[Clearwisdom.net] Hong Kong, January 14.
By 9 AM on January 14, practitioners were already waiting outside the conference hall, and the major news media had completed their registration procedures and were ready to conduct interviews. The experience sharing conference was held at the Hong Kong City Hall, which had been rented from the Hong Kong government and decorated by practitioners. The conference site looked stately and harmonious. A large picture of the Teacher was hung in the middle of the podium, and two Falun emblems were hung on both sides. In addition, Falun Dafa books and audiovisual materials were available outside the conference hall.
During the opening ceremony, a thank-you letter to the Hong Kong government and many congratulatory letters from Falun Dafa societies and practitioners all over the world were read. More than 10 practitioners from different countries and regions described their cultivation experiences. Their reports included the changes they experienced in body and mind after they started practicing cultivation, their experiences during tribulations, and their experiences while promoting the Fa and clarifying the truth of Falun Gong to the public. They also described their persistence in practicing Dafa during the brutal persecution in China, and the course of their peaceful appeals and clarifying the truth in a tough environment. All these reflected the boundless power of Dafa and the great peaceful spirit of "Truth, Compassion, Tolerance".
More than 140 reporters and several dozen important public figures attended the conference, which, until now, is unprecedented. CNN, BBC, CBS, ABC, The Washington Post and other major news media from around the world covered this conference. All the major newspapers, and radio and TV stations in Hong Kong, as well as media from Italy and France also reported this event. It was said that many regional supervisors of these media were dispatched for this conference.
All officials of the Hong Kong government, from top to bottom, experienced huge pressure from the Chinese government because of this event. Some Hong Kong media analysts reported that extreme pressure from the Chinese government caused the resignation of Mrs. Anson Chan, the Chief Administrative Secretary for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. Mrs. Chan approved the renting of the City Hall to the Hong Kong Falun Buddha Society according to the laws of Hong Kong. The practitioners were very grateful for the support of these enlightened political leaders and kind-hearted citizens.
According to practitioners who organized this conference, its significance is beyond our imagination at this time. During the period of organizing and holding the conference, the practitioners overcame numerous difficulties, and yet all of the things they encountered seemed to have been arranged beforehand. All the interference and obstruction offered the practitioners rare opportunities to upgrade their xinxing (mind nature, moral conscience). They also served as a mechanism for judging and positioning those people who attempted to go against the tide of history. For example, in the beginning it was estimated that only 400 to 500 people would attend the conference. Unexpectedly, the practitioners successfully rented City Hall, which can accommodate 1500 people. A few days before the conference, the estimated attendance was about 800 or 900. However, on the day of the conference, 1200 people showed up. What a wonderful arrangement by the Teacher! The practitioners realized that it was the great and compassionate Teacher who arranged all this, which not only opened a new chapter for the Fa-rectification process of the universe, but also gave the people of Hong Kong a chance to have a bright future.
Even more unexpected was that, on the night of January 14, when the practitioners were about to finish their experience sharing at a community center in Kowloon, Teacher called and congratulated them on the success of the Hong Kong conference. Many practitioners were so happy that they burst into tears and felt very much inspired. They were deeply moved by the Teacher's great compassion, and were determined to do better in the final stage of Fa-rectification, "assisting Teacher in this human world."
Reported by Hong Kong practitioners
