(Minghui.org) The 40^th Dominican Day Parade was held on Sixth Avenue in Manhattan on August 14, and hundreds of thousands of people attended. Falun Dafa practitioners’ waist drum and flag teams were the only Chinese group invited to participate in the event.

Practitioners in the 40^th Dominican Day Parade in New York on August 14

The audience cheered, waved the Dominican Republic flag, and took photos and videos as the Falun Dafa contingent passed.

After being suspended for two years due to the pandemic, the National Dominican Day Parade was back this year, with more than 130 groups participating.

People along the parade route sang and danced in celebration. The procession followed Sixth Avenue from 38^th Street to 56^th Street. Both sides of Sixth Avenue were crowded with spectators, many waving the Dominican Republic flag.

Practitioners’ waist drum and flag teams were eye-catching. The waist drum team played “Falun Dafa Is Good” and “Festival.” Their drumbeats resonated, and many people said they felt uplifted. Their “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance” banner fluttered in the wind, and some spectators said the team was “majestic.” Tiffany Batista recorded practitioners as they passed by, gave them a thumbs up, and exclaimed, “Great! Great!” Stanley Reyes also gave them a thumbs up and said, “They are neat!”

As the Falun Dafa procession passed the rostrum, the parade moderato said, “This is the Falun Dafa team. We thank them for participating.” The waist drum team paused in front of the rostrum and played.

When Frieda Cabreja, a Dominican painter, saw the practitioners perform, she waved the Dominican Republic flag to the beat of the music, then folded her hands, and bowed to them, saying in Chinese, “Thank you!”

A male staff member in front of the rostrum also bowed to the Falun Dafa team and thanked them for participating.

Background: What Is Falun Dafa?

Falun Dafa (also known as Falun Gong) was first introduced to the public by Mr. Li Hongzhi in Changchun, China, in 1992. The spiritual discipline is now practiced in over 100 countries worldwide. Millions of people who have embraced the teachings—which are based on the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance—and learned the five exercises have experienced improved health and well-being.