By Hua Qing
Falun Gong practitioners’ “Chinese Pegasus” float was an instant hit at the Sydney Chinese New Year Twilight Parade on February 2, 2014.
The float, designed and created by local practitioners, is quite fitting for the Year of the Horse. It displays the beauty of Truth-Compassion-Tolerance, along with traditional Chinese concepts of harmony between heaven and earth, says John Deller, the coordinator of the Falun Gong entry for this parade.
Divine Land Marching Band leads the Falun Gong procession
The Divine Land Marching Band led way, followed by the float, which featured practitioners dressed as heavenly guards and fairies around the Chinese Pegasus. Several practitioners on the float demonstrated the Falun Gong exercises as well.
“Chinese Pegasus” float designed and created by Falun Gong practitioners
When the float passed by the main stage outside of the Sydney Town Hall, the Master of Ceremonies introduced Falun Gong, as the Lord Mayor of Sydney and city councilors greeted the group.
Sixty-eight groups joined the parade this year. Sydney’s Twilight Parade is part of its annual Chinese New Year Festival, one of the largest festivities of its kind outside of China. Over 30 floats and 3,000 people participated in the parade for an enthusiastic audience of over 100,000 spectators.
Spectators take photos of the Falun Gong float