BAKERSFIELD, Calif.—China’s history includes one of the biggest empires in history as well as some of the greatest inventions that are still benefitting the world. John Lake, the retired president of Rain for Rent, has been around the world and he shared his thoughts after seeing Shen Yun Performing Arts.
“I enjoyed the show very much. I’ve been to China. I’ve seen a lot of the things in the background. I understand there’s many different cultures in China,” said Mr. Lake.
“I think the revival of cultures ... culture, language, borders, freedom, faith. Really important. Without that, you have no nation. So bringing that culture back is critically important in the world,” said Mr. Lake.
China spans a vast area and there are many different ethnic minorities such as the Yi and the Tibetans within the country. Shen Yun is putting their ethnic dance styles on stages around the world.
Before the Chinese communist party took over, China had a culture deeply intertwined with a belief in the divine.
“And I like the spiritual aspect of the show. I think that’s important to show and also it was important to show how the CCP represses the people and their religious beliefs,” said Mr. Lake.
One of the stories was about a group of Falun Gong practitioners who were persecuted for their faith. Falun Gong teaches people to live by the principles of truth, compassion, and forbearance.