KAWAGUCHI, Japan—Chinese immigrants living in Japan appreciated Shen Yun’s effort to revive the traditional Chinese culture. They said that Shen Yun Performing Arts rebuilds China’s image in the world and helps the Chinese people.

“After attending Shen Yun, people out of China know that our Chinese people have beliefs, our China has traditions, and China has 5,000 years of history,” said Ms. Wang, who operates a company in Japan, after attending Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Kawaguchi Comprehensive Cultural Center Lilia in Kawaguchi, Japan, on the afternoon of Jan. 19, 2023. “This is great.”

New York-based Shen Yun is the world’s top classical Chinese dance company, and has a mission to show the beauty and goodness of “China before communism.”

For 5,000 years China’s civilization was built on values and virtues from the spiritual teachings of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism.

Ms. Wang was happy that the world now knows that there are two Chinas.

“One China has traditional culture. Our Chinese people are humble, self-respect, and faithful. The other China is the brutal one under the Communist Party’s control, in which people are persecuted and suppressed by the regime,” she said.

“I was inspired by the soprano. She sang that human beings should be kind and keep tradition,” she said. “As Chinese people, we should not be fooled by the ruling Communist party’s rumors and lies. We should not do anything against our consciences.”

“This is my first-time attending Shen Yun. It showed me the real Chinese traditional culture. I was in awe,” he said. “This is a really splendid a d spectacular!”

Mr. Mao enjoyed the show from the very beginning.

“At the moment the curtain was opened, I saw a paradise on stage. It’s amazingly impressive. The heavenly beings were dancing with clouds around them. It’s gorgeous!” he said. “The show is not only presenting the Chinese tradition, but also the divine nature, in my eyes.”

Mr. Mao said he was very happy that Shen Yun revives the moral codes and encourages people to be good.

“There’s no moral bottom line in China now. The officials are corrupt and bureaucratic. Regular people don’t care about any moral code,” he said. “Tradition and culture are very important. They are the roots of our Chinese people. It’s very powerful and beautiful. We obtained it through 5,000 years of experience. We must not lose it.”

“Anybody who loses their basic conscience won’t be blessed and will lose the trust of divine beings,’ he said. He said he would do better in the new year.

“The colors of the costumes are saturated and bright. The fabrics match colors perfectly. And dancers’ flexible movements present maximumly the beauty of the costumes,” she said. “It’s simply beautiful.”

Ms. Tanaka said she was inspired by Shen Yun, which shows what is good and what is bad. “I will rethink what I should do in the future,” she said.

“The show is very beautiful. I almost cried. I love it very much,” said Ms. Tanaka’s mother, Ms. Tian. “It includes everything, such as the traditional culture and historical stories … It encourages people to be true, good, and endure. It wants us to be positive, and the world to be peaceful.”

“I was very touched! I missed Xinjiang,” she said.

The Chinese communist regime doesn’t allow people to comment on the party, nor mention any persecution it does on people. To keep the interviewees and their family members safe, we have not published their full names.