PureInsight | July 22, 2017
[PureInsight.org] Golowan Festival is a revival of the old celebration of the midsummer which was widespread in Cornwall until the late 19th century. The tradition was re-started in 1991, and Falun Dafa practitioners first took part in 2007. This year, Golowan Festival began on 16th and ended on 25th June 2017.
Waist drummers perform in the 2008 Mazey Day parade in Penzance, Cornwall, UK.
In 2008 and 2009, 20 practitioners were invited from London (306 miles away and nearly 6 hours by car or train) to perform waist drumming as a part of the procession on Mazey Day. The Falun Dafa stall organizer, Yukari Werrell, clearly remembers the crowd clapping with deep admiration for the drummers. Afterwards, people were queuing up at the stall to sign the petition to end the persecution.
Waist drummers perform in the 2009 Mazey Day parade in Penzance, Cornwall.
Practitioners demonstrate the 5 sets of Falun Gong exercises on the seafront in Penzance in 2008.
Every year, a Falun Dafa stall is set up on both Mazey Day (on Saturday with themed processions by local school children) and Quay Day (on Sunday with a market), with practitioners making origami lotus flowers to raise awareness of the persecution in China, and asking for petition signatures. Practitioners also demonstrate the exercises and introduce the local Falun Dafa class to passers-by.
This year, a small team of local practitioners were busy making lotus flowers as well as showing children and adults how to make them. After 10 years, Falun Dafa has become a part of the Golowan Festival, with some saying “We made the flowers last year”, “We got a pretty one a few years ago and it is still hanging in our car”, or “Mine is still on the kitchen table”. Well over 100 lotus flowers were made and handed out to passers-by.
Clarifying the truth at the Falun Dafa stall on Mazey Day in 2009. (Note: The baby in the photograph is an almost 1-year-old little practitioner with his granddad -- he is the almost 9-year-old boy in the next photograph)
Little practitioners hand out lotus flowers and clarify the truth to passers-by on Quay Day 2017 in Penzance.
This year, people were asked to sign the DAFOH petition to the UN Human Rights High Commissioner “Calling for an Immediate End of Forced Organ Harvesting from Falun Gong Practitioners in China”. The latest leaflet from China Organ Harvest Research Center was handed out as well. 134 people signed the petition. Some people just walked straight up to the stall to sign the petition as they were very aware of the situation in China. Others after hearing the truth from practitioners were deeply moved and took information to share with others. One woman said she would take leaflets to work and thanked practitioners sincerely for the opportunity to hear the truth. A man was intrigued by the Falun Dafa practice and asked lots of questions. After a practitioner explained about the principles of Truth, Compassion and Tolerance, and that everything we did was as volunteers, he said, “Your actions and work you are doing here demonstrate these principles clearly, thank you for explaining.”
Collecting signatures on the DAFOH petition to the UN on Mazey Day 2017 in Penzance.
An exercise demonstration was kept going throughout the day. People stopped and watched the movements, which made it easy to introduce the free class held in a local park. Many were pleased to learn the class is running in Penzance, and promised to come along.
Practitioners demonstrate the 5 sets of Falun Gong exercises on Mazey Day 2017 in Penzance.
Yukari would like to express her thanks for all the support from practitioners in the past. Falun Gong is now a part of this small town with a population of 16,000 people.
Chinese version: http://www.zhengjian.org/node/238228
