(Minghui.org) Falun Gong practitioners participated in the McDonald's Thanksgiving Day Parade in downtown Chicago on November 28, 2013. It was their 10th consecutive year to participate in the second-biggest parade in the United States.

The practitioners' newly designed float and Falun Gong exercise demonstration delighted the spectators, crowds of whom gathered for the event despite the chilly weather. Several hundred thousand people watched the parade on site. It was also broadcast live on TV to millions of viewers.

Falun Gong practitioners participate in the McDonald's Thanksgiving Day Parade in downtown Chicago.

Spectators enjoy Falun Gong practitioners' float.

Young practitioners demonstrate the sitting meditation of Falun Gong.

Falun Gong practitioners load the float.

Demonstrating Falun Gong exercises on the float.

The practitioners' newly designed float and Falun Gong exercise demonstration delighted the spectators, crowds of whom gathered for the event despite the chilly weather. Several hundred thousand people watched the parade on site. It was also broadcast live on TV to millions of viewers.

In designing a new float for this year's event, practitioners wished to demonstrate the beauty of Falun Gong and to showcase that it is rooted in traditional Chinese culture.

Mr. Yang, who is nearly 80 years old, was responsible for the decoration of the archway of the float. He said that more than 10 practitioners spent a week setting up the float, considering safety, practicality and aesthetics while collaborating with each other to reach a design consensus. It was an effort well spent, as the team basked in delight after seeing the popularity of the float at the parade.

The giant lotus flower and the archway of the float especially caught the attention of spectators. “Beautiful!” people repeatedly exclaimed as the procession moved along the parade route.

“Incredible!” was also heard from the Chinese in the audience. Some of them said they had seen Falun Gong events in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and other places. They were happy to see it represented in the Thanksgiving Day parade.

Ms. Xiao, organizer of the Falun Gong procession, said: “Participating in the parade is to show the grace of Falun Gong. Many people accepted our fliers, and some came forward to learn more about the practice. By participating in the parade, we wish for more people to learn about Falun Gong. At the same time, we wish to express our gratitude to Master Li Hongzhi for his imparting Falun Gong to us. Falun Gong has benefited more than 100 million people around the word.”