Gong practitioners resolutely resist the persecution

On July 20, 1999, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) started the all-out persecution of the benevolent Falun Gong practitioners. It has been confirmed that at least 3263 Falun Gong practitioners have been killed during the persecution. Hundreds of thousands of practitioners have been sent to prisons and labor camps. Thousands of practitioners have been injected with drugs that damage the central nervous system. Numerous practitioners have been sent to brainwashing centers, or forced to leave their homes and become destitute in order to avoid further persecution. Many labor camps have been exposed for removing Falun Gong practitioners' organs for profit while they are still alive.

Over the last ten years, Falun Gong practitioners have followed Mr. Li Hongzhi's guidance of "Not striking back when beaten and not swearing back when sworn at," and they, amidst the brutal persecution, resolutely keep clarifying the facts about Falun Gong to people and appeal to the world's people for stopping the persecution. For example, to help the Chinese tourists learn the facts of Falun Gong in a free country, Falun Gong practitioners in St. Petersburg, Russia have formed truth-clarification groups that take turns going to the train station to hand out informational materials. Over several years, no matter if it is cold or hot, and no matter if it is windy or raining, they have almost not missed a day. In 2006 summer alone, they gave out over twenty thousand copies of truth-clarification materials, which were all made by practitioners with their own savings.

The truth of Falun Dafa has been widely spread and the sense of justice is naturally in people's minds

Falun Gong practitioners' outlook of "thinking of others first" has moved the world's people, and the goodness of Falun Dafa has been increasingly recognized. From May 11 to 13, 2002, Falun Gong practitioners in the South Island of New Zealand, under the theme of "The World Needs Truth-Compassion-Forbearance," voluntarily worked in the organic garden in Christchurch City to thank the New Zealand government for its support of Falun Dafa. The national television station of New Zealand made a profound report of this activity, which was broadcasted to the whole country during prime time on a Sunday. Falun Dafa was also introduced.

In July 2008, the Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (CIPFG) handed the signatures collected during the global campaign against the persecution to officials in the headquarters of the United Nations' International Olympic Committee in Lausanne, Switzerland. During the six-month long signature campaign, 1,215,793 people from 131 countries signed their names to appeal for an end to the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong.

"Dafa is being spread far and wide. Those who hear about it are looking for it. Those who have obtained it are delighted with it. The number of cultivators is increasing daily and becoming countless." ("Seeking Discipleship with Teacher" in Essentials for Further Advancement)

The following are several dozen photos of Falun Gong practitioners' practicing their exercises. They cannot comprehensively show the entire picture of Dafa's spreading. However, even with this glimpse, people can still see that the light of Truth-Compassion-Forbearance has already shone all over the world, and that the world's people sincerely hope that the persecution can be stopped as early as possible so the Chinese people can regain the freedom of practicing Falun Gong.

Asia

In May 1998, before the persecution of Falun Gong, Shenyang City Falun Gong practitioners practiced the exercises together.

On November 15, 2003, nearly ten thousand Taiwan Falun Gong practitioners practiced the exercises in front of the Taiwan Presidential Palace and called for the public trial of Jiang Zemin and the ending of the persecution.

Japanese Falun Gong practitioners' group practice at Mount Fuji

Indonesian Falun Gong practitioners teach the exercises in a school

On May 13, 2008, Singapore Falun Gong practitioners celebrate the wide spreading of Falun Gong and wish Master Li Hongzhi happy birthday.

South Korean Falun Gong practitioners' group practice

During a Fa experience-sharing conference, Indonesian Falun Gong practitioners practice the exercises and form the characters of "Falun Dafa"

Malaysian Falun Gong practitioners send forth righteous thoughts together

Hong Kong Falun Gong practitioners' group practice in Standard Garden

Israeli Falun Gong practitioners hold banners on the street in front of Israel Supreme Court to protest the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong

Oceania

On May 13, 2008, Melbourne Falun Gong practitioners in Australia celebrated the spreading of Falun Dafa and wished Falun Gong's founder happy birthday

New Zealand Falun Gong practitioners hold a parade in downtown Wellington, New Zealand's capital, to protest the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong

The former Vice Premier of Papua New Guinea, an island county in the Pacific Ocean, and his family members learn Falun Gong exercises

Americas

Falun Gong practitioners' group practice in Washington D.C, USA

U.S. Falun Gong practitioners practice the exercises in Chicago

Toronto Falun Gong practitioners' group practice in Canada

Honduran Falun Gong practitioners' practice site in Lion Park, Tegucigalpa, the Capital of Honduras

On May 13, 2006, Peru Falun Gong practitioners celebrated the anniversary of Falun Dafa's spreading and wished Falun Gong's founder happy birthday

Falun Gong practitioners' group exercise in Mexico City, Mexico

Argentina Falun Gong practitioners send righteous thoughts in La Plata City

Falun Gong practitioners teach the exercises in the capital of Uruguay

Costa Rica Falun Gong practitioners practice and teach the Falun Gong exercises in San Jose National Park

Europe

In April 1995, the first Falun Gong Seminar was held at Nordgarden in Gotheborg, Sweden. This photo showed the Falun Gong practitioners' group exercise during the second Falun Gong seminar at Nordgarden.

In 1997, Falun Gong practitioners taught the exercises during the first Falun Gong seminar in St. Petersburg, Russia

In March 2003, Falun Gong practitioners from various countries practiced the exercises in front of the gate of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland

Italian Falun Gong practitioners' group practice at Gran Paradiso Massif

Austria's Falun Gong practitioners' group practice

French Falun Gong practitioners' group practice under The Eiffel Tower

Falun Gong practitioners participate in the parade during Edinburgh Arts Festival, UK

During Spain's National Health Fair, a continuous stream of visitors comes to learn Falun Gong exercises

On May 13, 2008, practitioners in Northern Germany celebrate the spreading of Falun Dafa and wish Master Li happy birthday

Falun Gong practitioners in Turkey demonstrate the exercises at Mersin Festival

Falun Gong practitioners promote and practice the exercises in Monaco

Slovakian practitioners protest the persecution of Falun Gong in front of the Chinese Embassy

Norwegian practitioners practice the exercises by the sea

Ukrainian practitioners promote Falun Gong and tell people the facts of the persecution of Falun Gong in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine

Falun Gong practitioners' group practice in Hague, The Netherlands

Denmark practitioners went to Greenland to promote Falun Gong

Finnish practitioners protest the persecution of Falun Gong in front of the CCP's Embassy

Africa

Falun Gong practitioners' group practice in Johannesburg, South Africa

Falun Gong practitioners teach the exercises in Dar es Salaam, the former capital of Tanzania

A new Falun Gong practice site in Uganda

On May 13, 2004, Falun Gong practitioners in Ethiopia celebrated World Falun Dafa Day

May 12, 2009