(Minghui.org) Although Shen Yun is not yet able to perform in China, Chinese nationals worldwide have been able to catch a performance during the company’s global tour. They have expressed appreciation for the performers’ skills as well as their dedication to reviving the almost-extinct culture of China.
“Very Meaningful”
Shen Yun International Company at a packed house at the Marion Oliver McCaw Hall in Seattle, Washington, on April 3
Liang Wenqiang (NTD Television)
Liang Wenqiang, a retired professor of nutrition at the University of Washington, saw Shen Yun in Seattle on April 3.
“I was so excited to experience it myself. I was very happy to have the opportunity to see it,” said Ms. Liang, a daughter of Liang Shih-chiu, a renowned Chinese educator and writer.
“I think the performance is very meaningful. It shows the ancient Chinese stories and myths, our modern life, and the experiences of modern Chinese. So it is not only meaningful to us Chinese, the Chinese here, but also to Caucasians and people of other races in America. I hope they can watch it, too.
“I am a person who advocates freedom. I think any culture, religion, language, life habits, and even what we eat are all art. I think they should have the opportunity to develop freely and should be encouraged rather than oppressed,” she said.
“We Will Never Tire of Seeing Shen Yun Every Year”
Jin Xiuhong (The Epoch Times)
Jin Xiuhong saw Shen Yun in Seattle on April 3. She sees Shen Yun every year and has brought dozens of people to enjoy the performance with her over the years.
“The programs only get better and better,” said Ms. Jin, the vice president of the Federation for a Democratic China, a group formed in the wake of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre of student protestors by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
This year, Ms. Jin said she brought American friends as well as some who have only left China in recent years, and “everybody loves it.”
Daily life affords few opportunities to truly relax and rejuvenate, she said, but Shen Yun provided that respite. “This is super beautiful—and it’s something you can enjoy wholeheartedly,” she said.
As a human rights activist, Ms. Jin was familiar with the CCP’s efforts to try to stop Shen Yun from performing.
Shen Yun’s inclusion of stories set in modern-day China is one of her favorite aspects of the production, she said, finding the storytelling that weaves in the important topic of Falun Gong “very creative.”
She said it was “incredibly unfortunate” that Shen Yun could not be seen in China, and said this reflected the nature of the CCP.
“The CCP is an evil party ... that does not allow the true, the good, and the beautiful to exist. That’s how evil it is,” she said. “We believe the whole world should support the ‘quit the CCP’ movement that Falun Gong has inspired, and support the truth, goodness, and beauty that Falun Gong practitioners have created.
“I think if this message was heard around the world, if everyone spoke of the true, the good, and the beautiful, then the world would certainly become more beautiful,” Ms. Jin said.
She wanted to thank the artists and hoped they would continue to stop in Seattle on every tour. “We will never tire of seeing Shen Yun every year,” she said, wishing the artists good health.
“Keeps the Essence of the Original Chinese Classics”
Wang Dai (NTD Television)
Wang Dai, vice president of the Federation for a Democratic China, saw Shen Yun in Tokyo on February 1.
“I was stunned. I have seen Shen Yun before, but this time that feeling was deeper. I was stunned by the way it promotes China’s 5,000-year-old culture. From the artists’ performances to the stage settings, lighting, and all different aspects, it was modern but also kept the essence of the original Chinese classics. It was pleasing to the eye,” he said.
“Shen Yun Is Iconic”
Zhao Lanjian (The Epoch Times)
Zhao Lanjian saw Shen Yun in Washington, D.C., on February 26. This was the fourth time he has seen Shen Yun.
“It moves and affects you from the inside out, and this is why I’ve made a point to see this performance four times,” said Mr. Zhao, who was a citizen journalist in China. He is best known for his investigative reporting on the “chained woman” who was trafficked and abused in rural China. He was hunted by the police for his exposé and advocacy for the woman and had to flee the country.
“Shen Yun is iconic,” Mr. Zhao said. In the West, there are no major Chinese cultural brands, he said, yet Shen Yun has become popular worldwide.
Mr. Zhao said he thought Shen Yun’s influence was greater than, for example the Beijing Olympics, because what the Chinese communist regime seeks most of all is control and influence.
He said that the scale of Shen Yun’s success is, in and of itself, praiseworthy, but the efforts and story behind it make it even more so.
“It’s the efforts of every performer that has made Shen Yun into what it is today, and this is a religious effort,” Mr. Zhao said, referring to the fact that Shen Yun’s artists practice Falun Gong.
“Like Christianity, we go to Italy or Germany to see the iconic works, architecture, and art of Christianity. Those works are the result of the efforts and lifelong dedication of believers. I think Shen Yun is also the result of the blood and sweat of Falun Gong practitioners, and this is something we should respect.
“It’s not just a commercial organization; it is a brilliant flower born of the faith that many people have fought for their entire lives.
“I am definitely very moved. I am also very grateful to Shen Yun for conveying the glorious and excellent side of Chinese culture,” he said.
“Messengers of Beauty”
Yuan Hongbing (NTD Television)
Exiled Chinese dissident and jurist Yuan Hongbing saw Shen Yun in Sydney, Australia, on February 27.
“The Chinese Communist Party has ruled China tyrannically for more than 70 years, using the violence of state terrorism to carry out cultural genocide against China and the different ethnic groups on the East Asian continent. The first to be exterminated was China’s culture,” he said.
“Therefore, the art groups founded by Falun Gong practitioners, like Shen Yun Performing Arts today, are not simply cultural performances. They are part of the great epic of the Chinese people’s pursuit of the revival of Chinese culture.
“When I saw the performances by the Shen Yun artists, I felt that they were messengers of beauty, bringing the inspiration of beauty to the mundane world. The Chinese Communist Party’s tyranny wants to persecute such messengers of beauty. Those evil forces that betray and destroy beauty will surely be punished by heaven,” he said.
“I Cry Every Time I See the Opening”
Liu Yanzhe (NTD Television)
Liu Yanzhe, a Chinese Ph.D. student, saw Shen Yun in Groningen, the Netherlands, on February 26. She had seen Shen Yun before.
“Astonishing! When the curtain opened, there was an energy radiating outward. I cry every time I see the opening,” she said.
“Kindness is one message that it [Shen Yun] wants to convey... First you have to purify yourself. You live in a relatively chaotic and complex society but you maintain your original kindness and purity. It is difficult, but you have to do it,” she said.
“Come Enjoy This Show”
Shen Yun New York Company at a sold-out performance at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York on the afternoon of April 6
Chen Shanfeng (NTD Television)
Chen Shanfeng, a recent Chinese immigrant, saw Shen Yun in New York City on April 3.
“I think it’s such a shame that China has 1.4 billion people, yet they cannot enjoy such a breathtaking feast for the eyes. I feel bad for them. I feel bad for the Chinese people. So, to any Chinese person who can come to the United States, I would say to take advantage of this opportunity and come enjoy this show,” he said.
“A Very Good Way to Understand China”
Zhang Ren (NTD Television)
Zhang Ren, a human rights lawyer, saw Shen Yun in New York on March 27.
“This is a very good way for the United States and the world to understand China, so I hope it can continue,” he said. “I’d like to thank Shen Yun Performing Arts for spreading Chinese culture to the world. It’s very good.
“Right now, outside of China, a lot of people are working hard to help our Chinese people become a true democracy, with freedom and peace. This is something that the whole world—not just the Chinese people—is hoping for. So if this is what we’re hoping for, then the Gods will surely help us,” he said.
For more information about performance times, locations, and tickets, please visit www.shenyun.com.
Copyright © 1999-2025 Minghui.org. All rights reserved.
