Uploaded May 2013 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
May the 13th is World Falun Dafa Day.
[Zhang Erping, Falun Dafa Spokesperson]:
"It's the 21st anniversary of Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong, being introduced to the world. People in over one hundred countries have been practicing Falun Gong since Master Hongzhi Li first publicly taught it on May 13th in 1992."
As thousands around the world celebrate this day, Falun Gong practitioners in New York gather at Forley Square in downtown Manhattan.
Software engineer, Suman Srinivasan, was one of hundreds who turned up to do the meditative exercises of Falun Gong in the park. He talks about how it all started for him in 2001.
[Suman Srinivasan, Software Engineer):
"There was a practice site at my university. I was going to school at University of Florida at that time... Someone handed me a flier. ... I saw Truth, Compassion, Tolerance. I saw the fact that it was free, which for me as a student, it was pretty important because other classes like yoga was pretty expensive."
Falun Gong is an ancient meditation discipline with its roots in traditional Chinese culture. It's a practice for the overall improvement of mind, body and spirit.
[Suman Srinivasan, Software Engineer):
"When I first started I already looking at different things. I tried a bit of yoga, read the Bible. I was basically on the path of like... searching for a spiritual path. ...But when I read Falun Dafa, it really appealed to me, mostly because it was a combination of physical and mental, you know, it focuses on physical and mental wellbeing."
Falun Gong has been widely awarded in the West...
[Zhang Erping, Falun Dafa Spokesperson]:
"Today we received letters of congratulation from the New York Senate and Congress, —to show their support and appreciation of Falun Gong and to acknowledge the benefits of the practice."
Thirteen New York state senators convey their greetings. World Falun Dafa Day event host Liam O'Neil reads part of their message.
[Liam O'Neil, World Falun Dafa Day Event Host]
"Whereas this legislative body is justly proud to commemorate the 14th annual World Falun Dafa Day celebration."
Srinivasan says the practice has been a life-changing experience.
[Suman Srinivasan, Software Engineer):
"When I started practicing, I was in my late teens. ... I was a very rebellious kid, fighting with parents, a lot of control issues. And as soon as I started practicing, I was like 'wow,' I really need to respect my parents, do a good job at studies."
The practice also helped his health.
"Also from a physical perspective, I was able to concentrate better, like I had headaches, stomach problems, a lot of health problems since I was a kid and there were all gone within two weeks."
Falun Gong teaches truth, compassion, and tolerance. Srinivasan says these principles led him to take more responsibility in his life, back when he was a student at the University of Florida.
[Suman Srinivasan, Software Engineer):
"So one of the things I did was that I actually start searching hard for jobs, found my own paid job a few months later. ...At that time too, interestingly enough, I no longer was interested in parties. All I wanted to do was to be a good person, help others, work hard."
For the celebration Forley Park is transformed into an outdoor theater. With Falun Gong practitioners displaying their skills in traditional Chinese arts, as well as a performance by the Divine Land marching band. A band made up entirely of Falun Gong practitioners.
Although New York Falun Gong practitioners enjoyed celebrating the beauty of the practice on this sunny spring day, not all practitioners in the world were able to celebrate.
In July 1999, the Chinese regime banned Falun Gong and has carried out more than a decade long persecution of the practice. This persecution was accompanied by propaganda to defame Falun Gong. Falun Gong practitioners hope to dispel misconceptions about their practice through the celebration activities.
[Suman Srinivasan, Software Engineer):
"I think it's great because it lets people know what Falun Gong is, right. Like I think there's still misconceptions about what Falun Gong is, what it is. There's a lot of lies that the Chinese Communist Party has put out there, that people really don't have any clue about what it is. And I think a group like this, a large group of us practicing in New York, will help New Yorkers and whoever sees this to know what Falun Gong is, how peaceful it is, that it's just a peaceful meditation practice, and is being—for no reason—persecuted in China today."
World Falun Dafa day falls on May the thirteenth every year. Falun Gong practitioners continue to show the beauty of their practice to the world and call for an end to the persecution in China.
