TAIPEI, Taiwan—In an annual tradition that dates back more than 20 years in Taiwan, thousands came together for a celebratory event. On May 1, the island’s iconic Liberty Square in Taipei became the stage for a vibrant spectacle: about 5,200 people donning colored outfits sat in formation to form a gigantic image commemorating almost three decades since spiritual practice Falun Gong was made public. The participants were local Taiwanese Falun Gong practitioners. The discipline, also known as Falun Dafa, consists of five meditative exercises and moral teachings centered on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance. Together, they were arranged to form a short phrase in traditional Chinese characters. The message wished the founder of the practice, Li Hongzhi, a happy birthday and highlighted the 29th anniversary of the day that Falun Gong was introduced to the public in China. Li introduced the spiritual discipline in northeastern China 29 years …