(Minghui.org) Nestled at the southern tip of the Rocky Mountains, Colorado’s Four Corners region is a melting pot of cultures and personalities, including spiritual seekers, ranchers and farmers, indigenous communities, and outdoor and adventure enthusiasts. The region’s alpine terrain, high desert, and beautiful scenery attract tens of thousands of tourists from around the world each year.
Durango lies at the center of the region. Local Falun Gong practitioners actively participated in various community activities in the area by setting up information booths and demonstrating the exercises during the summer of 2023.
Dandelion Festival in Durango, Colorado
The first event of the season was the Dandelion Festival in Durango, Colorado, on May 6, 2023. It’s a locally cherished celebration of spring, and organic land stewardship. This was the second year that Falun Gong practitioners have participated.
Falun Dafa booth at the Dandelion Festival in Durango, Colorado, on May 6, 2023.
The community has come to know about Falun Gong after the group’s continued participation in events. Practitioners distributed truth-clarifying materials to local residents, and invited locals to join the weekly exercises.
A painter at the event spent more than an hour at the Falun Dafa booth, asking about the concepts of meditation and cultivating one’s mind. As he left, he said, “I believe I was meant to be here today.” He participated in the weekly group exercises later that week and continued to do so many times.
Dolores River Festival in Dolores, Colorado
Falun Gong practitioners set up an information booth at the Dolores River Festival in Colorado on June 3. The event attracted approximately 2000 people and vendors to the beautiful Joe Rowell Park on the north bank of the Dolores River, with many locals, tourists, and attendees from surrounding towns.
Introducing Falun Dafa at the Dolores River Festival in Dolores, Colorado, on June 3, 2023.
A young couple stopped at the Falun Dafa booth and recalled the winter light parade that practitioners had participated in a few years ago. The woman mentioned that she still has the lotus flower bookmark that a practitioner gave her that day, and it still decorates her desk. She told practitioners that she cherishes this lotus flower, which reminds her of the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance every day. She said the world needs these principles.
Whole Expo in Durango
The Whole Expo, held on September 9 and 10 in Durango, Colorado, is an exhibition of full services and seminars in the Four Corners region. It attracts many spiritual seekers from the area, with many attendees coming from a large city in nearby New Mexico.
Falun Dafa booth at the Whole Expo in Durango, Colorado.
At the Falun Dafa booth, practitioners met many people who were interested in seeking improvement in their health, and a spiritual practice. Several books, such as Falun Gong and Zhuan Falun, were displayed and sold at the booth.
Two Korean ladies were selling massage equipment next to the booth. “We Asians are familiar with the positive effects of Falun Gong,” one of them said with a smile. She guided a young lady to the Falun Dafa booth and suggested that she learn the Falun Gong meditation exercises. Toward the end of the expo, a Korean lady bought a copy of Falun Gong.
There was a sizable flea market taking place in the parking lot of the event at the same time. Two practitioners decided to visit every stall and introduce Falun Gong to the vendors.
Serenity Festival in Aztec, New Mexico
The final event of the summer was the Serenity Fest in Aztec, New Mexico, on September 15 and 16. It is an event that supports people who are recovering from addiction, and offers live music, workshops, and wellness classes and art.
Falun Dafa practitioners taught the five sets of exercises at their stall and during workshops. Fifteen people who attended a seminar introducing Falun Dafa expressed how much they enjoyed the practice and then stayed to ask questions after the seminar. Several people shared that they felt a powerful energy.
Signature Drive at the Durango Farmers Market
Falun Gong practitioners also attended a farmers market in Durango, Colorado, every month, from May to October 2023. It is a large and popular market that attracts many new people each time, and attendance ranges from hundreds to thousands of people.
Falun Dafa booth at the Durango Farmers Market
Practitioners invited visitors to sign a petition opposing forced organ harvesting in China. A woman who believes in Buddhism signed the petition and said that the crimes of the Chinese Communist Party will be punished in our lifetime.
Many market goers expressed interest in learning the Falun Gong exercises. Practitioners told people that the Durango exercise site provides free exercise teaching every Saturday.
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