SEOUL, South Korea—Some Chinese people traveled from the mainland to South Korea’s capital to see Shen Yun. One of those was Ms. Shi who came from the southern port city of Shenzhen for the sold out opening performance on April 15. Ms. Shi said she felt renewed.
“In the last program, Divine Mercy, when Lord Buddha first appeared, his eyes and smile were full of compassion; I felt that I changed from the inside out,” she said, at the Sangmyung Art Center after the performance.
Ms. Shi had tears in her eyes. Indicating a friend standing next to her, she said that she was skeptical when her friend told her how good Shen Yun was. Now she could not agree with her friend more. “It was wonderful, very stunning.”
Like many audience members she was deeply moved by performers and the performance.
First, the diversity and variety of the dances spoke to her. “Shen Yun portrays splendidly the beauty of the Chinese culture, and it includes the Tibetans, the Bai people and the Yi ethnic group. The inner charm of every performer, their costumes and the animated backdrop, all came out in wonderful fashion, making all of us believe that the 56 different ethnic groups in China should unite. This was my first feeling,” she said.
The historic splendor of Chinese civilization made her proud. “Second, Shen Yun showcases two of the greatest dynasties in the Chinese history—Tang and Han Dynasties—which made me feel that 5,000 years of Chinese culture was really something spectacular,” she said.
Most of all, the spiritual foundation of Shen Yun moved her to her core. “Third, in the last program. Divine Mercy, Lord Buddha appeared on the animated backdrop. I kept staring at his eyes and his smile. The eyes were just full of compassion … it gave me a feeling of warmth and comfort. It was just so affectionate. I somehow changed from the inside out. It was love coming to life. I still remember all this clearly in my mind,” she said.
Ms. Shi said was the first time she saw Shen Yun, and she felt astonished from the moment the curtain rose. “It allowed to me to reflect on many things. Even though I have seen many performances in China, I had never experienced anything like this.
It changed her perspective. “The culture presented by Shen Yun awakens people’s memories. For example, back in China, issues … never crossed my mind. Now, I have some opinions,” she said.
According to Ms. Shi, her feelings about the performance were just as the masters of ceremony described, deep memories being awakened. “That’s right. For example, during the program Sand Monk is Blessed from The Journey to the West, I said to myself, oh, so this was how Sand Monk started. All of a sudden, it hit me. Why didn’t the Chinese culture I knew before emphasize this. The program When Shaolin Monks Protected the Emperor also gave me this feeling.” Both dances tell spiritual stories from China’s ancient traditions.
She described a new sense of purpose. She said with strong conviction, “As for human behavior, like being compassionate, being truthful, and truthfulness-compassion-forbearance, first of all, I believe in reincarnation. I have always believed that I am a compassionate person, but now, I am sure that I must help more people, support more people, and do the best I can. I will be steadfast in passing on the concept of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance.”
Read the original Chinese article.
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has three touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org.
The Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time. We have proudly covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
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