SYDNEY, Australia—On March 29, Canterbury Bankstown City councilor Saud Abu-Samen attended Shen Yun Performing Arts’ 11th and final show at the Sydney Lyric.

Though he wasn’t quite sure what to expect stepping into the performance for the first time, the matinee turned out to be everything he hoped for, and more.

“It was amazing. That’s [an] outstanding show,” Mr. Abu-Samen said, adding that he was stunned “from the way they were dancing.”

“I will recommend it to everyone to come and see the performance. It was outstanding, amazing,” he added.

Endowed with 5,000 years of history, China was once known as the “Land of the Divine.” For millennia, its people believed that by keeping their hearts pure and adhering to strict moral standards, they would be blessed by the divine.

Indeed, for 5,000 years, the country prospered. However, after the communist takeover and its spread of atheism, this traditional culture has been brought to the brink of destruction. Today, Shen Yun’s mission is to bring back the beauty and goodness of China before communism.

Mr. Abu-Samen was especially moved by the story-based dance that raised awareness of the Chinese Communist Party’s ongoing persecution of people of faith. He was very impressed by the courage of those who remain steadfast in their beliefs, even at the cost of their lives.

“I believe [the most] impressive part was when ... the people sacrifice their lives for what they believe in,” he said. “The performance was really express[ing] that feeling and [where] the challenges in your life could take you. That was amazing.”

Though Shen Yun is well-beloved by audiences around the world, it is currently forbidden by the ruling Chinese regime from performing in China. In fact, many of the company’s founding members had fled to America to escape persecution by the communist party.

Mr. Abu-Samen lamented this loss and emphasized that Shen Yun is sharing a very important message that promotes harmony between people. He believes the company’s commitment to bring back traditional moral values is the secret to its 20 years of success.

The artists “could share that harmony that we talked about earlier, and I believe [as] they continue the performance, that message [will] come across to everywhere around the world,” he said.

“With that belief and that message, they can grow. They have a lot of people to share that belief.”

He commended the artists for their dedication, saying, “Keep up the good work.”

“We’re looking forward to see more performances,” he added.