(Minghui.org) Tunghai University is a famous university that is perennially crowded with tourists who come to see its buildings and landmarks.
Something else recently caught people's attention: two large oil paintings that hung outside the entrance to Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall.
The paintings were beautifully created, featuring a girl who wore a tranquil and peaceful expression. Curious as to what these paintings might be for, many people went inside to find out more information.
They found that what they had seen was part of Falun Gong’s “Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance” International Art Exhibition. This art exhibition has been to over 200 cities in 40 countries, and was at Tunghai University from October 12-18. It attracted many viewers, including tourists, as well as students, staff, faculty, and local residents.
Through their works, the artists told stories of the goodness of Falun Gong, which stood in stark contrast to the brutal persecution in mainland China. A common theme was the belief that good is rewarded while evil is punished.
Many viewers were awed by the beauty of the paintings, and also shocked by some of the grisly truths that they portrayed. Some even broke into tears, and others hugged strangers as if they were old friends. At the end of the event, some viewers asked for more information about Falun Gong, and how they might also take up this wonderful spiritual practice.
The two large oil paintings that hung outside the entrance to Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
Below are a few comments from the visitors.
Ecuadorian Ophthalmologist: “These paintings feel so warm, and so bright.”
Gabriela Crespo, an ophthalmologist from Ecuador, was deeply impressed by the warm colors and vibrance of the paintings. Having seen the first few pieces, she mentioned that she once heard about Falun Gong practitioners setting themselves on fire – something that she had doubts about.
Her guide Wu Yulin replied, "The self-immolation on Tiananmen Square was staged by the Chinese Communist Party."
“Is that how it is?” asked Gabriela. “Well, I'm glad that I've found someone who knows more about the true situation.”
Yulin then told her about all the evidence that exposed it as a staged performance set up by the 610 Office. Gabriela listened intently, and eventually began to nod her head in agreement.
Gabriela said that she felt warmth radiating from the paintings Eve of the Parade and Return from the Parade.
“These paintings feel so warm, and so bright,” she said. “They remind me of those Renaissance paintings.”
Medieval religious paintings, she added, always carried a dark, gloomy overtone, which she hadn't liked very much. The heavenly and rich hues of Renaissance art suited her tastes much better. She especially liked the presentation of the elderly practitioner in Eve of the Parade, which filled her with joy.
In a room of mostly Asians, Gabriela stood out – her brown, curly hair and loud, friendly voice gave her away almost immediately – a fact that she was aware of, but didn't seem to mind. She came to Taiwan a year ago to visit her brother, who had been learning Chinese, but ended up falling in love with Taiwan herself.
Almost immediately, she quit her job and immigrated to Taiwan. Her friends thought she was crazy, because even she couldn't explain why she loved Taiwan so much. There just seemed to be an inexplicable magnetic force that drew her to the island of Formosa.
After hearing her story, Yulin told her, “Your story is amazing, and I can understand.” Yulin then explained to Gabriela the Chinese belief of predestination, and how fate often can point people in mysterious directions.
“I believe at the end of the journey you will know why.” The pair hugged and shed tears of joy.
Later, after seeing paintings depicting scenes of Falun Gong practitioners being persecuted, Gabriela could hardly hold back tears. She couldn't bear to see the brutality taking place against these kind people.
Yulin then gave a brief introduction to the practice.
“Falun Gong is a practice of mind and body,” she said. “There are five sets of exercises, and also a focus on cultivating character. There is no established dogma or organization. All these practitioners simply want to improve themselves, and are free to come and go as they please."
Gabriela found the introduction very intriguing, and asked Yulin for more information. She wanted to take a deeper look into the practice, and plans to start reading the English version of Zhuan Falun.
A scene at the exhibition
A Tourist from the Mainland Learns the Truth
Armed with an SLR camera, Mr. Wang entered the art exhibition with some skepticism. He told Yulin that he had heard about Falun Gong before, but due to the censorship prevalent in mainland China, he could not find out any more information about the practice.
Yulin then began telling the tour group about the tragic persecution of innocent Falun Gong practitioners in mainland China. Mr. Wang tilted his head and wore a wary expression, but he continued to listen nonetheless.
The group then came upon a painting which depicted Falun Gong practitioners being forcibly deprived of their organs, while deities looked on disapprovingly, poised to punish the evildoers.
