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USRegional & State NewsState NewsNew York NewsNY News



AT NYC LUNAR NEW YEAR PARADE, FALUN GONG ADHERENTS HAVE MESSAGE FOR THE WORLD

Falun Gong practitioners take part in the Chinese New Year Parade in Flushing,
N.Y., on Jan. 21, 2023. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)
By Cathy He
1/21/2023
Updated:
2/6/2023

Print


NEW YORK—A time for renewal and reflection emerged as a key theme for adherents
of the spiritual practice Falun Gong who participated in the Lunar New Year
parade to usher in the year of the rabbit in Queens, New York, on Jan. 21.

Hundreds of Falun Gong practitioners formed several segments of a
thousands-strong parade that marched through the heart of New York's largest
Chinese community. Thousands lined the parade route to watch the festivities.

Brightly costumed dragon and lion dancers wowed crowds, ladies dressed as
Chinese heavenly maidens handed out lotus flowers to passersby, a Chinese
American marching band played tunes inspired by divine melodies, and adherents
held banners and flags with messages and words such as “Falun Dafa is good” and
“Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance.”

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Falun Gong practitioners take part in the Chinese New Year Parade in Flushing of
Queens, N.Y., on Jan. 21, 2023. (Larry Dye/The Epoch Times)
Falun Gong practitioners take part in the Chinese New Year Parade in Flushing,
N.Y., on Jan. 21, 2023. (Larry Dye/The Epoch Times)

Those three words represent the core values of Falun Gong, also known as Falun
Dafa, a spiritual discipline rooted in traditional Chinese culture that
incorporates a set of moral teachings and meditative exercises. The practice was
made public more than three decades ago in northeast China and is now practiced
in more than 100 countries around the world.

Wang Lirong, a New York resident originally from Shanghai, walked alongside the
parade route from Union Street to Main Street in Flushing, a neighborhood of
Queens. Holding a clipboard and handing out lotus flower ornaments, she spoke to
spectators, particularly those from China, and explained to them the nature of
the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), urging them to cut any ties they may have
with the regime.

“The CCP is just like a virus that’s contaminated the entire world,” Wang told
The Epoch Times.

Falun Gong practitioner Wang Lirong participates in the 2023 Chinese New Year
parade in Flushing, N.Y., on Jan. 21, 2023. (Chung I Ho/The Epoch Times)
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"The evil deeds perpetrated by the communist regime are so great that they will
not be tolerated by the divine, [and thus] heaven will eliminate the CCP.”

She cited the regime’s ongoing cover-up and mishandling of the COVID-19
pandemic, which has led to millions of deaths globally, and its 23-year-long
persecution of Falun Gong.
In 1999, the CCP, which perceived the booming popularity of Falun Gong as a
threat to its rule after estimating that there were up to 100 million
practitioners in China, launched an aggressive campaign to eliminate the
practice. Since then, millions of practitioners have been thrown into detention,
where they're abused, tortured, or killed for their organs.
Although many Chinese people may not have personally experienced this
persecution over the past three years, almost everyone in China suffered through
the horrors of the regime’s “zero-COVID” lockdowns, Wang said. This should give
them pause and prompt a reevaluation of their association with the Party, she
said.
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“The pandemic is directly targeted at the CCP,” she said, pointing to the surge
in deaths of Chinese officials and CCP elites in recent weeks.
The only way to protect oneself, according to Wang, is to renounce one’s
affiliation with the CCP and its two junior organizations, the Youth League and
the Young Pioneers, the latter of which virtually all Chinese people are made to
join when they are children.
Falun Gong practitioners take part in the Chinese New Year Parade in Flushing,
N.Y., on Jan. 21, 2023. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)


FINDING HER TRUE SELF

Parade participant Yulia Nova, an entrepreneur from upstate New York, wanted to
show Chinese people who were watching the parade how wonderful Falun Dafa is,
she said, noting that the spiritual discipline has helped her in profound ways.
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After taking up the practice 14 years ago, Nova saw her thyroid problems
disappear within a month. But it was her character that underwent the greatest
change over the past decade and a half.

Falun Gong practitioner Yulia Nova participates in the 2023 Chinese New Year
parade in Flushing, N.Y., on Jan. 21, 2023. (Chung I Ho/The Epoch Times)

By reading the teachings of Falun Gong and applying the principles of
truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance, Nova was gradually able to become “a
better person, kinder to other people, caring, and really tolerant” of other
people, “because everybody's different, and nobody's perfect,” she said.

Most of all, Falun Gong helped her to discover what it means to be “true to
yourself.”

