INCHEON, South Korea—A cultural feast that has locals from all walks of life buzzing, Shen Yun Performing Arts Touring Company commissioned its first performance in the city of Incheon on April 13, where local influential figures are packing the Incheon Culture and Arts Center to see the world’s premier performance.
Lee Jaeyeon, former director of the Incheon Culture and Arts Center, said Shen Yun made him understand “what the true Chinese culture is.”
Mr. Lee said: “It was more than arts. It was an arts of grandiose proportion, an arts of prominent colors. So, this was what authentic Chinese arts was like. It was sublime and dazzling. The performance has elevated the amazing glory and merits of the Chinese history, and the immense pristine landscape of ancient China to a never-before-seen supernatural level. It was magnificent!
“The backdrop was unique. Every single movement of the beautiful dancers blended in unison with the backdrop. Now, having seen such beauty, such majesty, such prosperous elegance, I now understand actually what the real Chinese culture is. Finally!”
The Shen Yun Orchestra also received effusive praise from Mr. Lee. He said: “It was perfectly coordinated. Deep in my heart, I have known the exquisite beauty of ancient Chinese culture. Now, after seeing Shen Yun, I realized that what I had seen was exactly what the history was all about. It was so tangible, but with a little bit of mystery as well. It was a down-to-earth experience, seeing live ancient Chinese culture and arts.”
He elaborated: “It seemed like I had plunged into Chinese history, seeing everything with my own naked eyes. The scene with the Monkey King, Pigsy, and Xuanzang left a memorable mark in my mind. The elegance of this program deeply touched me. Also the facial expressions of these performers, how determined they were in what they were setting out to do [on their journey], also touched me. The backdrop of this scene was likewise extraordinary.
“I could not only relate the glory and merits of ancient Chinese history, but also see the real China when arts are presented in the right way. I saw what [people] were like in ancient times. What was also unique was how the human characteristics of bravery and loyalty were portrayed when monks fought off ruffians to save [the founding emperor of the Tang dynasty].”
Read the original Chinese article.
Reporting by Kim Kyung-Aha and Frank Fang
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has three touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org.
