By Minghui correspondent He Yu
(Clearwisdom.net) Three Divine Performing Arts performances that were originally scheduled to take place on February 26 and 27 at the KBS Theatre in Pusan, Korea were canceled due to pressure from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Unfortunately, this kind of pressure doesn't happen only in Korea. People all over the world have embraced the Divine Performing Arts shows, holding them in extremely high regard. Experience has proven that CCP interference fails to achieve its purpose and instead, in many cases, serves to lead more people to learn about the Divine Performing Arts and see the show. Not only that, they also come to recognize the Party's inherent nature to deceive the public and destroy China's rich cultural past..
The CCP also tried to interfere in New York City, for example, where the Divine Performing Arts (DPA) performed an 11-day, 15-show run at Radio City Music Hall over the Chinese New Year. In a magical tour-de-force, the DPA presented authentic Chinese culture, as opposed to CCP culture, in a seamless and poignant, yet exquisitely graceful manner, touching countless hearts, both Western and Eastern.
World-class violinist Eric Shumsky said, "I was mesmerized immediately with the incredibly felt performances from all the artists. The Chinese New Year Splendor is an evening of performance never to forget!"
Critic Richard Connema from Talkin' Broadway has seen over 2,000 Broadway shows. Commenting on the Chinese New Year Splendor he said, "They are the best projections I have seen in a very long time." He thinks the Chinese New Year Splendor is truly spectacular, from the beginning to the end. In his commentary, he wrote, "This state of the art show contains captivating dancers, traditional costumes, and mini-dance drama with narratives about Chinese legends and historical characters and events. The impressive production covers 5,000 years of Chinese history and tradition in two hours with one intermission."
Despite the negative article, or perhaps even because of it, the following five shows sold out, and the 2008 Chinese New Year Splendor concluded its New York run to thunderous applause. Many people said they bought tickets to the Splendor after having read the NYT article. Some Chinese people in the audience said the Communist Party's meddling only helped to catapult the Divine Performing Arts into ever-rising international fame and glory.
Gary Ware, manager of the nationwide Training Department at Toshiba Corporation, brought his wife Eileen and their daughter to the afternoon performance on February 9 after he read the NYT article.He said the persecution of Falun Gong should be made known to the world, and he didn't think there was anything inappropriate in the show's artistic depictions of it.
"We should see the world with an open mind and a tolerant heart," added Mr. Ware.
Wang Xuetan from Taiwan works in the construction business. He watched the Divine Performing Arts' shows three times this year. He said, "The heavenly beauty and the cultivators' divine purity have attracted me to watch the show time and time again. I also brought my friends to watch it. We enjoyed every minute of the divine performance and were deeply moved." When asked about the NYT article, Mr. Wang said, "It's such a filthy, deceptive piece, and it's so obvious. How much did the Chinese Communist Party pay the NYT for it to risk its reputation and attack an all-around wonderful show that is so popular everywhere?"
Ms. Ye, a straight-talking woman originally from Chongqing City started dancing at a young age and worked for a song and dance troupe for 11 years. She said, "I grew tired of dancing and watching dance shows in China. I didn't plan to watch last year's Spectacular, but the Chinese Consulate tried so desperately to stop people from going, which made me curious. When I went, I loved it, and I simply could not miss any [Divine Performing Arts] show from then on. This year, I guess they [Chinese Communist Party] tried to create negative press through the New York Times. In response, I brought a whole bunch of friends to the show. We all think that the Divine Performing Arts' shows are highly professional, profound, and very touching."
Foreign Press Association President Alan Capper called the Chinese New Year Splendor performance "superb." "The entire production is superb. It has grace. It has spectacle. It has unique qualities that you cannot see in any other production and, perhaps, with five thousand years of culture, you may expect nothing less than this." Mr. Capper is an expert in media and a co-author of The Public Relations Case Book, a text widely used in universities around the world.
Lawyer Wang Weishan, a PhD graduate from The City University of New York (CUNY), was originally from Hebei Province. He said, "This show has presented the profound and broad Chinese culture to the world, which makes me feel proud for being a descendant of Emperor Yan and Emperor Huang [legendary Chinese sovereigns considered to be ancestors of all Han Chinese]."
The New York Times (NYT) published an irrationally critical article titled "A Glimpse of Chinese Culture That Some Find Hard to Watch" on February 6, 2008 that twisted the facts and made vicious insinuations about the Chinese New Year Splendor. China Press and China News Net, both controlled by the CCP, immediately reprinted the article with the addition of outlandish exaggerations, and soon, the CCP-edited article appeared in many Mainland Chinese media, in which the section about the persecution of Falun Gong was removed and inaccuracies in the original article were staggeringly magnified. 
The audience embraced Divine Performing Arts in a full house at Radio City Music Hall on February 9, 2008 with cheers and applause
Clapping and smiling during the Chinese New Year Splendor
Audience with their eyes fixed on the stage
The young and the old alike enjoy the performance 
Watching the Splendor unfold
Ronald A. Sablosky, VP of Business Outsourcing Solutions said regarding the NYT article, "It certainly did not dissuade us from coming, and I don't think it should dissuade anyone because it really is highly unfair. And it might even be construed as unethical." 
Ronald A. Sablosky and his wife at the Radio City Splendor
Gary Ware (left) and his family appreciate the wonders of Splendor
Mrs. Hamida, from New Jersey, came to the show with her family. She put it more bluntly, "Only people like you and me who come to see the show are the best critics! We shall pass around the good message. The New York Times can take their article and leave it in the sun!"
Mr. Liu, who is originally from Mainland China and now works at New York Freedom Times, said after seeing the final performance of the Chinese New Year Splendor on February 9, "The NYT report is terribly one-sided. I went out and bought my own ticket, and I think the show is very, very good. It's a comprehensive manifestation of ancient Chinese civilization--a true rarity that is not seen in Mainland China nowadays. I think the NYT article is completely unjustified." 
Mr. Liu at the Splendor 
Wang Xuetan watched the Divine Performing Arts three times
Chinese consulates and embassies in many countries have been pressuring theaters where the Spectacular is going to be held to cancel the show. Officials from Chinese consulates wrote letters to government officials in many countries, asking them not to issue proclamations or attend the performances. They spread propaganda in an effort to prevent Chinese people from watching the Divine Performing Arts. They stage competing shows and send their agents to cause trouble during the shows, just to list a few things. Yet, all of the Party's low and pitiful tricks only amount to free promotion for the Divine Performing Arts, while the Party manages to expose itself as the archenemy of true Chinese culture.
Posting date: 3/14/2008
Original article date: 3/14/2008
Category: Falun Dafa Worldwide
Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2008/3/1/173423.html