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“A lot of times, I find we have these little white lies that we follow
ourselves, and [that] our society tells us, and we begin to believe these
things. And in the end, it's really not true,” Nova said.

Falun Gong practitioners participate in the 2023 Chinese New Year parade in
Flushing, N.Y., on Jan. 21, 2023. (Chung I Ho/The Epoch Times)

For Nova, the biggest lies that she had to overcome were the communist
ideologies and notions that were instilled in her while growing up in the former
Soviet Union.

In that communist society, there was no belief in God and morality, and every
human relationship was made subordinate to the interests of the Soviet regime,
she said. She recounted that when she was 15, her mother told her that the KGB
had tried to recruit her to spy on her father, a communist party member, but her
mother had refused.

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At the time, Nova took her mother's words at face value and didn't think much
about it. It wasn’t until years later, after Nova left for the United States at
the age of 24, that she realized that her mother may not have been telling the
truth. The idea of an ordinary woman saying no to the KGB was “unheard of,” she
said.

“This was the family that raised me,” she said. “That just tells you how evil
communist ideology is. It was just so awful.”

Three years ago, Nova made a big breakthrough on her journey to finding her true
self.

“All of a sudden, I realized that what I am is not what I am, like the whole
thing just collapsed,” she said.

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“I realized I created all these avatars to protect myself from being hurt. I've
created avatars that reacted at work, I'll be a certain way, then I go home, I'm
a certain way—so all these personas. The inside of me was never really revealed
to anyone.

“And to finally uncover that inner, true, authentic self that I am, it's just
such a revelation because then you don't have to pretend anymore—you are a true,
authentic person, no matter where you go.”

Falun Gong practitioners participate in the Chinese New Year Parade in Flushing,
N.Y. on Jan. 21, 2023. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)


WHAT IT MEANS TO BE HUMAN

Parade participant Juan Lara from Manhattan took up Falun Gong in the summer of
2020 after seeing adherents performing the practice's meditative exercises at
Central Park.
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Lara was always interested in meditation and Eastern philosophy.

“But all of it seemed more theoretical," he said. "It made sense and all sounded
good, but it didn't really create a fundamental change in my mind.”

Falun Gong practitioner Juan Lara participates in the 2023 Chinese New Year
parade in Flushing, N.Y., on Jan. 21, 2023. (Chung I Ho/The Epoch Times)
But after reading “Zhuan Falun,” the main text of Falun Gong, things changed for
Lara.
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“It automatically shifted how I was thinking,” he said.

“I was like, ‘Maybe I found something like a genuine teaching.’ I wanted to
continue to pursue it, and I'm still on that path."

Lara cited one line in the book: “Some people may say that you are good, but you
may not really be good.”

“It made me see that I wasn't up to a standard that I thought," he said. "It
made me want to raise my standards [by following the three principles]."

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Falun Gong practitioners participate in the Chinese New Year Parade in Flushing,
N.Y., on Jan. 21, 2023. (Larry Dye/The Epoch Times)
The Lunar New Year, which fell on Jan. 22, is a good time for people to do a bit
of reflection and introspection, Lara said. He pointed to a new article released
by the founder of Falun Dafa, Mr. Li Hongzhi, titled “How Humankind Came to Be”
on Jan. 20.

In that article, Mr. Li addresses the purpose of being human and describes that
human beings exist in a place made by the Creator called the “realm of desire.”

Lara's understanding of this is that “a lot of things that you think you might
want, that [you think] are good for you, might [actually] be desires and
attachments.”

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He suggested that people assess whether the things they pursue are genuinely
good for them.

“I would say don't just automatically react to all sorts of things you might
want,” he said. “Focus on more righteous principles and really look inside
yourself before going outside for satisfaction.”

Nova echoed this sentiment, suggesting that people take the time to “really
think about what it means to be human to them.”

Many people, particularly after being stuck at home during the COVID-19 pandemic
over the past few years, have had a chance to reevaluate how they were living
their lives.

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“A lot of people realized that what they thought was important to them was not
important to them anymore,” Nova said.

“And they don't want to work 70 hours a week, and their families are more
important to them, and their relationship with their children [is] important to
them.

“And they take time to take care of their spouses or their parents and so
forth.”

Being human, Nova believes, is about returning to kindness and integrity.

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This means to be “dignified, compassionate, and very tolerant of the world and
the things that come about” in our daily lives, she said.

