Note: This article was originally published on June 25, 2014.
(Minghui.org) Voted one of the "New 7 Wonders of Nature," Jeju Island is a popular vacation spot in South Korea. Over 10 million tourists visited the island in 2013, 1.8 million of them from China. In April 2014 alone, 19,000 Chinese tourists visited Jeju Island every day on average. It is expected that the number of Chinese visitors will continue to increase during the tourist season from May to October.
Falun Gong practitioners are taking this opportunity to greet these Chinese tourists and tell them the facts about Falun Gong, debunking the hate propaganda that has poisoned their minds for nearly 15 years.
About two million Chinese people visit Jeju Island every year.
Ms. Liu, 71, is one of the three practitioners who often come here. “There are many Chinese tourists here,” she said. “About 20 flights from China every day, plus some from other Korean cities. Beyond that, Chinese people also travel here on cruises.”
They range from students to government officials to business travelers. Many of them accept Falun Gong materials that Ms. Liu and two other practitioners give them as they leave customs. They then read the brochures while waiting for their tour bus.
Chinese tourists read Falun Gong materials while waiting for their tour bus.
“This information is important to them,” said Ms. Liu. "Chinese people have been misled by the hate propaganda put out by the the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for a long time, and they have turned against Falun Gong and the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. When people act against their conscience, they put their future in danger. We need to help them to understand the truth,” she explained.
Ms. Liu works very hard. Every day she gets up early in the morning to do the exercises and then leaves home around 6 a.m. to catch the bus. It has not been easy, because she has been doing this for several years, and she does not speak Korean.
“The tour guides used to stop tourists from taking brochures from us. However, they now know that what I am doing is important and they no longer intervene,” she said with a smile.
Behind Ms. Liu’s hard work is a personal story. “My daughter was a very good swimmer and she used to win national and Olympic medals.” But upon retirement, she was nearly handicapped—unable to raise her head and her legs were paralyzed.
“Those days were horrible,” Ms. Liu recalled. “My daughter was only 25, but her health was worse than that of a 70-year-old.”
The turning point came when Ms. Liu and her daughter began to practice Falun Gong. Both of them experienced tremendous physical improvement. Not only did her daughter recover, she also became a swimming coach.
“She is so lucky compared to her teammates. Falun Gong gave us a new life,” said Ms. Liu.
Next to Ms. Liu is Mr. Park, who used to live in a monastery as a monk. “I learned about Falun Gong on a bus seven years ago. I read a Falun Gong pamphlet, and then I read Zhuan Falun. The principles in the book were very profound and I was stunned.”
He moved to Jeju Island last year to explain the facts about Falun Gong and the persecution to Chinese tourists. “Maybe I have a predestined relationship with these Chinese people,” Mr. Park said. “This is something I have to do.”
Their efforts have paid off. From April to June alone, more than 20,000 Chinese tourists quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations after Ms. Liu explained the facts to them.
The tourists were very thankful. Ms. Liu recalled, “One of them looked me in the eye and said, ‘Thank you for telling me this. I now know Falun Gong is everyone’s hope.’”
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