CALGARY, Alberta—At the 2009 Calgary International Fireworks at the end of August, China lost to Spain. The ostensible cultural segment was deemed inappropriate and “communist propaganda,” according to audience members.
The 2009 Calgary International Fireworks was held on August 21-29. Canada, Mexico, Spain and China were the four competing teams. The artistic category of the competition designated Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake as the compulsory track, and the remaining 25 per cent of the optional track was required to convey national flavor. Votes rendered on the 29th determined Spain to be the winner, and thus an automatic entry for next year’s competition.
China, with her long history and craftsmanship in fireworks, failed entirely this year in the global festival, ruining the country’s chance for entry into next year’s competition. Audience viewers widely attributed the failure to the tainting of its cultural program with communist propaganda.
One Chinese attendee, Lin Kai-Lai, praised Spain’s team production as a smooth flow of clouds and streaming art. “The theme was clear and rhythmic. Along with the music of Carmen, the combination of energy and joy was full of ethnic flavor. The purple-blue and silvery-white fireworks theme was beautiful and visually powerful.”
She compared it to team China’s effort: “No theme. It was like a massive mixture of the Spring Festival show. Most unanticipated was the continuous red five-star fireworks on top of the red theme. Communist party culture permeated the entire program.” (The Spring Festival show is the annual Lunar New Year TV show, produced by CCTV, mouthpiece of the communist regime.)
Zhao Ying, a Chinese immigrant, spoke about team China’s pyro-musical. “The opening music to Swan Lake was very good. However, it abruptly switched to the second piece, with a female in a high-pitched voice singing “Into the Era.” It brought laughter from the audience. I felt like I suddenly swallowed a fly. After that, came songs of praises (of the communist party) one after another, and I felt myself swallowing flies one after another, non-stop. It was awful! Where was the ethnic flavor?”
Mr. Lu Dacheng is a democracy activist who now lives in Canada. He witnessed the Tiananmen Square Massacre in 1989. He indicated that the fireworks became part of a series of shows the communist regime put on for the international stage, in the name of China.
“What should have been brought to the world was supposed to be representative of traditional Chinese culture and the essence of its ethnic cultures to entertain with the joy of beauty. However, the communists turned the fireworks into political propaganda, and an alternative to characterize communist revolution.
“It is like the Chinese TV stations overseas and the Confucius Institutes established worldwide. These are a series of moves designed to export communist culture -- their sole intent and purpose.”
He stressed that the communist cultural fireworks display reflects the communist strategy, saying: “It is unrestricted warfare. The CCP operates with a warfare mindset. This is not merely threatening talk. This stuff has existed for several decades. During the 50s and 60s, the communist revolution was exported in its naked form to Indonesia, Vietnam, and Cambodia. Now, the complete collapse of communism has assumed another form of invasion.”
He expressed that history has proven the destructive nature of communism to humanity, and added: “The West must wake up. The people must wake up.”
Read the original Chinese article.
The 2009 Calgary International Fireworks was held on August 21-29. Canada, Mexico, Spain and China were the four competing teams. The artistic category of the competition designated Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake as the compulsory track, and the remaining 25 per cent of the optional track was required to convey national flavor. Votes rendered on the 29th determined Spain to be the winner, and thus an automatic entry for next year’s competition.
China, with her long history and craftsmanship in fireworks, failed entirely this year in the global festival, ruining the country’s chance for entry into next year’s competition. Audience viewers widely attributed the failure to the tainting of its cultural program with communist propaganda.
One Chinese attendee, Lin Kai-Lai, praised Spain’s team production as a smooth flow of clouds and streaming art. “The theme was clear and rhythmic. Along with the music of Carmen, the combination of energy and joy was full of ethnic flavor. The purple-blue and silvery-white fireworks theme was beautiful and visually powerful.”
She compared it to team China’s effort: “No theme. It was like a massive mixture of the Spring Festival show. Most unanticipated was the continuous red five-star fireworks on top of the red theme. Communist party culture permeated the entire program.” (The Spring Festival show is the annual Lunar New Year TV show, produced by CCTV, mouthpiece of the communist regime.)
Zhao Ying, a Chinese immigrant, spoke about team China’s pyro-musical. “The opening music to Swan Lake was very good. However, it abruptly switched to the second piece, with a female in a high-pitched voice singing “Into the Era.” It brought laughter from the audience. I felt like I suddenly swallowed a fly. After that, came songs of praises (of the communist party) one after another, and I felt myself swallowing flies one after another, non-stop. It was awful! Where was the ethnic flavor?”
Mr. Lu Dacheng is a democracy activist who now lives in Canada. He witnessed the Tiananmen Square Massacre in 1989. He indicated that the fireworks became part of a series of shows the communist regime put on for the international stage, in the name of China.
“What should have been brought to the world was supposed to be representative of traditional Chinese culture and the essence of its ethnic cultures to entertain with the joy of beauty. However, the communists turned the fireworks into political propaganda, and an alternative to characterize communist revolution.
“It is like the Chinese TV stations overseas and the Confucius Institutes established worldwide. These are a series of moves designed to export communist culture -- their sole intent and purpose.”
He stressed that the communist cultural fireworks display reflects the communist strategy, saying: “It is unrestricted warfare. The CCP operates with a warfare mindset. This is not merely threatening talk. This stuff has existed for several decades. During the 50s and 60s, the communist revolution was exported in its naked form to Indonesia, Vietnam, and Cambodia. Now, the complete collapse of communism has assumed another form of invasion.”
He expressed that history has proven the destructive nature of communism to humanity, and added: “The West must wake up. The people must wake up.”
Read the original Chinese article.
Friends Read Free