(Clearwisdom.net) March 22, 2009, was a nice day in Hsinchu, Taiwan, with a soft wind blowing in the afternoon. One hour before the Shen Yun Performing Arts show began, many people stood waiting in line outside the venue to see the fifth performance. When the curtain rose on the first program, "The Five Millennia Begin," the audience burst into applause at the beautiful scene.
Happy spectators
During the short two and a half hour Shen Yun performance, the audience seemed to go through a time tunnel of thoroughly accepting the breadth and diversity of Chinese culture. They also sensed the hope and profound thinking that was brought to life by respecting divine beings. Some in the audience said that the show celebrated the greatness of divine beings and helped tired souls to find consolidation and their destiny. Many had high praise for the artists and their interpretation of Chinese tradition, saying that they are the real "descendants of the dragon." The following is a summary of comments about the show in Hsinchu.
Calligrapher: The music can only be heard in heaven
When calligrapher Huang Qunying shared about his impression of the performance, he said, "Most beautiful, the best." He said that it had reminded him of poet Dufu's poem Huaqing, "The music can only be heard in heaven."
Calligrapher Mr. Huang Yingquan and his wife at the show on the afternoon of March 22 in Hsinchu
Mr. Huang felt that Shen Yun was not only about dancing and singing but also made you think about more than the entertainment. He said that this show had a deeper meaning, was educational, and would be better classified as art and culture, and more importantly, education instead of just dance and music.
Mr. Huang thought that the performance would benefit people's lives and improve the general mood of society from the exceptional beauty of Chinese culture that it presents. As a whole, he described Shen Yun as "a higher charm, with the warmth of Buddha." He repeatedly praised Shen Yun for imparting beautiful inner meanings. "The performance can clean the soul, enhance life, and is very meaningful."
Mr. Huang also appreciated the courteousness of the people who provided the service at the theater. He said the performance was unique and heartfelt.
Mr. Huang Quanying was born in 1920 and has been a poet, writer, and painter during his more than 80 years. He has taught at Taibei University, Normal University, and many other universities, and his students are now located in different places throughout the country.
Radio Professional: Heavenly rain falling on everyone
Radio Professional Ms. Liang Qianzi
Ms. Liang Qianzi, a radio professional, said, "If you have some belief, you will be moved very much when you see Shen Yun so vividly revealing the realm of divine beings and Buddha during the performance. If you don't have a belief, you will still understand the meaning of divine beings and Buddha through the performance. This is the spirit of Shen Yun."Ms. Liang felt that the colors of the costumes, the hairstyles, and the accessories were a breath of fresh air. She also liked the music very much, describing it as "very peaceful and auspicious and making people feel happy." As for the backdrop, she thought that it was like a film that perfectly harmonized with the performance. Shen Yun's backdrop, quite different from an ordinary stage scene, is as lively as real life.
After the show she was very moved and felt as if, "heavenly rain fell on everyone."
President of Hsinchu Music Association: Annotating the greatness of divine beings
Ms. Sun Suhui, president of the Hsinchu Music Association, felt that the performance as a whole was, "...really wonderful. Be it the costumes, the dances, or the music, everything was first-class."
The two pieces that touched her during the first half of the show were, "The Poet's Vision" and "Heaven Awaits Us Despite Persecution." She said that in the "The Poet's Vision," they show the poet's poem and his character wonderfully through dance. As for "Heaven Awaits Us Despite Persecution," she felt that it was very meaningful, "The integration of the stage animation and dance touched people. Even the expressions in the dancers' eyes touched people's hearts."
Ms. Sun told us that her children and grandchildren learned dance when they were small. She noticed that not only exceptional skills but also deep meanings were portrayed in the dances.
She said that it was the first time she had seen divine beings and Buddha in a dance. The dances revealed the compassion and the greatness of divine beings. "It is not easy to show that, but Shen Yun does it very well."As a professional musician she praised the vocalists, "So wonderful, really wonderful." She felt that the lyrics were connected with divine beings, noting, "It is very difficult to reflect divine beings in a performance."
Lawmaker: Shen Yun has the power to penetrate and astoundLawmaker Mr. He Jianming was born in Hsinchu. He thought that the performance brought blessings to the people of Hsinchu.
Lawmaker Mr. He Jianming
Mr. He said that he admired the dancers' exceptional skill and professional spirit. He specifically mentioned the perfect integration of the performers' facial expressions, the stage animation, and the dances, something rarely seen anywhere else.
Mr. He felt that Shen Yun successfully combined Chinese culture, Chinese classical dance, and Western musical instruments, and that the effect had great dramatic power, which could penetrate and move people's souls. "You just feel that you are being cleansed. It is a blessing for Hsinzhu citizens, and I believe everyone here enjoyed the show very much."
General Director of EPA: Shen Yun is a show suitable to be performed anywhere
Mr. Shen Shihong, general director of the Environmental Protection Administration, said that he was, "...very touched, totally touched from the bottom of my heart! All the programs are deeply moving." He thought that the Shen Yun performance accurately reflected Chinese culture through its dances and also showed the different folk-customs from different areas. "Shen Yun should be recommended and is suitable to be performed anywhere in the world."
Mr. Shen Shihong, general director of EPA
Mr. Shen especially favored the program "Dance of the Snow-Capped Mountain," which reflects pure and energetic Tibetan youth waving their long sleeves, full of joy and passion. He said that the male dancers were especially vigorous. He thought the other pieces were also refined and very skillful, and he was very moved.
Mr. Shen noted that China was full of diversity. "When the Chinese develop and keep their own culture, they also show respect for other ethnic cultures and customs. The performance reflects the Chinese culture and is very helpful for the fusion of cultures, and keeps the traditional Chinese culture alive."
Director of the State Nano Lab: Real descendants of the dragon
Mr. Yang Fuliang, director of the State Nano Lab, said that the performance was full of diversity and was quite different from other artistic performances. "It makes you see the inner meaning of different ethnic cultures and the more important thing is that the arrangement of the whole performance is based on compassion." Shen Yun's intention is quite different from ordinary shows. They truly want to restore traditional Chinese culture.
Mr. Yang Fuliang. director of State Nano Lab
Mr. Yang felt that Shen Yun was a performance full of Chinese culture and he was touched by every piece. For example, he felt that "The Poet's Vision" showing the realm of poetry was very special.
He also talked about the backdrop, an application of high technology to display traditional culture, which he thought was very unique.
He was also fond of tenor Yuanqu and his "Keep the promise to God" stroke a chord in him.
Mr. Yang felt that the theme "Divine beings are compassionate to human beings and human beings pay respect to divine beings," was shown in the performance very clearly. Shen Yun seeks to present harmony and basic human rights, which are in accord with traditional Chinese culture and the concept of descendants of the dragon. He thought that Shen Yun not only had artistic value but also had deep cultural values. He enjoyed Shen Yun very much.
Mr. Yang hopes that the beautiful performances will someday be seen all over the world and he would recommend it to others. He said, "If you want to see a performance that in a short time reveals different cultures, Shen Yun is the best choice."
