(Minghui.org) From June 27 to July 5, 2025, Falun Dafa practitioners organized a summer camp for children in Brașov County, near Bran Castle. There were 29 participants, including children and their parents. This is the second Minghui camp organized by Falun Dafa practitioners in Romania after the inaugural winter camp last year.
The camp aimed to teach children positive living habits by providing an array of creative and outdoor activities away from computers and phones. It also incorporated Falun Dafa meditation and teachings into the children’s routine and guided them to live according to the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance by example.
Creating a Positive, Uplifting Atmosphere for Children
After breakfast, the day began with reading Zhuan Falun—the main book of Falun Dafa’s teachings. Children and parents read, and the younger children read along with them or listened.
Children’s activities included doing the Falun Dafa exercises and reading Zhuan Falun, as well as artistic programs: dance, painting, modeling, calligraphy, and theater. Through these activities, the children acquired skills that were demonstrated during a performance at the end of camp. Every day included free time for recreation, hiking, and interactive games.
The adults prepared meals and kept the chalet clean, while the children were responsible for various household chores, mainly meal preparation. To promote harmony among the children, access to phones was limited or even prohibited during the camp.
Learning the Falun Dafa exercises
As the camp’s culminating event, the parents and children staged a play together. The children came up with the roles, script, and title of the play - ‘Falun Dafa Helps You’ - while the parents prepared the scenery. The children actively participated in this activity and took initiative to ensure that everything ran smoothly and harmoniously.
Group photo at the end of the performance
The girls’ dance, “Little Lotus Flowers,” was choreographed by two Falun Dafa practitioners with dance experience. They drew inspiration from traditional Chinese dances, following their basic technique. The girls’ skirts were handmade for the piece. The children and adults made paper lotus flowers together, which were used during the dance.
The Dance of the Little Lotus Flowers
The boys’ dance was choreographed by a practitioner with experience in both dance and Chinese martial arts. The piece was inspired by Chinese dance, and modified to a level where children were able to do the movements.
The show ended with the children reading verses in Hong Yin written by Master Li. The children and their parents chose verses published in Hong Yin to Hong Yin VI and wrote them in calligraphy, using an ink pen or a fountain pen.
At the end of the show, the children read the Hong Yin verses they had selected and written using calligraphy.
Recreational Activities
The children also participated in a variety of recreational activities. They had time dedicated to free play, hiking, interactive games, and practical artistic activities to develop their social skills, interaction skills, motor skills, and self-control. They formed friendships and mediated minor conflicts using Falun Dafa’s principles.
Recreational activities
Although the children initially stayed close to the adults, after a few days they were given the opportunity to manage certain activities on their own, such as setting the table and arranging the performance hall. At the camp’s conclusion, special guests were invited to watch the performance put on by the children and parents. Among the guests were friends of Falun Dafa practitioners, who said they were delighted with the performance. Some of them stayed at the chalet and participated in Falun Dafa exercises and the study organized the next morning at 5 a.m. with the adults.
Participants celebrate the successful conclusion of the second Minghui Camp Romania
Parents and Children Delighted by Their Experience
For the parents and children participating in this camp, it was a memorable nine days—they were able to make new friends and deepen their understandings of their spiritual path.
Georgiana, who attended with her daughter Clara and her husband, said she was impressed by the organizing practitioners’ compassion. “The most wonderful thing I felt throughout this camp was how, regardless of everyone's responsibilities, everyone cooperated.”
Georgiana, her husband, and their daughter Clara
“With every activity and project I initiate, I understand more deeply the principle of compassion, of putting others first, of truly working without expecting others to do things for you, or to be rewarded or praised for what you have done,” she continued.
Her 15-year-old daughter, Clara, also said that she liked the camp very much. “I thought it was very nice. The food was very good, especially the soup. I liked that there were many children, and I had people to talk to.”
“When I read the poem from Hong Yin that I chose, even though I had read it many times before, when I read it at the end of the performance, I felt a kind of freedom,” said Clara.
Another parent, Raluca, attended the camp with her son Ian and her aunt Elena. She was happy that the practitioners’ summer camp provided a healthy environment for her son to get to know other people.
Raluca with her son Ian and her aunt Elena
“I hoped that at this camp, my son would make friends and feel like he was part of a community. The camp exceeded my expectations. The children enjoyed creative activities, hiking, theater, dancing, and the opportunity to calm their minds by doing the Falun Dafa exercises. This way, they stayed away from screens. My son, Ian, admitted to me that after meditation he felt very calm and that, besides playing, it was his favorite activity.”
She also said she appreciated the fact that the parents were a team. “I enjoyed working with the other parents, united by a common goal – to give the children an unforgettable experience. We will definitely be back next year and are looking forward to it.”
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