NANTES, France—On Tuesday, Feb. 17, the Cité des Congrès in Nantes began a nine-day journey into the world of Shen Yun.
For this first performance of the season in Nantes, Jean-Jacques Hong-Fuan traveled from Saint-Brieuc to experience the excellence of classical Chinese dance and music with Shen Yun.
Born in Paris, this automotive engineer is the son of a Korean political refugee who resisted Japanese occupation in the 1920s and was a supporter of South Korean independence.
For the past five years, Jean-Jacques Hong-Fuan has been Honorary Consul of the Republic of South Korea for the western regions of France, from Finistère to Pyrénées-Atlantiques.
‘Culture Is Fundamental’
“Magnificent!” said the honorary consul enthusiastically about Shen Yun. “It’s even beyond what I expected. I had seen the reports on television, the promotion, but really, it’s splendid!”The artistic level of Shen Yun “must require long-term training,” he emphasized.
Shen Yun’s mission is to revive the rich traditional culture of China’s 5,000-year history.
“Given my Asian and Korean heritage, [I understand that] culture is fundamental,” agreed Mr. Hong-Fuan. “Patriotism is just as important. My father was a hero of the anti-Japanese resistance, and he instilled in me many Asian values and aspects of Asian culture.”
‘A Message of Serenity and Peace’
Shen Yun means “the beauty of divine beings dancing” because the company honors the ancient belief in a culture passed down by the gods. Everyone, from the humblest farmer to the most prestigious emperor, honored the gods and respected the harmony between Heaven, Earth, and Man.Jean-Jacques Hong-Fuan was able to identify and appreciate this connection to the divine present in Shen Yun’s dance and song performances: “It’s something I’ve experienced, something that captivated and impressed me. So I’m very attuned to it.
For the honorary consul, Shen Yun is “a high-quality show with brilliant artists. It also conveys a powerful message about values and culture.”
“I think that in Asian and Chinese culture in particular, there are values that permeate this culture and that are reflected in this show,” said Mr. Hong-Fuan. “It conveys a genuine message of serenity and peace, which the world today sorely needs.”
“We are one big family,” said the consul. “I have five grandchildren, and when I get back, I'll tell them how thrilled I was by this wonderful show!”
Reporting by Sarita Modmesaïb and translated from the French language Epoch Times by Sonia Rouleau.
