Greece: A Story from Athens During the Olympic Games

It was dusk on the fourth day of the Olympic Games. The sky gradually became dark. Illuminated by light, the 2,500 year-old Parthenon on the Acropolis in central Athens looked even more spectacular. Not far away from the Acropolis was a hilly area where Socrates devoted himself to discussion with the aristocratic young citizens of Athens. Suddenly, while tourists were immersed in thoughts of the ancient past, clear and harmonious music could be heard in the distance.

The music came from an open-air theatre in the traditional Greek style. Falun Dafa practitioners were invited by the Greek Acropolis Culture Association to hold a music soirée entitled “Evening of The Lotus”.
The performances during the soirée, including dances, instrumental solos and ensembles, vocal solos and choir, were all created and performed by Dafa practitioners. The programme won enthusiastic applause from the audience, among whom was a prestigious Greek architect, the owner of an ocean freight company, celebrities from the world of tourism and officials from the police department.

Mr. Ghiolman, President of the Greek Acropolis Culture Association, was deeply moved by Dafa practitioners’ unselfish contribution. In his sixties, Mr. Ghiolman is a well-known public figure in Greece. He is a Professor in the University of Athens and specialises in the field of trans-ocean transportation. He also works as the vice chairman of the Greek International Diplomatic Association and a counsellor for the city government of Athens. Through a megaphone, he said, “Everyone, I would like to let you know that the artists who perform in this soirée today are all Falun Dafa practitioners. They have travelled from more than ten different countries at their own expense."

"The cost of flight tickets and hotel charges are all covered by themselves. They don’t receive any rewards from the performance. They do so simply for the world’s human rights, China’s future and Falun Dafa.” After the soirée ended, many guests stayed to talk to or take pictures with Mr. Ghiolman and Falun Dafa practitioners.

A chief police officer praised Dafa practitioners for the quality of the performance. She said, “You are all very nice. People from the Chinese Embassy told me that you are troublemakers. In the past week, you have not brought us any trouble. Instead, it is them who gave us trouble. Please let me know if there is anything that I can be of help with. Next time when you come to Athens, please call me. We should stay in touch.”

Through Dafa practitioners’ songs and dances, Greek citizens experienced the benevolence and compassion of Dafa practitioners.