Uighur Erhu Player: ‘The Woman Plays From the Soul’

The audience sat mesmerized during the solo erhu performance of the Shen Yun show in Amsterdam.
Uighur Erhu Player: ‘The Woman Plays From the Soul’
Updated:
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands—Touched by the haunting tones of the erhu, the audience sat mesmerized during the solo performance of the New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts show in Amsterdam.

A professional erhu player from the ancient Mongol state west of China, Uighur, saw the show with his wife on Friday, April 17 in the magnificent surrounds of the Rai Theater in Netherlands’ capital city. He asked that his name not be given.

“The woman [Ms. Xiaochun Qi] plays [the erhu] from her soul, an accomplished artist who coaxes the finest tunes from the instrument—a moving performance done with lots of feeling. The audience sat so quiet, one could hear a pin drop,” he said.

According to researchers, the “pipa” and erhu (both ancient Chinese stringed instruments) came from the same Uighur region. The Chinese word for erhu consists of two Chinese characters: “er” means “two,” and “hu” means “stranger.” That signifies that the erhu originally came from Western China, but the Chinese communist regime, China’s ruling party, refuses to recognize this, the erhu player said.

He then went on to talk about the scenes Dignity and Compassion and Heaven Awaits Us Despite Persecution that exposes the persecution of Falun Gong in China.

He empathized with the Falun Gong practitioners adding, “We know how they feel ....”

Both asked to remain anonymous for fear of Chinese Communist Party reprisal, even though they have lived in Amsterdam for 20 years.

They expressed delight with the dance scenes that portrayed classical Chinese stories such as The Monkey King Triumphs and the story of China’s beloved monk Ji Gong, depicted in Monk Ji Gong Abducts the Bride.

“I am particularly fond of the Monkey King legend, because it represents Chinese culture,” he said, happy to see this legend performed.

“The dance movements are well-balanced, the dances are well-choreographed, and the backdrops complete the whole scene.”

Story-based dance is one of Shen Yun trademarks and is matched with digital 3-D backdrops, gorgeously costumed dancers moving in synchronized patterns, award-winning vocalists, and a live orchestra combining Western and Chinese instruments.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of the Shen Yun Performing Arts 2009 World Tour. For more information please visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org