(Minghui.org) Practitioners in Kaohsiung went to the Lotus Pond scenic spot to do the exercises and introduce Falun Dafa (Falun Gong) to the public on July 7, 2024. They gave a waist drum performance and demonstrated the five exercises. The peaceful scene attracted many passersby who stopped and watched. Many accepted flyers, listened to practitioners’ explanation, and took photos.

Practitioners performed the waist drums and demonstrated the exercises in Kaohsiung on July 7.

The Lotus Pond Scenic Area is a famous tourist attraction in Kaohsiung. It’s name comes from the fragrant lotus flowers planted along the lakeside. Walking around the lake, you can see pavilions and towers, which are well-arranged, and the scenery is pleasant. Among them, the “Dragon and Tiger Tower” is popular for its unique shape. Practitioners set up a stand there to raise awareness of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) persecution. Since the pandemic subsided, the CCP has not yet allowed tourists from China to visit Taiwan. Although there are fewer tourists from China, there are many more tourists from Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia.

Vietnamese tourists watch the exercise demonstration, listen to practitioners’ explanations, and accept fliers.

Japanese tourists view the display boards with Falun Gong information.

A Vietnamese tourist took a Vietnamese language flyer. Soon, more than a dozen Japanese tourists arrived. Led by a Taiwanese tour guide, they gathered in front of the Falun Gong display boards. Elder resident Hsie, who lives nearby and is over 80 years old, also asked a practitioner to write down, “Falun Dafa is good” after learning about the practice. He said he will show it to his grandson.

Tourists and local people read display boards, take photos, read fliers, and listen to practitioners’ explanations.

Appreciating Falun Dafa

Mr. Wang drove from Tainan to accompany his wife to the waist drum performance. He said, “My wife has been practicing Falun Dafa for more than 20 years. Her mind has become more and more open, and she is very considerate. My parents are in poor health. She takes care of them and never complains.” He added, “My second sister-in-law is also a practitioner. The three sisters-in-law have a good relationship and have no grudges against each other. The family is harmonious and happy. This is all thanks to the great power of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance.”

Mr. Wang appreciates Dafa.

“My wife used to easily get angry, but after practicing, her temper improved,” he said. “When encountering problems, she now looks inward, corrects her shortcomings, and devotes herself to the family. This also helps me. I used to have a bad temper, but now I have changed a lot under my wife’s influence, and I also quit smoking and drinking. Therefore, when there are Dafa activities, I am happy to drive her.

“I firmly support the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance,” Mr. Wang said, “The totalitarian CCP advocates atheism. For years, it has demolished temples, destroyed Chinese culture, and even harvested organs from living Falun Gong practitioners. Therefore, we should tell everyone around us to oppose the CCP’s persecution of Falun Gong, and be anti-communist but not anti-China, because the CCP is not equal to China.”

Supporting Falun Gong

“I don’t like mainland China’s policies. I don’t like the one-party dictatorship of the Chinese Communist Party, which disregards the welfare of ordinary people,” said Ms. Huang, who used to work in the beauty industry and is now retired. “Although I don’t know much about Falun Gong, I intuitively feel that it is a good practice for fitness and improving one’s character. Since you can practice it freely in Taiwan, why can’t you do so in China?”

Ms. Huang supports practitioners’ efforts to expose the persecution.

Ms. Huang said the CCP dictator's thinking is incomprehensible. “Why persecute Falun Gong for no reason? They have neither violated the law nor engaged in politics. They are just practicing their exercises and devoting themselves to their beliefs. Why persecute them?!” she said. “I think freedom is the greatest. Without freedom, life is miserable. Therefore, I strongly support Falun Gong in spreading the truth around the world and resisting the persecution peacefully and rationally.”

Mr. Lin, who used to run a catering business, rode his bike past the Lotus Pond with his wife that day. They were drawn by the practitioners’ activities. After receiving a leaflet, he said, “What happened on June 4, 1989 was so cruel! This incident proves that the CCP is a totalitarian dictatorship.”

“Falun Gong is highly regarded in the Chinese community around the world. I oppose the CCP’s persecution of Falun Gong. I support Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, and the power of justice,” he said.

Mr. Lin and his wife said they support Falun Gong.

Mr. Zhao, who is now a pharmacist, condemned the atrocities of organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners. “I hope that medical personnel in Taiwan can face up to the issue, because it involves a very large scope.”

He called on, “...all intellectuals and medical personnel to exercise self-discipline and conscience, abide by professional ethics and morality, and to not be brainwashed by the CCP for the sake of profit and help the CCP do things that are harmful.”