(Minghui.org) The annual Leura Village Fair in the Blue Mountain area of the World Natural Heritage in New South Wales, was held at the Leura Mall streets on October 7-8, 2023. Falun Gong (also known as Falun Dafa) practitioners participated in the activities on the second day and introduced the spiritual practice to visitors.
The Blue Mountains is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Australia. It is located in the western suburbs of Sydney, and is famous for its elegant scenery and unique geographical environment, blue mountains, the “Three Sisters” peaks, and waterfalls. Many Australian artists reside there.
Leura Village Fair celebrates the arrival of spring in the Blue Mountains and has a history of more than 40 years. It has more than one hundred market stalls providing local handicrafts, crafts, trading goods, and vintage clothing, etc., and attracts more than 7,000 visitors annually.
Along with the peaceful atmosphere, practitioners at the Falun Dafa booth spread the practice and raised awareness of the persecution by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). They distributed leaflets to passersby and told people that the practice has benefited hundreds of millions of people around the world.
Many locals are familiar with the practice and have heard about the persecution several times because they have seen Falun Dafa practitioners participating in local parades, exhibitions, and Falun Gong teaching classes. They are also looking forward to a local group practice site.
The practitioners also met some tourists from China at the fair and told them about Falun Gong. Most of them nodded and praised “Falun Dafa is good.” One of the women withdrew her membership in the CCP and its affiliated organisations on the spot. Another woman said she was happy because she received an origami lotus flower on her birthday. The Chinese tour guide who led the group also happily chatted with the practitioners.
The Practice Brings Happiness
Don Snith is a local who heard about Falun Dafa and the persecution from the news many years ago. He had seen Falun Dafa booths at different events near the Blue Mountains. He said, “I think this is very good because it can bring people a good sense of happiness and peace of mind, and this is what people need. So if you can learn, it is a good practice.”
He also endorsed the universal values of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, saying, “People all over the world should tolerate each other, and different countries should also tolerate each other. Violence is terrible. They should not resort to violence at all. They should make peace with each other and dialogue. And this is what Falun Gong advocates. I believe so.”
He completely disagreed with the CCP’s persecution. He said, “I don’t think people should go through this. They shouldn’t be persecuted. It’s ridiculous.”
Monica went to the Falun Gong booth with her family. She was interested in meditation, and stopped to chat with a practitioner.
She said, “I have heard about Falun Dafa for a long time, but I don’t know much about the CCP’s persecution.”
She emphasised that practicing Falun Dafa is a human right. She said, “It’s just like eating and breathing air. It’s the same with meditating. So I support it. Why not? Persecution should not be allowed, persecution is too crazy.”
Naomi Brodrick stopped in front of the Falun Gong booth and signed a petition to help stop the persecution. She said she had heard about it in Sydney’s Chinatown.
She also added, “(In Chinatown) I saw a lot of illustrations showing Falun Gong practitioners being physically abused by the Chinese Communist Party. It’s really scary. I think abusing others in this way just because they think and act differently is wrong. Our society should be more tolerant of different approaches and perspectives.”
Yoke chatted with a practitioner while visiting another nearby fair with her husband. She asked the practitioner if there was a practice site nearby.
Before leaving, she said, “Reflecting the values of Falun Dafa – Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, this is something I truly believe in.”
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