(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa was first taught in Taiwan 17 years ago, in April 1995. There are now almost a million practitioners in this country, located in every corner. Taiwan has the highest number of practitioners outside of China.

Falun Dafa originated in China 20 years ago. It is now practiced by people in over 100 countries and areas. People of all ages practice Falun Dafa and come from all walks of life. They are housewives, government officials, soldiers, police officers, farmers, businessmen, entrepreneurs, artists, doctors, professors, and students. This many people practicing Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, has the effect of helping stabilize Taiwan’s society.

Practitioners demonstrate the Falun Dafa exercises in front of the Presidential Palace.

Yang Rong-Sheng, who works in the construction business, has been a practitioner for 16 years. Yang pointed out that Mr. Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Dafa, visited Taiwan in November 1997 and lectured in Taipei and Taichung for a total of ten hours. About 2,000 people attended the lectures.

In 1997, there were 35 group practice sites in Taiwan, and there are now over 1,000 practice sites. In June 1998, 2,000 copies of Falun Dafa books were printed and sold in a typical month. By April 1999, the number had risen to 14 thousand copies of the book Zhuan Falun sold.

The April 25 incident boosted the number of practitioners in Taiwan. That day on April 25, 1999, practitioners in China peacefully appealed in Beijing. They chanted no slogans and made no noise; they were highly self-disciplined, and they did not leave a single piece of garbage when they left. The extensive media coverage of this event, involving a group of such civilized citizens in a communist country impressed the world. As a result of the peaceful appeal, many people in Taiwan became curious about Falun Dafa.

The media in Taiwan reported extensively of the April 25 incident

After April 25, 1999, the number of new practitioners skyrocketed in Taiwan. The nine-day lecture classes were full every day, with an average number of 70 people per class.

After May 1999, to satisfy the surging demand of new practitioners, 15 thousand copies of Falun Dafa books were printed that year. The number of practitioners kept increasing, and in September 1999, the practitioners applied to the Ministry of the Interior to found the Falun Gong Research Association, now called the Falun Dafa Association in Taiwan.

Many practitioners’ lives were changed, and even saved by the practice. Many families became harmonious and happy. The following are a sampling of Taiwanese practitioners’ experiences with Falun Dafa.

The Changes of a Recognized Economics Scholar

Professor Chang Ching-Hsin teaches in the Department of Economy at National Taiwan University. After beginning the practice he has changed a lot, and people around him have noticed that he is no longer hot-tempered and pushy.

Professor Chang Ching-Hsin

Many of Chang’s coworkers saw him shouting and banging on tables about budget issues when he met with officials from the Department of Education. He is now mild and easygoing. Chang believes that he simply returned to his true self through practicing Falun Dafa. However, people who knew him thought that his changes were incredible.

Entrepreneur Climbs from the Bottom to Become Highly Successful

Chen Keren is the president of an online company. Chen came to Taiwan from Korea nine years ago. His first business went bankrupt in 1997 because of the financial crisis in Korea. He started again but had bad business partners, and his company was in jeopardy several times. Because of his belief in Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance, he survived the tribulation and became successful.

Chen Keren, president of an online company

Before he became a practitioner, Chen loved smoking, drinking, and gambling. He was short-fused, irritable, and often kicked the table or threw his cell phone when he became angry. He was tired and worried all the time.

After he began practicing Falun Dafa, his bad habits faded away naturally and his temper became much nicer. His health improved and his fatigue disappeared. “Because of my belief, I no longer become angry at work or at home. I didn't used to listen to others, and now I have changed. I am the first one at the company every morning and I am still energetic later in the day,” said Chen. His company is now making a lot of money and the number of employees has almost doubled in two years.

Medical Doctor Recovers from Illness through Practicing Falun Dafa

Wang Hsiao-Mei is a pediatrician in a private hospital in Taipei. After giving birth, she developed bladder incontinence. Urine leaked when she ran, coughed, or sneezed. It was embarrassing and was a problem that bothered her for years. Both she and her husband are doctors but they were unable to successfully treat the condition. Never in her life could Wang have imaged that her problem would be solved by practicing Falun Gong.

Wang Hsiao-Mei

After she began practicing Falun Gong, Wang became more considerate and understood how hard her husband had worked for the family. She also saw herself being attached to personal fame and gain, and eventually decided to quit her job at the hospital. She now works in a medicine-related company so she has more time for her family. Her husband and child are very happy.

Older Woman’s Back Is No Longer Hunched

After practicing Falun Dafa, a 92-year-old lady who lived in Ali Mountain was able to straighten her severely hunched back. She can now work, and even splits firewood with an axe. Her eyesight improved so much that she can now thread a needle without wearing glasses. Everyone in her village was amazed by what happened to her.

This 92-year-old lady can now thread a needle without eyeglasses.

The older woman speaks with a loud, firm voice. She quickly pulled a thread through a needle. “I can do what my daughter-in-law can’t,” she said excitedly. “My back has gradually straightened since I began to practice Falun Gong nine years ago. Now my son, daughter-in-law, and my grandson all practice Falun Dafa!”

Problems with Mother-in-law Solved

Liao Hsiu-Chen was unable to conceive after six years of marriage, due to tremendous pressure from her mother-in-law. She and her husband moved out of town and she became pregnant in six months. They then moved back to live with her severely-depressed mother-in-law. Because she practiced Falun Dafa, Liao now always thinks from her mother-in-law’s point of view, and is very considerate toward her. She understands her anxiety and grievances, and treats her as her own mother.

Liao’s mother-in-law used to complain about her to other relatives, saying that there was nothing good about her. Two years ago, Liao’s in-law was so touched by her that she held her hands and said, “You are the only person who is honestly and sincerely nice to me!” They now talk about everything and get along very well. Liao said, “I could not have done this if I didn't practice Falun Dafa. Perhaps I would also have depression!”

Outstanding Student’s Ability Comes from Practicing Falun Dafa

In four years attending one of the best universities in Taiwan, National Tsing Hua University, Lin Sheng-Hsiung is the number one in his class every year. Even his professors were amazed. When Lin’s classmates asked him his strategy in studying, he always smiled and said, “I followed the teaching of Falun Dafa. I do my best in what I should do, check if I comply with the standard of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, and everything else comes together for me.”