Tampa, Florida: Celebrating World Falun Dafa Day During Asian Heritage Month

(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa practitioners in Florida traveled to Tampa to participate in the first Asian and Pacific Islander Cultural Festival organized by the Tampa City Government on May 13, 2023. It’s part of a celebration of Asian cultural contributions across the United States. The Asia Festival held in Tampa coincides with the 24th Falun Dafa Day and the 31st anniversary of Falun Dafa’s introduction to the world.

Florida practitioners celebrate World Falun Dafa Day.

Falun Dafa practitioners in Florida wish Master Li Hongzhi a happy birthday.

Practitioners introduced Falun Dafa to visitors and event participants. They were representing different Asian countries with a Journey of a Falun Dafa photo exhibition. Practitioners held a group exercise with an exercise demonstration on stage, speeches, and other activities during the one-day festival.

The Asian and Pacific Islander Cultural Festival is an initiative of Tampa’s Mayor Jane Castor. On the day of the event, she also came to talk with Falun Dafa practitioners. The practitioners introduced Falun Dafa’s principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance to her and presented her with an exquisite lotus flower.

Mayor Jane Castor

The “Journey of Falun Dafa” photo exhibition used nearly 100 pictures to show the popularity of the practice in the world. Master Li Hongzhi introduced the traditional spiritual practice to the public for the first time in 1992, the Chinese Communist Party’s persecution of the practice was launched in 1999, and Chinese practitioners risked their lives to appeal to the central government in Tiananmen Square.

Introducing Falun Dafa to festival visitors.

Learning Falun Dafa.

A table in the booth displayed materials introducing Falun Gong, the facts of the persecution, and the state-sanctioned crime of forcefully harvesting organs from living Falun Gong practitioners in China.

Visitors shed tears when they heard about a teenage girl being arrested and tortured to death because of practicing Falun Gong.

Joe, a student from South Florida, has studied Chinese for four years. After hearing an introduction to the practice, he spoke in Chinese that Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good, and he wished the Master of the practice a happy birthday.

Falun Gong exercise demonstration on stage.

Miss Gu, representing Falun Dafa practitioners, introduced the history of Falun Gong and the facts of the persecution in her speech on stage. She said that Mr. Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Dafa, introduced the practice to the public on May 13, 1992. The first Falun Dafa Day was celebrated on May 13, 2000, just months after the persecution began in China in July 1999. May 13 this year marks the 24th World Falun Dafa Day and the 31st anniversary of the practice’s introduction to the public.