(Clearwisdom.net) On July 2, the opening ceremony of the 2011 International Band Festival, organized by the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (WASBE), was held in Chiayi City, Taiwan. Chiayi is the third Asian city to host this festival. President Ma Yingjiu, Vice President Hsiao Wanchang, and President of the Legislative Yuan Wang Jin-pyng participated in the opening ceremony. The city government invited the Divine Land Marching Band, consisting of 200 local Falun Gong practitioners, to perform in the opening ceremony. When the band passed by the stage, the host introduced them as the “most welcome group” who practice Falun Gong, a cultivation practice bringing physical and mental health to people. A large parade was held after the opening ceremony.
The Mayor of Chiayi said that the city has held band festivals every year since 1993, which attracts people from all over the world. He expressed that it is an honor to host the WASBE festival this year. This year marks the 100th birthday of the Republic of China (ROC), and the WASBE International Band Festival is one of the four large-scale international festivals to be held in Taiwan this year.
Thirty-three bands from nine countries participated in the 18-day-long band festival. More than 5,000 bands members and ten floats participated in the two-mile long parade after the opening ceremony. The Divine Land Marching Band performed for the people of Chiayi City for the first time.
The performances by the Divine Land Marching Band were warmly welcomed by the locals. Mr. He Hsinji, trustee of the Chiayi Photographer Association, said that it was the greatest band that he had ever seen.
One gentleman among the spectator said to the members: “This was the most perfect and harmonic performance I have ever heard.” A band member told him that they are all Falun Gong practitioners, following the principle of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.
One band member told people that Falun Gong practitioners in China have been brutally persecuted, more than 3,000 of them were tortured to death, and numerous are imprisoned. Meanwhile there are hundreds of thousands of people in Taiwan practicing Falun Gong, including college professors, lawyers, doctors, government officials and members of the military. Many of them have benefited physically and spiritually from practicing Falun Gong.
【明慧网二零一一年七月四日】（明慧记者王清汉台湾嘉义报导）二零一一年七月二日的黄昏，台湾法轮大法天国乐团盛大的队伍进入“世界管乐年会”大会开幕仪式的嘉义市体育场，经过司令台前时赢得全场热烈欢呼及掌声。在演奏的雄壮军乐中，司仪高呼着欢迎天国乐团进场，并特别介绍说：“法轮功为社会带来身心的健康。”
“世界管乐协会”（World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles，简称WASBE）发起的“世界管乐年会”，继日本、新加坡之后，嘉义市是第三个被选定举办的亚洲城市。嘉义市政府结合第二十届国际管乐节活动合并举行，以踩街方式登场，并特别邀请由二百人组成的台湾法轮大法“天国乐团”，为大会开幕仪式前的“管乐踩街嘉年华”做压轴演出。总统马英九、副总统萧万长、立法院长王金平都参加了活动并致词。
据嘉义市市长介绍，嘉义市办理管乐节活动，自一九九三年开始迄今已有十七届，历届受邀队伍来自北美洲、欧洲、亚洲、澳洲等主要国家，活动参与人数曾经达到三十万人。因为今年适逢中华民国建国一百年，嘉义市本次举办的国际级音乐活动，与“台北国际花卉博览会”、“世界设计大会”及“国际新闻年会”并列为庆祝建国百年的四大国际活动。
为期十八天的台湾嘉义市管乐节和世界管乐年会，今年共有九国、三十三个国际乐团参与演出。七月二日的踩街活动有超过三十个管乐队伍、五千多人的游行阵容，及十辆主题花车。
天国乐团受邀踩街游行，他们从嘉义市中山路的起点走到体育场，全程近三公里，让嘉义市民第一次看见如此雄壮的军乐队。
中山路是嘉义市人文商业荟萃的中心大道，天国乐团团员穿着蓝色古装，两百人的庞大军容震撼整个嘉义市。在中山路起点演奏第一曲“法正乾坤”时，就吸引民众眼光。嘉义市摄影协会前理事长何信吉站在群众里，望着天国乐团，惊呼说：“这是最壮观的乐团。”
游行踩街队伍从中山路出发，经过吴凤北陆、民族路，再走过启明路、体育路，终点是嘉义市体育场。天国乐团经过的路段几乎万人空巷，许多人甚至站到椅子上争取为乐团拍照的机会。
天国乐团经过中央圆环朝市政府前进时，围观民众更为热烈，几乎要挤进队伍里去，忙坏了维持秩序的工作人员。层层叠叠的观众不断为天国乐团鼓掌，群众里听到欢呼连连，有的说：“这么多乐队里，天国乐团是最整齐的队伍。”也有的说：“队员穿的象是唐朝的服装，看起来很舒服。”“哪里来的音乐，真好听。”“听这个乐团演奏，我的心都平静了下来。”
天国乐团行进中一遍遍演奏“法轮大法好”、“法鼓法号震十方”、“法正乾坤”、“送宝”、“佛恩圣乐”、“法轮圣王”、“欢乐颂”等曲目，许多人随着演奏音乐的节奏欢呼。
许多市民跟随天国乐团队伍走到游行终点，他们喜悦地向团员说：“这是我听到的最完美、最和谐的乐团演奏。”团员告诉他们，天国乐团的成员都是法轮大法修炼者，法轮大法以“真、善、忍”为修炼的标准。
一位团员告诉他们法轮功在大陆被中共迫害的真相，他说：“十几年来中国的法轮功学员被非法抓捕、关押、洗脑、精神药物摧残和性虐待，以及被活体摘取器官。即使在中共严密封锁下，目前得到核实的已有三千多人被迫害致死，而流离失所或被关押在监狱、劳教所、精神病院遭受迫害的法轮功学员数量更是无法估计。”
乐团团员说，目前台湾有几十万人修炼法轮功，学员来自各行各业，包括教授、律师、医师、校长、公务员、科学家等，他们因为修炼法轮功亲自感受了法轮大法的殊胜美好，相互告知，因而广为流传。
站在天国乐团队伍旁的许多民众热情地说：“你们演奏得非常好，希望明年的管乐节能够再看到你们。”
From -
http://clearwisdom.net/html/articles/2011/7/5/126522.html (English)
http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2011/7/4/天国乐团震撼世界管乐年会（图）-243416.html (Chinese)
