SAN FRANCISCO—Kim Levin, executive chef and owner of Michelin-approved Pasta Moon restaurant in Half Moon Bay, Calif., attended a sold-out Shen Yun performance in San Francisco with her friend Shirley Kellicutt, self-proclaimed maven and retired senior sales consultant at Kaiser Permanente.

Ms. Levin was so touched by Shen Yun’s message of compassion that she wanted to share a wish for the Chinese people.

“We hope China thrives,” Ms. Levin said. “We'd like to see the country get back to the original Chinese culture.”

“I’ve been to China,” Ms. Kellicutt added. “And I wish [Shen Yun] could be performed in China. Absolutely!”

“China is such a beautiful country with beautiful people,” said Ms. Levin. “We in America really know nothing about it. Not the original China.”

The Shen Yun website says: “Forcing atheism upon society, the Chinese Communist Party has for decades launched various campaigns—most notably the Cultural Revolution—to destroy not only cultural sites, temples, and relics, but also the Chinese people’s belief in virtue and faith in the divine.”

Surveying the ornate décor of the grand War Memorial Opera House, the two felt fortunate to be among the audience during Shen Yun’s final 2015 performance in San Francisco.

“I finally came, and it was well worth it. I highly recommend it,” Ms. Levin said. “It was fabulous!”

Ms. Levin and Ms. Kellicutt offered words that they felt described the performance.

“Serene, calm, beauty, grace,” said Ms. Levin. And most of all, “compassion” and “humanity.”

“Warmth, strength, grace,” Ms. Kellicutt added. “Unique.”

Ms. Levin was also moved by the stirring lyrics of the soprano soloists.

“It was honesty. It feels like everything they sang came from the heart. The words were from the heart, from the people,” she said. “All-embracing.”

They were also impressed by the dance pieces.

“The precision was amazing,” Ms. Levin said. “The beauty and the costumes, well-thought-out. The colors. The storylines—it was beautiful! We’re very lucky!”

Shen Yun’s mission is to restore 5,000 years of divinely inspired culture.

“I wish them luck and I hope they do it,” Ms. Levin said.

Reporting by Gary Wang and Chun Lee

New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has four touring companies that perform around the world. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org.

Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time. We have proudly covered audience reaction since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.