Greece: Traditional Chinese Performances and Falun Gong Exercise Demonstration Attract Large Crowds in Athens (Photos)

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Aug. 23, 2004

(Clearwisdom.net) People in Athens are open and warm-hearted. While introducing Falun Dafa in Greece, practitioners experienced this themselves as large crowds of people came to learn about Falun Dafa, ask questions and support practitioners' efforts to stop the genocide against Falun Gong practitioners that is going on in China.

The summer in Greece is extremely hot so in the evening, when the temperature cools down, tourists go out to have dinner, and take a look around. Falun Dafa practitioners also used this time to introduce Falun Dafa in different places around Athens. The city is now full of people from all over the world due to the Olympic Games. The square in the centre of Athens was a perfect place for introducing Falun Gong as so many people were passing through.

As soon as a group exercise demonstration began, hundreds of people gathered around to witness the beautiful sight. Cameras were flashing and people were video taping the scene. Falun Dafa has not been practised in Greece for that long, but after these successful evenings in Athens there will be many more people learning the exercises. Some people even started to learn them on the spot.


Group exercise demonstration

Letting people know about the persecution

Flyers in different languages were distributed and small discussions were going on in different languages as people asked questions about Falun Dafa. People used their time to read the posters and get all the information available to find out more. They learned that Falun Dafa is an ancient traditional meditation and cultivation practice that is based on Truth, Compassion, Tolerance, and that it has been persecuted in China for the last five years due to the jealousy of the former president of China, Jiang Zemin.

As well as demonstrating the Falun Gong exercises and letting people know about the persecution practitioners performed music and dance for the people of Athens. Large audiences were attracted to these small outdoor concerts. Besides showing people traditional Chinese culture and music, the event was also a promotion for the upcoming musical evening that is going to be held in Athens today. A dance performer from Taiwan made people smile and laugh with her sweet, yet skilful movements. A group of ladies danced with colourful parasols to the song ¡®Ode to the Lotus'. Some practitioners played Chinese classical instruments and sang songs. A group of Germans performed a song called ¡®Falun Dafa Hao' (Falun Dafa is great). Invitations to the free concert were delivered to the large crowds in Greek, English and Chinese.