(Minghui.org) A tour guide from California was amazed upon seeing a Falun Gong stand in the Utah State Capitol. He said, “I have been to many cities. This is my first time to see you (Falun Gong practitioners) inside a government building.”
The capitol is located in Salt Lake City. It was built in 1912-1916, and is a place that many tourists visit during the summer months. With support from government officials who know about Falun Gong, a Falun Gong information stand was set up in the capitol. The permit allows the stand to operate three days per week... in the lobby on Friday and Sunday, and beside the front entrance on Saturday.
Utah State Capitol
A Falun Gong practitioner beside the information table distributes flyers to visitors.
Visitors stop by the Falun Gong information table in the Utah State Capitol.
Tourists view Falun Gong posters in front of the Capitol.
Chinese tourists pick up Falun Gong informational materials on the table.
Tourists learn the Falun Gong exercises on the lawn near the Capitol building. The banner reads “Falun Dafa is good.”
The practitioners set up a table and provided information materials, poster boards, and a TV playing a Falun Gong video. They introduced Falun Gong and raised awareness of the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) persecution to visiting tourists, as well as staffers working in the building. Practitioners also practice beside the table. They provided beautiful postcards of Utah State and nearby scenery sites to tourists for free.
Young Man: Let Us Take Informational Materials Back
A young Chinese man and his parents, who visited the capitol one day, accepted a postcard and toured the building. Before long, they came back and watched practitioners demonstrating the exercises.
The young man said to his parents, “Did you say you want to learn more about Falun Gong? We can take more information materials to read at home.” He then stepped forward and took a copy of each of the materials for his parents.
Practitioner Ms. Sun came to the site every Saturday, and said that Chinese tourists liked to take photos of practitioners demonstrating the exercises. They are amazed to see Westerners practicing Falun Gong. Some young people took photos of each poster board that had Falun Gong information.
Ms. Sun said many Chinese people understand Falun Gong. One tourist asked her, “How much do you earn to stand here?” Ms. Sun answered, “We are volunteers.” The tourists commended her with thumbs up.
Tourist says, “I See You Are Surrounded by Light.”
A professional marriage witness who had come to the capitol for his friend's marriage listened to a practitioner explain the practice and the persecution, and left to take photos. He later returned, and said excitedly to Ms. Liu, “I saw you were surrounded by light and energy when I took photos. I have never seen such phenomenon.” He asked for more information about Falun Gong, and said he would learn more after going home.
A coach driver listened to a practitioner explain Falun Gong and the CCP's live organ harvesting. He was touched to tears after learning that the CCP has tortured many practitioners to death for their beliefs. He took informational materials and said he wanted to learn more about the practice.
Some tour guides know about Falun Gong, and sometimes introduce it to their tourists. But some don't. One young guide from California, who had misunderstandings about Falun Gong, talked with a practitioner, who explained the practice and exposed the CCP's persecution in detail. The tour guide finally understood, and said that he admired Falun Gong practitioners for their determination and steadfastness.
