By Daniel Massey
A crowd of 200 followers of the Chinese self-improvement practice Falun Gong marched through the streets of Flushing Sunday morning to both celebrate its 10th anniversary and teach the public that its followers are harmless and peace-loving people.
Carrying colorful balloons and banners that read “Falun Gong is Good,” the marchers attempted to paint an image of their practice contrary to the one set forth by the Chinese government that it is an “evil cult.”
The participants, who came from across the metropolitan area, said Falun Gong, also called Falun Dafa, has brought better health and inner peace to millions around the world.
“This practice is so precious to me,” said Jian Feng Zhou, 32, of Elmhurst. “It makes me happy and peaceful and it brings me strength.”
The 10th anniversary celebration was the first time the Falun Gong marched as a group in Flushing since the Feb. 9 Lunar New Year Parade.
After an advertisement in a Chinese newspaper asked that the Falun Gong not be allowed to march in the Flushing new year festival, the organizing committee, previously accepting of the group, voted to take them out of the February parade. However, at the last minute, the group was invited to participate by other groups in the parade, and the Falun Gong marched without incident.
Practitioners said that Sunday’s march was peaceful. However, marchers were shouted out at a similar event which took place in Chinatown on Monday, Zhou said.
A group of young women clad in pink and yellow traditional Chinese dresses led the procession down Main Street to Union Street, dancing all the way to Bowne Playground, where a cultural fair was held despite a steady drizzle.
As the rain came down, soothing music played from a public address system and Falun Gong supporters lined up to demonstrate the exercises that have drawn the ire of Chinese government officials.
“They see it as anti-Chinese, but there’s no political stance at all,” said Damon Noto, of Manhattan, who became a Falun Gong practitioner a year and a half ago after watching a feature on CBS’s “60 Minutes” news program. “One of the reasons we’re out here is to raise awareness to show that we’re good, normal, everyday people.”
Falun Gong is a self-improvement practice similar to Tai-chi that consists of meditation and gentle exercises. It also has moral teachings that revolve around the qualities of truthfulness, benevolence and tolerance.
Rooted in ancient Chinese culture, Falun Gong was introduced to the general public in 1992 in northeastern China by Li Hongzhi. The practice spread rapidly and without opposition until July 1999 when China’s president, Jiang Zemin, outlawed Falun Gong, calling it an “evil cult.”
Human rights groups say some 200-300 practitioners have been killed by the Chinese government, which has come under criticism for its treatment of Falun Gong devotees.
“People are jailed and killed, but it doesn’t stop us from practicing these wonderful exercises,” Zhou said.
Reach reporter Daniel Massey by e-mail at Timesledger@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 156.
