(Minghui.org) When Mia, a 14-year-old Slovakian girl, first arrived at the Minghui Summer Camp in Germany, she found the orchestra lessons were progressing too quickly and she didn’t know any other campers. She wanted to leave.
She said fortunately she decided to stay. “When it was time for us to depart nine days later, I felt this camp is too short—I wasn’t ready to say goodbye and I wished it was longer,” Mia recalled.
From August 1 to 9, 2026, the Minghui Summer Camp was held in Meschede-Eversberg, Germany. More than 130 children, counselors, and parents from 13 countries participated in it. They were from Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, Slovakia, Romania, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Belgium, Australia, and Taiwan. Their ages ranged from one year old to over 60 years old.
Participants wore traditional costumes from various countries and ethnic groups. (Minghui.org)
The activities began each day by reading Zhuan Falun and practicing the five Falun Dafa exercises. The children voluntarily refrained from using mobile phones and computers. Instead, they spent the nine days learning, doing the exercises, dancing, listening to music, and engaging in traditional culture activities.
Making Good Friends
After experiencing setbacks in her orchestra class, Mia realized she needed to change her mindset. Instead of dwelling on it, she focused on doing her best in the dance class. Another girl approached her, and the two became friends.
“By the fourth day, Mia moved her mattress to her new friend’s room, because she wanted to stay with her,” her mother said. “By the end of summer camp, Mia made several very good friends and she didn’t want to leave.”
Children and parents do the Falun Dafa exercises together. (Minghui.org)
Campers read Falun Dafa’s teachings (Minghui.org)
Persist in Doing the Exercises
For three-year-old Alexey, practicing the exercises with everyone for the first time was not easy. Despite his young age he practiced with everyone for a full hour, and did all five exercises.
Three-year-old Alexey (Minghui.org)
His parents were delighted to see him persevere. “After practicing, Alexey felt exceptionally good and full of energy. I felt that way myself,” his mother Kateryna said.
Improving with the Children
Zahra volunteered to read the Fa with the young children. She said she read and did the exercises herself first every morning before leading the first group of children in activities.
“This gave me more energy and wisdom, and enabled me to better handle various minor situations and unexpected challenges that arise when studying with the young children,” she said.
Zahra believes that communication with the children before and after the group study is also very important. “The children’s behavior made me see my own attachments and encouraged me to eliminate my bad habits,” she continued.
She said participating in this summer camp made her realize once again that, if you prioritize doing the three things well as a practitioner and persevere in improving yourself, many problems will gradually be resolved.
Learning to Face Challenges
In addition to group study, doing the exercises, and group discussion, the summer camp also included activities such as Chinese classical dance, choir, orchestra, martial arts, traditional Chinese ink painting, handicrafts, and needlework.
Older children and teenagers learn martial arts. The coach is Eike Opfermann, a gold medal winner at the 2024 NTD Television World Traditional Chinese Martial Arts Competition. (Minghui.org)
Older girls learn classical Chinese dance. (Minghui.org)
Nine-year-old Lilien from Berlin enrolled in Chinese classical dance classes. The next day, she and her friends discovered they had both been moved from the intermediate group to the beginner group. Lilien wept and sadly called her mother, “I don’t understand why I was moved.”
Her mother encouraged her with words from Zhuan Falun, telling her to see this as a test. Lillian understood this later and said, “I can’t just participate half-heartedly, nor can I give up. I must continue to attend classes diligently.”
Gradually Lilien stopped focusing on the fact that she was moved. Instead, she focused her attention during each dance class and improving.
Determined to Attend Camp
Jonas, a 10-year-old boy from Austria, almost missed attending summer camp. Shortly before he was supposed to head to camp he broke his big toe while playing soccer.
When his father took him to the hospital, Jonas asked Master Li (founder of Falun Dafa) for help. What he cared about most was not recovering quickly and playing football again, but rather being able to attend summer camp.
“I wanted to participate no matter what, because I knew it was a rare opportunity,” he explained.
Jonas, a 10-year-old boy from Austria, sits in the lotus position
After Jonas arrived at the summer camp he enrolled in Chinese classical dance and surprisingly felt no pain while he danced. He could even sit in the lotus position. Although it initially hurt a little, he soon felt a flow of energy through his legs.
An Old Costume Connects the Memories
The multicultural festival is another activity of the summer camp. Participants bring traditional items from their countries and ethnic groups, and set them up as a small “museum” to help children learn about different cultures and traditions.
The campers’ “museum.” (Minghui.org)
Clara, a 16-year-old girl from Romania, brought a traditional costume that is about 130 years old. Made of traditional fabrics, this hand-sewn costume was passed down through generations in her family.
Clara wore the outfit during the traditional costume show, and explained, “This was made by my great-great-grandmother when she was 14. Later, when my grandmother was 12, my great-great-grandmother gave her this outfit as a thank you for helping with housework. When I passed my eighth-grade exams and got into the liberal arts high school I wanted, my grandmother gave it to me.”
Clara wears traditional clothes her great-grandmother made. (Minghui.org)
One day, Clara will pass this precious outfit on to the next generation because she wants the tradition to continue.
One mother said it’s important for children to learn about the cultures of other participants because such opportunities are rare. It also allows children to understand their own culture and traditional values from different perspectives.
Wearing Hanfu Allows One to Experience a Different Kind of Beauty
This year’s summer camp included a Hanfu-themed photoshoot for the first time. Children and teenagers interested in traditional Chinese clothing participated in online courses in advance to learn about the connotations of traditional colors, and the characteristics of clothing from different dynasties in ancient China.
Despite the hot weather on the day of the shoot, the 13 young models patiently waited for several hours until the entire shoot was completed.
Mai at the Hanfu-themed photoshoot. (Minghui.org)
Mai, a 12-year-old girl from Aachen, Germany, enjoys wearing traditional clothing on appropriate occasions. “Wearing this kind of clothing gives me a completely different feeling, and I become more conscious of the way I move,” she said.
She believes that wearing traditional clothing allows one to appreciate its elegance and beauty from different perspectives.
From Participants to Counselors
At the end of the summer camp, Bao Trinh, one of the co-organizers, mentioned that an increasing number of young practitioners have become involved in organizing the camp. Some of them attended the Minghui Summer Camp when they were children and they are now counselors, and care for and help the children.
Bao believes this shows that summer camp is not just a short-term activity, but also provides an environment for young participants to grow. “They have the opportunity to change from participants to co-owners, learn to take responsibility, and solidly improve in cultivation through cooperating with each other,” she said.
During the cultural festival, participants also learned to say “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good” in different languages. A total of fifteen languages were spoken during the camp.
From a girl who wanted to leave on her second day to someone who couldn’t bear to part with her friends; from a three-year-old child who persisted in practicing the exercises to a 9-year-old girl who continued doing her best in dance classes; through seemingly ordinary choices, the children learned to grow, respect others, and persevere.
Perhaps this is precisely what makes the Minghui Summer Camp so appealing: through shared learning and life experiences, children can personally experience the values of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance.
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