France: Heavenly Music on the Seine

On the first day of 2008, the European Celestial Marching Band played on a cruise on the River Seine, one of the most poetic and beautiful scenes in Paris. Once again, they brought the beauty of Falun Gong in the form of music to the people in Paris and tourists from the whole world.

The European Celestial Marching Band was composed of over 120 Falun Gong practitioners, who are from different European countries and nations. They were on a cruise called The Star of The Pont Neuf and played music along the way, including original pieces entitled “Falun Dafa is Good” “Delivering a Precious Gift”, etc., as well as the very popular “Ode to Joy” by Beethoven.

The cruise passed over ten famous historical bridges on the Seine: starting from the oldest Pont Neuf, and all the way along the golden tourist route on the Seine L'Académie Française, Musée du Louvre, Le Jardin des Tuileries, French National Assembly, La Concorde, Pont Alexandre III, the Eiffel Tower and the Cathedral Notre Dame de Paris, etc. The heavenly music was heard all along the River Seine and received a very warm welcome and praise from the people along the way.

The Celestial Marching Band was first established in New York, USA about two years ago. On 28th January 2006, the Chinese New Year’s eve in the Lunar Calendar, the band composed of Falun Gong practitioners first appeared in the grand Chinese New Year Parade in Flushing, the northern part of the borough of Queens in New York City. They were absolutely eye catching. Afterwards, Falun Gong practitioners in Taiwan, Toronto, Canada, Western USA, Hong Kong, Australia, Korea and Europe etc. areas also started to set up their own Celestial Marching Band one after another. Each of the bands has members over 100 people and Chinese Falun Gong practitioners are the main players. During the last two years, the Celestial Marching Bands have taken part in many local cultural activities and gained good reputation for overseas Chinese people.

The European Celestial Marching Band was formed fifteen months ago, at the peak time there were 160 members. Their first appearance was in Belleville, Paris, on 31st December 2006.