Practitioners Across China Celebrate World Falun Dafa Day

On May 13, millions around the globe marked two milestones: The 33rd anniversary of Falun Dafa’s introduction to the public and the birthday of its founder, Mr. Li Hongzhi. 

For practitioners inside China—where belief in Falun Dafa is brutally supressed—they offered heartfelt greetings through calligraphy, photographs, animated e-cards, poems, and prose that convey both gratitude and an unwavering resolve in the practice. These greetings are usually submitted to Minghui.org, a website which documents the persecution and Falun Gong practitioners’ experiences from a network of contacts in China and abroad.

Since World Falun Dafa Day was first designated on May 13, 2000, followers have celebrated the discipline’s life-changing power. This year, thousands of messages poured in from every corner of mainland China—22 provinces, five autonomous regions, and four municipalities—submitted not only by individuals but by entire families and groups. That study the practice. Their submissions are a testament to the practice’s reach, from urban professionals to rural communities, each sharing personal stories of physical healing, moral transformation, and spiritual renewal under the principles of Truthfulness–Compassion–Forbearance.

A group of nine practitioners from Liaoning Province sent the sincerest congratulations for World Falun Dafa Day and warmest birthday wishes to Mr. Li Hongzhi.  “The unforgettable May 13—World Falun Dafa Day and our Master’s birthday—is fast approaching, and our gratitude toward Master cannot be expressed in words,” their message said. “Oh, great Master! It is Your principles of ‘Truthfulness–Compassion–Forbearance’ that have awakened our true natures and guided us along the path of cultivation.”

As evidence of Falun Dafa’s broad appeal, practitioners representing 63 different fields—from forestry and national defense to finance, healthcare, education, transportation, and the arts—sent celebratory greetings. A delegation from the Shijiazhuang Refinery in Hebei Province summed up their sentiment:

“To cultivate and elevate one’s life in Dafa is the highest honor. No matter how many hardships we endure, our steadfast resolve to sincerely practice Dafa remains unchanged. As World Falun Dafa Day and Master’s birthday approach, with the utmost respect we bow in gratitude for His grace and offer our most sincere blessings: Happy Birthday, Master! Thank You for all Your hard work!”

Even in the face of relentless persecution—where simply sending an e-card or sharing a poem can invite arrest—new adherents continue to embrace Falun Dafa.

A new practitioner from Shandong Province, together with three generations of his family who have come to know the truth, respectfully wished Mr. Li a happy birthday!

“Happy Birthday, Master!” he wrote. “A ray of Dafa’s light has shone into my heart, dispelling the mildew of my soul and illuminating my heavenly kingdom. From that moment, I embraced Dafa cultivation, no longer lost in confusion.”

Their courage mirrors that of countless others who risk imprisonment to affirm their faith and share Falun Dafa’s benefits with loved ones.

Nearly 26 years of suppression by the Chinese Communist regime have only strengthened practitioners’ dedication. The breadth and diversity of this year’s World Falun Dafa Day greetings underscore the practice’s resilience and its profound, life-affirming influence on practitioners’ minds, bodies, and spirits.

As the world celebrates, these messages from across China stand as courageous declarations of freedom of belief—and as expressions of enduring gratitude to Mr. Li Hongzhi for introducing a spiritual path that continues to transform lives, even under the harshest conditions.