TAINAN, Taiwan—Mr. Chu Tung-Shou brought more than ten of his children and grandchildren to see Shen Yun Touring Company on March 17, and not just to give them a treat. He believes the experience will uplift them.
This was the third time Mr. Chu has attended Shen Yun. He said, “Seeing Shen Yun can prevent people from deteriorating and help them become kinder.”
Mr. Chu is a councilor of Taiwan Provincial Consultative Council and supervisor of the Shen Geng Culture Foundation. He was an elected representative in the National Assembly in Taiwan.
Mr. Chu has seen many fine arts performances and of them all, “Shen Yun is the most outstanding and amazing.” According to him, in this time of moral degeneration, only Shen Yun’s stories and songs are truly bright and positive. They can cleanse people’s minds. That was why he brought his children and grandchildren to the performance with him.
Mr. Chu admired the dance An Unexpected Encounter, because “It allows me to feel the kindness and peacefulness in Falun Gong practitioners.”
To him, the variety and richness of the performance stood out. “Each program is unique and the dancing is exquisite. The precise coordination between the artists is incredible,” said Mr. Chu.
He liked the storytelling. “Each scene is a surprise, especially in the programs where Shen Yun so vividly presents the characters in Journey to the West and Outlaws of the Marsh.” Every year the Shen Yun artists select different stories from classical Chinese literature and history.
In the end, Mr. Chu said, “Shen Yun is a very high end art group and I will encourage people I know to come.”
Shen Yun ’touches the deep core of the heart’
Renowned mandolin and violin maker and painter, Cai Mingzhu, saw Shen Yun Performing Arts Touring Company at the Tainan Municipal Cultural Center in Taiwan on March 17. He said it was it “astounding, exciting, and soul-stirring.”
“The performance was astounding. It really touches the deep core of the heart,” said Mr. Cai. “It integrates dance, music, performance, and visual arts to promote the essence of Chinese culture.” He acclaimed the quality of Shen Yun’s orchestral accompaniment and the technique of the dancers. “The song lyrics were great as well,” he said. “I loved them.”
To him, the experience was deeper than mere surface beauty or enjoyment.
“Being involved in the music business, I am especially sensitive to artistry. Most musical programs I’ve seen merely serve to entertain the ears and eyes; Shen Yun’s performance, however, reaches beyond that and truly touches the soul.”
Mr. Cai said.
“As an artist, I feel honored to have the opportunity to experience such rich and diverse performance,” he said. “I have nothing but praise for this show.”
Justice will eventually prevail
Mr. Cai said that the narrative dance Sand Monk is Blessed spoke to him. He gave it as an example of how Shen Yun touches the heart. The dance tells a story from the novel “Journey to the West.”
“Even though the stories were simple, they will bring you to tears. This is my first time seeing a show that embodies artistic energy from so many fields.”
“They use a simple plot with intricate dance moves to express the story without using words. The Sand Monk is an evil force, and his carrying off the little girl represents the evil forces doing an atrocious deed.” In the dance, and the novel, Sand Monk reforms after Monkey King captures him in order to protect a village from his depredations.
“These things happen in the real world, too, but justice will eventually prevail,” said Mr. Cai. “It actually expresses the inner desire of most people. Although justice may not come immediately, it will come eventually.”
Mr. Cai said he admired Shen Yun’s mission to revive Chinese civilization. “Shen Yun is truly unique,” he said. “It encompasses the whole of authentic Chinese culture and expresses a deep inner essence. I see these people giving their all to bring forth the renaissance of Chinese civilization.”
Mr. Cai also praised Shen Yun’s effect on contemporary culture. “People are tainted by their materialistic desires and everyday pressures. They want a lot but sacrifice very little. The effort of Shen Yun, however, can help people reduce these desires, live a purer lifestyle, and attain a higher state of mind.”
Shen Yun is Heaven
Mr. Cai’s 90-year-old father, who attended the show with him, said, “Hats off to Shen Yun for presenting such an amazing feast for the soul. I’ve watched many performances, from Western to Japanese to Chinese shows, but only Shen Yun’s show leaves me so amazed. If there is a heaven and a hell, I don’t have to go to heaven, because I’m already in heaven by seeing Shen Yun today”
He said, “I am very interested in Shen Yun’s programs [that present the elements of authentic Chinese civilization], because this is our root. People cannot forget their roots; otherwise they are not human. This performance is different from all the others I’ve watched before. Shen Yun is ever-changing and perfect.”
The younger Mr. Cai concluded, “It is simply amazing. I am very, very touched. I will urge my friends to see Shen Yun.”
Mr. Cai is an award-winning luthier who studied violin-making and mandolin-making in Italy. He is known for the oil paintings he does on his mandolins, making them not only high quality instrument but works of art. Japanese royal family and Chi Mei Museum founder Shi Wen-long have his illustrated mandolins in their collections.
Read the original Chinese articles. [1] [2]
Reporting by Yo-Jung Lai, Hsin-Yi Lin, Dai Deman and Virginia Wu.
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has three touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
The Epoch Times publishes in 35 countries and in 21 languages. Subscribe to our e-newsletter.
