CHANGWON, South Korea—After seeing Shen Yun Performing Arts on April 9 performing at the Sungsan Art Hall Grand Theater, Ms. Moon Seon-Mee, said admiringly, “I have a brand new understanding of traditional Chinese culture after today. The quality of the performance is truly superb.” Ms. Moon is the president of a cosmetic-related product manufacturer, Healing, which has been in operation for 22 years.
Ms. Moon said she has seen art performances when travelling in China and the performances from Chinese groups in South Korea. She felt the difference between those groups and Shen Yun were that “they come from two different levels. Shen Yun’s quality is significantly higher. Shen Yun is way above the normal standard of art and its performance is far beyond other groups.”
There were two programs that particularly impressed Ms. Moon. The story from Journey to the West, Sand Monk Is Blessed, and the final program Divine Mercy. “Sand Monk Is Blessed imprinted in my mind and the last program, Divine Mercy, reached my soul,” Ms. Moon said.
The profound meaning of Buddhist teachings in the programs reached Ms. Moon’s heart. “It touched me intensively. Maybe it is because I am a Buddhist. I felt the compassion of a Buddha and my heart throbbed.”
“This kind of performance is hard to come by. The variety in the programs presents different atmospheres. It’s fantastic. I want to recommend it to my friends. It would be wonderful if they could come to see it just once.”
‘The most extraordinary performance’
Mr. Song Yeong-Myeong was one of the amazed and happy audience members. “Shen Yun’s performance does not belong to anything on Earth; it is the most extraordinary performance in the universe,” he said.
Mr. Song is the president of the Busan division of the General Federation of Korea Arts and Cultural Groups. This was his first time watching Shen Yun. “The performance allows me to see the orthodox Chinese culture. The stories are based on Chinese tradition, the authentic history and ethnicity. Absolutely outstanding work of art!”
“Shen Yun’s performance today in Changwon leaves me deeply touched.”
“As a person who specializes in art, I felt that the images of Shen Yun’s artists, including the costume design and the color matching, are excellently done. They present a variety of images according to the stories. That is magnificent,” he said.
‘I am very much touched and impressed’
Mr. Ko Ho-Kon saw Shen Yun Performing Arts Touring Company’s second performance on April 9 and was thrilled by the high-tech backdrop animation. “My heart was throbbing the moment I saw the scene where Buddha descended from Heaven in the first program [Descending to the World.]”
“I was awaken to the fact that the entire Chinese history and culture was deeply rooted in Buddhism,” he said. Mr. Ko is currently the president of Samsung Climate Control Co., Ltd.
Despite the fact that the performance was on a work day, the tickets were sold out that night. Mr. Ko said he adored the performance. “It is a hundred percent novel and exquisite. The backdrop animation perfectly melts in with the dances. I am very much touched and impressed.”
Being a leader of a large enterprise and having to manage many people, Mr. Ko stressed, “Every artist on the stage did their best to serve his/her purpose on the stage. It really strikes me as amazing.”
Read the original Chinese articles. [1] [2] [3]
Reporting by Choe Jeong-Eun, Hong Mei, Hsin-Yi Lin, and Jim Gyeong-A
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has three touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org.
