(Minghui.org) The annual Knox Fest community celebration was held on March 1, 2025, in southeast Melbourne. Practitioners participated in the festival that was held in the Wally Tew Reserve. The popular event usually attracts over 20,000 visitors.
There were two stages where groups were invited to perform. The Tian Guo Marching Band, waist drum team, and dragon dance team, as well as the Falun Dafa exercise demonstration, were warmly applauded.
Practitioners participated in the Knox Fest on March 1.
People Commend Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance
Architect Santy Perez and his friend dentist Cisne Merino praised the Tian Guo Marching Band’s performance. Mr. Perez said, “[The music] is peaceful and calm, which makes people feel comfortable. I really like the beautiful costumes!”
Mr. Perez and Ms. Merino are from South America. Ms. Merino said she was pleased to experience traditional Chinese culture via the band’s performance: “The performance is eye-catching and lets us learn about different cultures. Every member of the band seems so friendly, and [the music] is very beautiful.”
Architect Santy Perez and Cisne Merino had good things to say about the Tian Guo Marching Band.
They had heard about Falun Dafa before and said they admired practitioners for sharing the universal values of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance through community activities. Mr. Perez said, “The values of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance are vital to today’s world, especially in this era of globalization, where different cultures and religions coexist. People need these universal values to achieve mutual understanding and tolerance.”
Ms. Merina, who runs a dental clinic, agreed, “The values of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance can help us improve our spiritual realm and physical fitness. Spreading these concepts at community activities is the best way to share and learn from different people. These values are closely related to each of us, which is really good.”
As a dentist, she believes that following Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance is also of great significance to her daily work. “This is the foundation of all my work. Obviously, it is very important to have a caring heart for patients.”
Falun Dafa Brings People Hope
Alex Corrone, a 15-year-old middle school student, participated in a performance as a member of his school choir. He said the Tian Guo Marching Band’s performance was indescribable and wonderful.
Alex Corrone, a middle school student, was impressed by the Tian Guo Marching Band.
“It’s really hard to put it into words... My mind has been opened up, and I’m completely immersed in it!” he said. “I feel a connection with this culture. Watching them perform, I can feel a kind of energy, a force that expands outward.
“Just from the surface, you can feel that they have put in a lot of effort!” Alex admired the skill of the band members: “It’s really admirable that they can present such a performance.”
After watching the practitioners’ exercise demonstration and learning that the band members all practice Falun Dafa, Alex was deeply touched. “There are many people in the world who are having difficulties, and the Falun Dafa exercise demonstration provides people with a possible way out—to adjust themselves through meditation. This method can really make people feel more comfortable,” he said. “I believe [Falun Dafa] can bring peace, and it can also allow people to experience the freedom of the soul and bring hope and help to people.”
Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance Spread with the Music
Sandy (right) and Tarryl liked the band’s performance.
Retired couple Sandy and Tarryl also liked the Tian Guo Marching Band’s performance. They talked with band members and expressed their gratitude for their performance, and said they looked forward to seeing them again next year.
Sandy said, “I was fascinated. It was a calming feeling. Every member looked happy, and the music was harmonious and beautiful. It was really great.”
Tarryl also said that watching the band perform made her feel happy. “The music was full of vitality and made people feel happy. I can feel that they trained hard. The music is really great. The band members are very friendly. I really like them.”
The both said that from the band members’ eyes, expressions, and mental state, as well as the music they played, they could feel the spirit of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, that their energy radiated and soared with the music.
Sandy said that the performance was a concrete form that helps people understand the message that Falun Dafa practitioners want to convey, so their efforts are very important.
Tarryl added, “I think they have done a great job integrating into the Australian community through this and it brings us closer together, so thank you very much for the music. I will remember it all year long. Please come back next year because we will definitely come to see them again.”
This Is a Wonderful Performance
Nurse Tatjana Kulakovski liked practitioners’ performance.
Registered nurse Tatjana Kulakovski brought her four children to the celebration and watched practitioners perform with great interest. She said, “We’ve never seen such wonderful performances, especially the dragon dance and waist drums. The children just loved them. We followed them all the way and watched them several times. It was really wonderful!
“The performance was really interesting! The costumes were bright and eye-catching, and the waist drum team performed with perfect coordination and full of enthusiasm. The waist drum and dragon dance require high skills. For people from different cultural backgrounds, this is a wonderful experience. We really like it!”
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