(Minghui.org) Practitioners held a celebration on May 9, 2026, on Heroes’ Square to commemorate World Falun Dafa Day and to thank Master Li Hongzhi for introducing the spiritual practice to the public on May 13, 1992.

Heroes’ Square, the gateway to City Park, is one of Budapest’s most iconic and visited public squares. Statues commemorating Hungarian heroes, the Museum of Fine Arts, and the Palace of Art are located there.

Practitioners set up their booth next to the bronze statues of the seven Hungarian chieftains. They did the exercises and told people about the benefits of the discipline. They also raised awareness of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) persecution of Falun Dafa that continues to this day.

Practitioners celebrated World Falun Dafa Day in Budapest. (Minghui.org)

This was the first time for the Hungarian waist drum team to play together in public, and people seemed to really enjoy their performance. Many took photos and videos and talked with practitioners.

Practitioners play the waist drums. (Minghui.org)

Passersby sign a petition that calls for an end to the persecution. (Minghui.org)

Waist Drum Coordinator Appreciates Master Li

Tien has always wanted to show people how wonderful Falun Dafa is. Although he regularly volunteers at informational events, he felt there were other ways to make a bigger impact.

The waist drum, an instrument traditionally played at Chinese folk festivals, has been a mainstay of World Falun Dafa Day celebrations around the world. Tien was inspired to organize a waist drum team in Hungary.

“I’m very grateful to Master Li for making this wonderful practice public and teaching it to us,” he said. He added that it was a particular joy for him to be able to give their first public performance on World Falun Dafa Day because the team worked so hard.

He said it made him very happy to see so many passersby walk across the square to watch them play and learn more about Falun Dafa.

Hungarian Practitioner: Becoming More Harmonious and Happy by Practicing Falun Dafa

Zsuzsanna also wanted to express her gratitude.

She found Falun Dafa online in 2018. She’d always been interested in spirituality, so it immediately captured her interest. She didn’t know anything about Falun Dafa at the time, but she thought the exercises were beautiful.

She said, “I felt that this was the path I had been searching for to truly improve, and I immediately identified with the principles.

“I always feel the energy of Falun Dafa very strongly, both during and after practicing. For me, the most significant positive effect is that it puts me in a very harmonious and happy state of mind. I think it offers something that people everywhere are searching for,” she added.

Zhuan Falun, the primary book of Falun Dafa’s teachings, also had a profound impact on her: “It helped me make sense of many things and provided explanations for countless issues. I gained a better understanding of humanity’s place on Earth and in the universe.”

Zsuzsanna said World Falun Dafa Day is a wonderful opportunity for people to learn about Falun Dafa.

“I’d say the message of Falun Dafa is that life has a much deeper meaning than we realize. For those who are receptive to it and become practitioners, this can certainly serve as a guiding principle throughout their lives. They can actively work on themselves, help others, and the world, so that our present and future may be secure, harmonious, and fulfilled,” she said.

Falun Dafa’s Values Resonate With Passersby

Filip (left) and Jiri sign the petition and encourage practitioners to keep up their efforts.

Filip and Jiri from the Czech Republic were vacationing in Budapest. They saw practitioners doing the exercises in the square and said they were impressed by the calm and peaceful energy.

When they learned that the practice is being actively persecuted in China, they signed the petition and said what the practitioners were doing was very important and they should keep it up.

Fady from Lebanon was in Budapest on business. After a practitioner gave him a flyer and told him about the persecution in China, he signed the petition.

He said Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance are very important values for the whole world. He wished the practitioners good luck.