TAIPEI, Taiwan—On the afternoon of April 7, Shen Yun held its eighth and final performance at the Taipei Performing Arts Center. Audiences seized the last opportunity to witness Shen Yun’s performance in northern Taiwan, resulting in sold-out tickets and unprecedented enthusiasm.
‘Saves the Entire World’
Senior Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) leader Chang Chun-hung attended that last performance, which was certainly not his first.He said that it was only after his third viewing of Shen Yun that he realized he had barely scratched the surface.
“After seeing this performance, I feel like it’s just the beginning,” Mr. Chang said. He was greatly inspired by the experience.
“I have absorbed the essence of Shen Yun, and I believe the real impact of the performance is just beginning,” Mr. Chang said.
Traditional Chinese culture is believed to be divinely inspired, and Chinese civilization took as its foundation universal values like the five cardinal virtues, reverence for heaven, and a belief that good is rewarded and evil is punished. It was only less than a century ago that the communist regime took power in China, and began violent campaigns to root out traditional culture. Shen Yun aims to show “China before communism.”
Mr. Chang perceived Shen Yun as a beacon of hope for humanity.
“In fact, traditional culture can definitely influence the world at this time,” Mr. Chang said.
“I truly admire it,” Mr. Chang expressed his wish to speak with Shen Yun’s artistic director and artists. “I have never had the opportunity to meet them, but if given the chance, I would feel compelled to seek their advice on many matters.”
He suggested that Taiwanese society should have a deeper understanding of Shen Yun.
He mentioned that he has canceled subscriptions to all newspapers in Taiwan except for The Epoch Times, which remains the only media he subscribes to. “After seeing today’s performance, I must believe that what Epoch Times says is true, and Shen Yun is a performance that all Taiwanese can appreciate.”
Wish Come True
Luan Shangguan, an influencer and host of “Orderly Chaos Love Taiwan,” first learned about Shen Yun when she was in China and using VPN software.“Today, I’ve fulfilled my wish,” she shared her feelings after finally seeing Shen Yun on April 7.
She felt Shen Yun had a strong sense of mission. “I feel their conviction is very strong,” she said, adding that the cultural soft power was not insignificant. She said Shen Yun’s revival of traditional culture was done “in a more enduring way, which is something I greatly admire.”
Many of Shen Yun’s dance stories, which ranged from historical to mythological, left a deep impression on Ms. Luan. Despite no spoken lines in the performances, the audience could understand the essence of the stories conveyed, she said.
“What impresses me about Shen Yun is their ability to transcend language barriers through this form of stage and artistic expression,” she said.
“There’s no worry that the audiences worldwide won’t understand,“ Ms. Luan added. ”Even if you don’t know who Xi Shi or Jigong is, the audience can grasp the values conveyed in the story, which are the values of kindness and the concept of just rewards inherent in traditional Chinese culture.”
She thinks that these values will positively influence the world.
“Regardless of whether Shen Yun is performed on Chinese soil, it truly represents the spirit of Chinese culture,” Ms. Luan added. As a Chinese person, she was deeply touched and inspired by the mission undertaken by Shen Yun.
From the stories to the music, Ms. Luan said Shen Yun had power to transcend geographical boundaries, time, and language. “It is truly the best.”
She mentioned that Shen Yun’s music touched her deeply, and it felt like an electric current passing through her skin.
“Our impressions of orchestral music often focus on pianos, cellos, and violins, which are Western instruments. In China, many people associate traditional music with local opera, but Shen Yun perfectly combines traditional Chinese music with Western performance forms.”
Ms. Luan also praised the performance of Shen Yun’s singers, who perform in the authentic bel canto style.
“I think their artistic form is excellent, their voices are heart-stirring, and the values conveyed through the songs allow the audience to quickly understand the values of Falun Dafa practitioners,” she said. “The vocalists incorporate the core beliefs of Falun Dafa into their lyrics, which allows unfamiliar audiences to understand the values of Falun Gong practitioners in a very direct way, which is fantastic.”
Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong, is a spiritual meditation that teaches truth, compassion, and forbearance. Introduced to the public in China in the 1990s, it became incredibly popular with 70 million to 100 million practitioners within a decade by official estimates. Then in 1999, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) decided it would “eradicate” Falun Gong, unhappy with its popularity. It began a persecution campaign that continues to this day, including concentration camps and forced organ harvesting.
Ms. Luan shared that her own grandmother had been arrested by the CCP for practicing Falun Gong in China.
Ms. Luan said that in China, the communist regime slanders Falun Gong, leading to misunderstandings among many people. She hoped that more Chinese people could go overseas to seek the truth.
“If you come to Taiwan, you will find that Falun Gong practitioners are not as the CCP portrays them; they are all very kind and can contribute to the progress of Taiwanese society. Moreover, Shen Yun promotes the spread of Chinese culture, which is all very positive,” she said.
Inspires Good Intentions
Tang Jianyuan, deputy director of a financial group, said he was “deeply moved and even shed tears” seeing Shen Yun on April 7.“It was very touching! Seeing the contrast between good and evil in the human world, things that are inherently good have been unfairly treated due to human factors,” he said. Mr. Tang had seen Shen Yun three years ago and said he remained extremely impressed. He felt Shen Yun imparted inspiration to society.
“It touches on human kindness. Through the energy released by Shen Yun, it can inspire everyone’s good intentions. I think this will make society more peaceful, instead of being about plunder, authoritarianism, and dictatorship,” he said.
Mr. Tang reflected on the current global situation, where ordinary people feel helpless and many people in China face persecution. He believed that despite the disruptions caused by authoritarian figures, there would ultimately be a Creator and cosmic justice to correct the world’s injustices.
“I think everything has a creator, from a desk to a computer, and behind humans, there must also be a Creator. Sometimes we can’t imagine this with human thoughts alone,” he said.
He also praised the efforts of Shen Yun performers in promoting traditional culture and believed that their hard work could bring about positive changes worldwide. He concluded by emphasizing the transformative power of Shen Yun’s dance stories, which can touch people’s hearts and soften hardened hearts, leading to a more peaceful world.
