WASHINGTON D.C. — Despite the cancellation of Washington, D.C.’s official Independence Day parade due to dangerous heat, nearly 200 Falun Gong practitioners gathered near the U.S. Capitol on July 4 to celebrate America’s 250th birthday with performances that drew praise from visitors across the country.
The National Independence Day Parade, originally slated to kick off at 10:30 a.m., was called off at the last minute as temperatures soared to approximately 102 degrees Fahrenheit amid an extreme heatwave affecting much of the East Coast. But rather than dispersing, practitioners performed along Third Street near Capitol Hill with the Tian Guo Marching Band and a traditional Chinese waist drum team, entertaining crowds who had come to celebrate the nation’s historic 250 year milestone.
Dressed in traditional Tang Dynasty-style marching uniforms, the Tian Guo Marching Band performed patriotic and cultural selections including “The Star-Spangled Banner,” “Sacred Song,” “Triumph,” and “Falun Dafa Is Good.” The waist drum team, clad in bright yellow traditional costumes, followed with synchronized performances that highlighted elements of Chinese culture.
Performing through the heat
Many spectators stopped to watch, photograph, and applaud the performances. Independent media personality Kim Owen, who was livestreaming Independence Day festivities, chose the Tian Guo Marching Band as the backdrop for her broadcast.
“They are amazing! Their performance is truly great,” Owen said, adding, “I know they come from all parts of the country such as New Jersey, New York state and so on. We can see how multicultural America is and they brought this multiculturalism to the Independence Day celebrations on July 4. It’s truly a great feeling.”
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Diana, a visitor from Texas, said she appreciated the group’s decision to perform despite the cancellation of the official parade. “I think they are amazing! Although the parade was canceled, they came here to perform for us, and it’s great. This is wonderful,” she said. “The band’s performances make me happy. This is truly amazing.”
‘America’s defining values’
After learning that many band members practice Falun Dafa, a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) since 1999, Diana expressed sympathy. “It’s such a great pity, really sad,” she said, adding that religious freedom remains one of America’s defining values after 250 years of history. “You are absolutely welcome in America.”
Rooted in the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong, focuses on moral self-improvement and meditation exercises. Despite being peaceful in nature, the CCP launched a brutal campaign to eradicate the practice after seeing its rapid rise in popularity as a threat to its authoritarian regime. Since then, thousands of practitioners have perished at the hands of Chinese police, with many today still undergoing routine monitoring, arbitrary travel bans, and arrests.
According to Minghui, A U.S.-based website that tracks and documents the persecution of Falun Gong, over 4,365 practitioners have since died as a result of torture and abuse at the hands of Chinese authorities. However, based on first-hand accounts from those living under perpetual harassment by the Party’s various security organizations, the practice’s adherents speculate the real number of deaths to be in the hundreds of thousands, or even millions.
Rebecca, a Virginia resident who said she had long been aware of the CCP’s persecution of Falun Dafa, praised the practitioners’ determination to perform in the extreme heat. “I thought, it’s so hot, yet they choose to perform here. They are indeed a group of strong people. This is beautiful. It’s a beautiful display,” she said, describing the Tian Guo Marching Band and waist drum performances as “exhilarating and bring people joy.”
‘Break free from the shackles of the CCP’
Visitors from overseas also stopped to watch. A family visiting from China said they had grown up hearing only negative portrayals of Falun Gong through CCP propaganda and had never encountered practitioners in person.
But after seeing the performances firsthand, they described them as moving and said the strongest impression they had after arriving in the United States was that “everyone’s freedom is guaranteed.” They added that their own religious faith faces suppression in China and that they hope to one day enjoy the same freedom of belief.
Douglas, a retired U.S. Navy veteran who traveled from Naples, Florida, for the nation’s 250th birthday celebration, said freedom remains America’s most important value.
“As an American, what’s most important in this country is freedom,” he said, noting that many service members have sacrificed their lives to defend those freedoms. After learning about the persecution of Falun Dafa in China, he said he hopes the Chinese people can “break free from the shackles of the CCP as soon as possible and enjoy freedom.”
‘Symbolizes freedom’
Former U.S. Navy servicemember Sharon Bosley echoed that sentiment after watching the performances. “I was captivated, and I like what their performance represents, because it symbolizes freedom. They come from a country that does not embrace freedom. So I’m glad to see this performance,” she said, adding, “I’m also happy to see them because I know what the banner means: Falun Dafa.”
Several attendees also reflected on America’s founding ideals during the country’s 250th anniversary. Visitor Mitch Peterson said the United States was founded on principles of faith and liberty and urged Americans to protect those values. “We should defend our faith and defend the system established by our Founding Fathers,” he said.
Despite oppressive heat preventing Washington’s official Independence Day parade from taking place, the Tian Guo Marching Band and waist drum team’s performances ensured that thousands of visitors still witnessed a celebration centered on music, traditional culture, and the freedoms many attendees said define the founding values of the U.S.
