(Clearwisdom.net) On August 23 and 24, 2008, the Irish Dun Laoghaire Festival of World Cultures was held in the small seaside town south of Dublin. This time eight hundred artists and thousands of performers from around the world participated in the event. There were over one hundred fifty performance sites around the town. Falun Gong practitioners were invited to join this festival for the fourth time.
According to the introduction of the host, the Festival of World Cultures aims to enhance artistic expression and integration of Ireland's newer communities by providing a platform for inter-cultural creative exchange and dialogue. The host aims to expand the arts experience and broaden perceptions of culture, enabling audiences to participate and contribute more fully into the contemporary life of Ireland.
The presentation of the Falun Gong group, consisting of members of the Chinese community of Ireland, attracted many people. They presented the pure and peaceful traditional Chinese culture to tourists and artists from around the world. A performance of powerful traditional Chinese drums were played in rhythm to the lively music of a Chinese musical instrument. To the music, "Celebration of World Falun Dafa Day," the women fan dancers presented delicacy and grace. They also performed an elegant lotus dance. Practitioners in traditional Chinese dresses demonstrated the five sets of Falun Gong exercises. Many spectators took photos and asked for more information about Falun Gong.
An Irish youth, while holding a newspaper called Falun Gong Today, said to his friends, "Look, Falun Gong practitioners are persecuted in China. The CCP harvests organs from living practitioners and then sell them for big money. It is too cruel."
Another middle-aged person told a practitioner, "You should strive for your human rights!"
A young Irish lady said, "I know Falun Gong. I know that the CCP is always persecuting Chinese people. In order to have a better control of them, the CCP destroyed the people's traditional beliefs and values."
An Irish man stepped forward to a practitioner and said: "Please give me a flyer. I need Falun Gong!"