NEW YORK—The sidewalks in the heart of Flushing, home of the world’s largest Chinatown, were packed on Feb. 10 as New Yorkers celebrated the Chinese New Year with a massive parade. Some 50 different groups participated, with floats and banners representing the spiritual discipline Falun Gong bringing up the rear.
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a meditation practice that teaches the three principles of truth, compassion, and forbearance. Since 1999, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has severely persecuted practitioners of the faith.
Speaking of the Feb. 10 parade, Zhang Yan, who moved to the United States from China to seek the freedom that is impossible under the ruling communist regime, said, “In China, if you saw this, you would have been arrested long ago.”
Mr. Zhang said he was shocked when he first saw adherents of Falun Gong in such great numbers, proudly celebrating alongside fellow citizens.
“Falun Gong is a persecuted religion in China,” he said. “It was the first time I saw such a scene of Falun Gong, in this honorable parade. I was very shocked and excited. ... We must be proud of it.
“We are a generation that has been persecuted in China, including Falun Gong.”
He said that in China, the CCP “confuses” and “brainwashes” the people. He remembered a time when the authoritarian regime had managed to convince a large portion of the populace that the practice was harmful, and it wasn’t until he heard other perspectives that he knew the CCP was lying, he said.
“This kind of cruel suppression further highlights the authoritarian cruelty of the CCP,” Mr. Zhang said. “[Falun Gong] teaches truth, compassion, and forbearance; if [the CCP] can suppress it, it shows how cruel the system is, what a sharp contrast.”
He said that after he left China, he learned the truth about Falun Gong and the CCP’s persecution. He said that now he believes that the steadfast faith of Falun Gong adherents has become a source of hope for Chinese people who wish to free themselves from the CCP.
“Falun Gong members have really worked hard. Not only are they doing it for their own beliefs, they have brought blessings to the people of China. This is the blessing that many people have received from seeing Falun Gong,” he said. “If all Chinese people have this belief, society will at least be peaceful and loving. Once a person has faith, he has a bottom line in everything he does.”
Seeing the Falun Gong adherents participate in the parade, Mr. Zhang said that he felt deeply that the United States is a place of freedom and human rights.
Other Chinese watching the parade shared thoughts similar to Mr. Zhang’s, saying that it would be impossible to see a parade like this in China, and that Falun Gong gives them hope for the future.
Li Qing said he came to the United States only one year ago. Before that, he had once been illegally detained for being a political dissident, and he met two Falun Gong practitioners who were also detained.
“I think it is of great significance,” he said while watching the parade. “This truth, compassion, forbearance is good for the United States, for the whole world.
“The only thing that hurts is that those Falun Gong practitioners [in China] have sacrificed their lives, and it is really heartbreaking. I feel relieved to see such people [here].”
Ten years ago, Mr. Li said, he learned that the CCP was harvesting organs from Falun Gong practitioners who were illegally detained. According to human rights groups, the CCP has increased its perpetration of these crimes against humanity in the years since.
Mr. Du, who only recently came to New York from China, said that in back in his home country, they “no longer have traditional culture.”
“But you can find it abroad,” he said, and he saw it in Falun Gong’s participation in the parade. “Yes, this is Chinese traditional culture.”
Year of the Dragon
New York officials from several levels of government were also in attendance, and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul presented proclamations to the local organizations, declaring the Lunar New Year an official school holiday.“This is the year of the dragon—intelligence, integrity, tenacity, and courage—above all, and if nothing else, we are courageous here in New York,” Ms. Hochul said.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams was also present to congratulate the Flushing associations and celebrate the Lunar New Year; it was the first time Ms. Hochul and Mr. Adams had attended the Flushing parade together.
The parade, led by the New York City Police Department and its military band, included dozens of New York City institutions featuring dragon and lion dance teams, colorful floats, and other festive teams and banners.
The Epoch Times and its sister media outlet NTD were also participants in the parade.