By Margaret Trey, PhD. Interviews by Ben Hedges
May the 13th is World Falun Dafa Day.
[Zhang Erping, Falun Dafa Spokesperson]:
"It's the 21st anniversary of Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong, being introduced to the world. People in over one hundred countries have been practicing Falun Gong since Master Hongzhi Li first publicly taught it on May 13th in 1992."
As thousands around the world celebrate this day, Falun Gong practitioners in New York gather at Forley Square in downtown Manhattan.
Software engineer, Suman Srinivasan, was one of hundreds who turned up to do the meditative exercises of Falun Gong in the park. He talks about how it all started for him in 2001.
[Suman Srinivasan, Software Engineer):
"There was a practice site at my university. I was going to school at University of Florida at that time... Someone handed me a flier. ... I saw Truth, Compassion, Tolerance. I saw the fact that it was free, which for me as a student, it was pretty important because other classes like yoga was pretty expensive."
Falun Gong is an ancient meditation discipline with its roots in traditional Chinese culture. It's a practice for the overall improvement of mind, body and spirit.
[Suman Srinivasan, Software Engineer):
"When I first started I already looking at different things. I tried a bit of yoga, read the Bible. I was basically on the path of like... searching for a spiritual path. ...But when I read Falun Dafa, it really appealed to me, mostly because it was a combination of physical and mental, you know, it focuses on physical and mental wellbeing."
Falun Gong has been widely awarded in the West...
[Zhang Erping, Falun Dafa Spokesperson]:
"Today we received letters of congratulation from the New York Senate and Congress, —to show their support and appreciation of Falun Gong and to acknowledge the benefits of the practice."
Thirteen New York state senators convey their greetings. World Falun Dafa Day event host Liam O'Neil reads part of their message.
[Liam O'Neil, World Falun Dafa Day Event Host]
"Whereas this legislative body is justly proud to commemorate the 14th annual World Falun Dafa Day celebration."
Srinivasan says the practice has been a life-changing experience.
[Suman Srinivasan, Software Engineer):
"When I started practicing, I was in my late teens. ... I was a very rebellious kid, fighting with parents, a lot of control issues. And as soon as I started practicing, I was like 'wow,' I really need to respect my parents, do a good job at studies."
The practice also helped his health.
"Also from a physical perspective, I was able to concentrate better, like I had headaches, stomach problems, a lot of health problems since I was a kid and there were all gone within two weeks."
Falun Gong teaches truth, compassion, and tolerance. Srinivasan says these principles led him to take more responsibility in his life, back when he was a student at the University of Florida.
[Suman Srinivasan, Software Engineer):
"So one of the things I did was that I actually start searching hard for jobs, found my own paid job a few months later. ...At that time too, interestingly enough, I no longer was interested in parties. All I wanted to do was to be a good person, help others, work hard."
For the celebration Forley Park is transformed into an outdoor theater. With Falun Gong practitioners displaying their skills in traditional Chinese arts, as well as a performance by the Divine Land marching band. A band made up entirely of Falun Gong practitioners.
Although New York Falun Gong practitioners enjoyed celebrating the beauty of the practice on this sunny spring day, not all practitioners in the world were able to celebrate.
In July 1999, the Chinese regime banned Falun Gong and has carried out more than a decade long persecution of the practice. This persecution was accompanied by propaganda to defame Falun Gong. Falun Gong practitioners hope to dispel misconceptions about their practice through the celebration activities.
[Suman Srinivasan, Software Engineer):
"I think it's great because it lets people know what Falun Gong is, right. Like I think there's still misconceptions about what Falun Gong is, what it is. There's a lot of lies that the Chinese Communist Party has put out there, that people really don't have any clue about what it is. And I think a group like this, a large group of us practicing in New York, will help New Yorkers and whoever sees this to know what Falun Gong is, how peaceful it is, that it's just a peaceful meditation practice, and is being—for no reason—persecuted in China today."
World Falun Dafa day falls on May the thirteenth every year. Falun Gong practitioners continue to show the beauty of their practice to the world and call for an end to the persecution in China.
By Margaret Trey, PhD. Interviews by Ben Hedges
