(Minghui.org) Separated from mainland China by a 180-kilometer (110 mile) strait, Taiwan embraces freedom of belief and democracy that the former doesn't have.
While Falun Dafa, a meditation system based on the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, has been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) since 1999, it has flourished in Taiwan over the past 22 years, just as it has throughout the rest of the world.
As Falun Dafa practitioners in mainland China continue to be persecuted for upholding their faith, their counterparts in Taiwan have been able to freely practice their belief. On May 1, 2021, they celebrated the 22 nd annual World Falun Dafa by staging a large character formation event in Taipei. This year’s annual Falun Dafa Day, which happens every May 13, also marked the 29th anniversary of Falun Dafa’s introduction to the public and the 70th birthday of Mr. Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Dafa.
About 5,200 practitioners gathered for the character formation event at Liberty Square in Taipei. Across the world, Dafa practitioners have also gathered to celebrate the special occasion of May 13. In addition, tens of thousands of greetings were received by Minghui.org in early May this year from around the globe to thank Mr. Li for Falun Dafa.
Throughout thousands of years of Chinese civilization, people believed in the harmony of heaven, earth, and mankind. When people cherish virtue and strive to be good, just as do Falun Dafa practitioners who follow the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance in their daily lives, they will be blessed with health, peace, and prosperity.
Solar halos and other miraculous scenes also appeared at the site of the May 1 character formation in Taipei. This underscores the connection with the divine – the essence of traditional Chinese culture, explained Huang Chunmei from the Taiwan Falun Dafa Association.
One passerby who saw the event expressed how much it impressed him. He said the character formation was inspiring. “The color, the energy, and the spirit – everything shows peace, happiness, and harmony,” he remarked.
Below is a 7-minute video that shows the character formation on May 1 as well as the three-day preparation from April 28 – 30.
0:00 [Title: Falun Dafa – The 2021 character formation in Taiwan]0:15 April 2021, preparation station0:30 April 28, day 1 of site preparation0:45 [Balloon with phrase of “The world needs Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance”]0:50 April 28, marking the points1:00 April 28, marking the center line1:25 April 28, marking the points1:35 April 28, drawing the lines1:40 April 28, placing the metal frame1:50 April 29, day 2 of site preparation2:00 April 29, pasting sitting mats2:30 April 30, day 3 of site preparation2:35 April 30, assembling photography equipment2:45 May 1, practitioners boarding train at 2:00 a.m. from Pingtung in southern Taiwan2:50 May 1, practitioners boarding train at 4:33 a.m. from Taitung in southeastern Taiwan2:55 May 1, practitioners boarding train at 5:30 a.m. from Hualien in eastern Taiwan3:00 May 1, practitioners boarding bus at 5:30 a.m. from Taichung in central Taiwan on the west side3:10 May 1, preparation by photography and sound teams3:15 May 1, preparation of aerial photography3:25 May 1, assembly3:40 May 1, line-up4:00 [Voice: Now let’s begin 2021 Falun Dafa character formation.]4:10 May 1, entering the site5:05 May 1, multi-colored solar halos6:00 “Happy Birthday, Master” “Falun Dafa Introduced to the Public 29 Years Ago.”6:05 [Balloon with the phrase “Falun Dafa is good”]6:10 May 1, group exercise6:45 [Group: Happy birthday, Master!]