Falun Gong practitioners participate in the Chinese New Year Parade in Flushing,
N.Y., on Jan. 21, 2023. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)
Bystanders interact with Falun Gong practitioners during the Chinese New Year
parade in Flushing, N.Y., on Jan. 21, 2023. (Chung I Ho/The Epoch Times)
Falun Gong practitioners participate in the Chinese New Year Parade in Flushing,
N.Y., on Jan. 21, 2023. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)
Advertisement - Story continues below
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Audience members look on as Falun Gong practitioners participate in the Chinese
New Year Parade in Flushing, N.Y., on Jan. 21, 2023. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch
Times)







Falun Gong practitioners participate in the Chinese New Year Parade in Flushing,
N.Y., on Jan. 21, 2023. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)
Falun Gong practitioners participate in the Chinese New Year Parade in Flushing,
N.Y., on Jan. 21, 2023. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)
Advertisement - Story continues below
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Falun Gong practitioners participate in the Chinese New Year Parade in Flushing,
N.Y., on Jan. 21, 2023. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)
Falun Gong practitioners participate in the Chinese New Year Parade in Flushing,
N.Y., on Jan. 21, 2023. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)
Falun Gong practitioners participate in the Chinese New Year Parade in Flushing,
N.Y., on Jan. 21, 2023. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)
Audience members look on as Falun Gong practitioners participate in the Chinese
New Year Parade in Flushing, N.Y., on Jan. 21, 2023. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch
Times)
Advertisement - Story continues below
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Falun Gong practitioners take part in the Chinese New Year Parade in the
Flushing neighborhood of Queens, N.Y., on Jan. 21, 2023. (Samira Bouaou/The
Epoch Times)
Falun Gong practitioners participate in the Chinese New Year Parade in Flushing,
N.Y., on Jan. 21, 2023. (Larry Dye/The Epoch Times)







Bystanders watch Falun Gong practitioners participate in the Chinese New Year
parade in Flushing, N.Y., on Jan. 21, 2023. (Chung I Ho/The Epoch Times)
Advertisement - Story continues below
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Falun Gong practitioners participate in the Chinese New Year Parade in Flushing,
N.Y., on Jan. 21, 2023. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)
Bystanders watch Falun Gong practitioners participate in the Chinese New Year
parade in Flushing, N.Y., on Jan. 21, 2023. (Chung I Ho/The Epoch Times)
Falun Gong practitioners participate in the Chinese New Year Parade in Flushing,
N.Y., on Jan. 21, 2023. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)
Bystanders wave at Falun Gong practitioners' arrays in the Chinese New Year
parade in Flushing, N.Y., on Jan. 21, 2023. (Chung I Ho/The Epoch Times)
Falun Gong practitioners participate in the Chinese New Year Parade in Flushing,
N.Y., on Jan. 21, 2023. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)
Falun Gong practitioners take part in the Chinese New Year Parade in the
Flushing neighborhood of Queens, N.Y., on Jan. 21, 2023. (Larry Dye/The Epoch
Times)
58
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Top Two Comments:
RA

2023-01-21

These are the real freedom loving Chinese People. They hate the CCP. I hope they
are successful in their fight against the Tyrants of the Chinese Government.
Just as I pray to Jesus Christ we are successful against our fight against the
Tyrants of the U.S. Government.

Reply

Share

D J

2023-01-21

For over 70 years, the CCP have killed millions upon millions of Chinese people,
spread its ideology throughout the world, and committing the most evil of acts –
forced organ harvesting perpetrated against Falun Gong.
Chinese people must be clear of their own cognitive dissonance, do the right
thing, disavow and quit the CCP.
Those that support the CCP are met with retribution.
Heaven will destroy the CCP.

Reply

Share

51
Comments


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Cathy He
Author (EDITOR)


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Cathy He is an editor focusing on U.S. and China-related topics. She previously
worked as a government lawyer in Australia. She joined The Epoch Times in
February 2018. Contact Cathy at cathy.he@epochtimes.com.


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Related Topics
Falun Gong
CCP
lunar new year
Comments
Write a comment...
Top Two Comments:
RA

2023-01-21

These are the real freedom loving Chinese People. They hate the CCP. I hope they
are successful in their fight against the Tyrants of the Chinese Government.
Just as I pray to Jesus Christ we are successful against our fight against the
Tyrants of the U.S. Government.

Reply

Share

D J

2023-01-21

For over 70 years, the CCP have killed millions upon millions of Chinese people,
spread its ideology throughout the world, and committing the most evil of acts –
forced organ harvesting perpetrated against Falun Gong.
Chinese people must be clear of their own cognitive dissonance, do the right
thing, disavow and quit the CCP.
Those that support the CCP are met with retribution.
Heaven will destroy the CCP.

Reply

Share



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