By Cao Ming, Vision Times
WASHINGTON D.C. — On May 2, Falun Gong practitioners gathered in the nation’s capital ahead of World Falun Dafa Day to celebrate the 34th anniversary of Falun Dafa’s public introduction to the world. This year’s May 13 observance also marks the 75th birthday of Falun Dafa founder Mr. Li Hongzhi.
Participants demonstrated Falun Gong’s five meditation exercises near popular tourist areas in the U.S. capital, drawing the attention of passersby throughout the day.
Also known as Falun Dafa, the spiritual practice was introduced to the public in 1992 in Changchun, China. Rooted in the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance, the practice also focuses on moral self-improvement and meditation exercises. Despite being peaceful in nature, the CCP launched a brutal campaign to eradicate Falun Gong in July 1999. Since then, thousands have perished at the hands of Chinese police, with many adherents today still undergoing routine monitoring, arbitrary travel bans, and arrests.
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Gao Meixia, a Washington-area data analyst who attended the event, said practicing Falun Dafa brought a greater sense of meaning and peace into her life. “Since I began practicing Falun Dafa, I feel my life has become more meaningful, joyful, and peaceful,” Gao told Chinese-language media. “It feels like an entirely new chapter in my life.”
Another practitioner, software engineer James Huang, said he suffered from severe allergies before taking up the practice. “Not long after I started practicing, my allergies disappeared,” Huang said.
He also said Falun Gong’s teachings helped him improve his relationships at work and in daily life. “I gradually learned to look at problems from other people’s perspectives and think more about others,” he explained. “That has helped me work better with colleagues and cooperate more effectively.”
Practitioners recall persecution in China
Speakers at the gathering also discussed the CCP’s campaign against Falun Gong, which began in July 1999 under then-CCP leader Jiang Zemin. Practitioners and human rights advocates estimate that millions of people have been detained, imprisoned, or subjected to persecution since the crackdown began, though the Chinese government rejects such allegations.
Zhang Yuwei, a Washington-area clinic operations manager, said she was repeatedly detained in China after the persecution started. “I was still a student when the repression began,” Zhang said. “I was detained several times, and my home was searched repeatedly, simply because I refused to give up my belief in ‘Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance.’”
Another practitioner, accountant Zhou Gui, said her mother, Wang Youmei, a Falun Gong practitioner from Wuhan, had also faced repeated arrests after traveling to Beijing to appeal on behalf of Falun Gong in 2000.
Zhou said she recently learned that her mother was detained again along with 16 other Falun Gong practitioners in April. “Initially they said she would be held for 15 days,” Zhou said. “But on May 1, police transferred her and two other women to another detention center and have not allowed family visits.”
She accused Chinese authorities of targeting individuals solely because of their spiritual beliefs. “In China, right and wrong are completely reversed,” Zhou said. “Because you have a belief, they can arbitrarily detain and persecute you, and even engage in forced organ harvesting.”
The Chinese government has repeatedly denied allegations of forced organ harvesting, though the issue has drawn international scrutiny from lawmakers and human rights organizations.
Condemnation from U.S. lawmakers
Participants at the Washington event also referenced recent legislative efforts in the United States related to Falun Gong persecution and organ harvesting allegations.
In February 2025, the United States House of Representatives unanimously passed the Falun Gong Protection Act. Earlier this year, members of the U.S. Senate introduced additional legislation titled the Falun Gong and Organ Harvesting Victims Protection Act, which seeks to hold perpetrators accountable.
Zhang Yuwei said more public awareness is needed. “Many people think this has nothing to do with them or their communities, but that’s not true,” she said. “The persecution is happening right now. Everyone should pay attention to efforts to stop the persecution and forced organ harvesting. These are horrific crimes that must end.”
The event concluded with participants gathering for a group photo and collectively chanting: “Falun Dafa is good! Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance is good!”
