WASHINGTON, D.C.—Retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Robert Spalding is an expert in US-China relations, and has spent much of his career in diplomacy, strategy, and national security. But on the afternoon of Feb. 3, he had an opportunity to see a side of China he doesn’t encounter in his field—the China before
communism.
“I just kind of imagined in my mind what China would be without the Chinese Communist Party. And this show kind of reveals a lot of the culture that’s been lost because the Chinese Communist Party has destroyed the culture,” said Brig. Gen. Spalding after seeing Shen Yun Performing Arts at The Kennedy Center Opera House.
“Being able to sit down and really witness the Chinese culture that hasn’t been corrupted by the Chinese Communist Party, I think it’s the most important to me. I kind of imagine, like, if I could go to China without the Chinese Communist Party, this might be what it would be like,” said Brig. Gen. Spalding, who is currently a senior fellow at Hudson Institute.
China was once known as the “land of the divine,” and its people held its culture to be divinely inspired.
New York-based Shen Yun’s mission is to revive the 5,000 years of Chinese civilization through music and dance, in
a performance that has been seen around the world but remains banned in China today.
Brig. Gen. Spalding explained that the arts in modern-day China may not reflect the traditional
Chinese culture; most enterprises and industries in China are governed by the state, and the ruling Chinese Communist Party has spent its entire reign trying to uproot traditional culture.
He added that going there today, one might not be able to get a sense of China without communism, but Shen Yun was able to present that on stage.
He appreciated the
stories told through dance, which range from the historical and mythical to modern-day vignettes. One such dance was based on true events, with a brother being a member of the Chinese Communist Party police and the sister a person of faith being persecuted by the party.
Brig. Gen. Spalding said he thought it was important for people to experience these stories.
“I think it’s something for people to see,” he added.
With reporting by Terri Wu.