Yulin explained, "With this piece the artist hoped to inspire people’s sense of justice, for them to spread the truth. He also hoped to show that through cultivation one can choose different ways to face the hardships of life and death."
Yulin then showed Mr. Wang and his tour group various materials about the organ harvesting case – the subject matter for the painting they just saw. She told them about the 1.5 million signatures collected last year for a petition against organ harvesting, the medical professionals’ support for the campaign, and Israel’s legislation stipulating that its citizens cannot go to China for organ transplantation.
Mr. Wang was shocked upon finding this, and was surprised that such an atrocity could continue in one of the world's biggest countries for so long.
“A lot of people, after knowing the truth, have chosen to make a clean break with the Communist Party. There are 180 million Chinese around the world who have quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations. If you'd like, we can help you quit now,” said Yulin.
Mr. Wang readily agreed, and took home two books, State Organs and Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party.
University Students Express Their Sympathy
Tunghai University has many exchange students from around the world, and during the art exhibition, many of them stopped by to see what was going on.
The head of the Tunghai University Falun Dafa Association, Chen Hong'an, said that he was most impressed with a student from Indonesia. She was extremely enthusiastic about the many artworks, and asked for the free exercise teaching schedule.
She had received some information during the University Societies Fair, but nothing in detail. But now, at this art exhibition, she found out more about this peaceful practice via beautiful paintings. This made Chen very happy.
“We hold the ‘Truth-Compassion-Tolerance’ International Art Exhibition to share the beauty of practicing Falun Dafa and the brutal persecution of the practice now happening in mainland China,” he said. “We hope to raise awareness about this issue in hopes that more people will join us in stopping this brutal persecution.”
Two female students from mainland China came by on opening day. Having seen the whole exhibition, they asked their guide, "How do you know all these things are true? Have you been to the mainland? How could these things go on when we've heard nothing about it in mainland China?"
The guide told them that there were many Falun Gong practitioners who've escaped from mainland China after being persecuted. Some even gave testimonials at hearings in the United States on their personal experiences at the hands of the Chinese government.
“The little girl in the painting 'Orphan Tears' actually did have her parents persecuted to death, but this information is blocked in mainland China,” answered the guide. “However, we believe that the vast majority of Chinese people are good, and that it is only the distorted information that makes them misunderstand Falun Gong.
So we continue to peacefully tell people the facts about Falun Gong and the persecution in China and abroad, hoping to bring an early end to the persecution. The persecution of Falun Gong is financed by taxpayers’ money, which should be used for the benefit of the people rather than killing innocents. People just want to live a peaceful life, right?
The two girls said, “Yes, we are good people, so we want to know more. We heard about organ harvesting. Do you have more information for us to read?”
The guide gave them copies of Bloody Harvest and State Organs, which they gladly accepted.
A student from Hunan Province asked while viewing the exhibition, “Isn’t this Falun Gong? Isn’t it banned in China?"
Her guide, Chen Shuman, asked, “Do you know that Falun Gong is persecuted in China?”
She replied that she had seen negative media reports on Falun Gong, but also saw Falun Gong’s displays in Thailand. As a result, she was quite conflicted.
In front of paintings about organ harvesting, Chen explained that Falun Gong practitioners often had their organs ripped out of them while alive with no anesthesia, so that the government could sell these organs for profit.
The student was on the verge of tears, and told Chen that through the paintings and commentary, her understanding of Falun Gong had completely changed. She took a lot of informational materials with her before she left in order to read more on the situation.
Taiwanese Tourists Admire the Paintings
Ms. Huang was a college senior who came to visit Tunghai University’s campus with her friend Mr. Tse. The paintings outside the venue had caught their eye, so they came inside to see what was going on.
After listening carefully to the guide’s commentary, she said: "I'm shocked! How could something like this happen, when Falun Gong is about 'Truth-Compassion-Tolerance'? And these paintings all give off a very positive energy too."
She was appalled to learn about such a violent persecution happening in mainland China, which she had not heard about before. She believed that such a persecution should not exist, and said she would spread the news to her mainland friends, because it was the right thing to do.
Mr. Tse hadn’t heard about Falun Gong either. But now, having seen the exhibition, he said he would like to know more about it, and gratefully accepted the guide's informational flyers.
