Shen Yun Performing Arts, warmly received in more than 100 cities worldwide so far, is effectively being denied entry by the Hong Kong authorities just days before seven sold-out shows were to begin.
Shen Yun performs traditional Chinese dance and music—so traditional that it is not welcome by the communist regime in mainland China.
Shen Yun has been canceled in Hong Kong, local organizers announced at noon on Jan. 23, citing the refusal of Hong Kong authorities to issue visas to seven key production staff. The 7,000 residents of this world financial center who held tickets to the much-anticipated premier of Shen Yun will have to wait.
Six days before the show’s debut on Jan. 27, Hong Kong’s Immigration Department informed the company that seven production staff would be denied entry. Later, one of the staff members was given oral permission to enter after the organizing team made repeated entreaties for a re-evaluation.
Ostensibly the visas were canceled because, according to the authorities, it was not necessary to bring in expatriate staff to fill the roles. Hong Kong public figures have criticized the decision, claiming that it was actually a result of political pressure from Beijing.
Shen Yun’s artists include practitioners of Falun Gong, a spiritual practice banned and persecuted in China, and its performances include artistic representations of Chinese citizens standing up to end the persecution. Supporters say the sensitivity of the subject for mainland Chinese authorities is behind the refusal.
Shen Yun performs traditional Chinese dance and music—so traditional that it is not welcome by the communist regime in mainland China.
Shen Yun has been canceled in Hong Kong, local organizers announced at noon on Jan. 23, citing the refusal of Hong Kong authorities to issue visas to seven key production staff. The 7,000 residents of this world financial center who held tickets to the much-anticipated premier of Shen Yun will have to wait.
Six days before the show’s debut on Jan. 27, Hong Kong’s Immigration Department informed the company that seven production staff would be denied entry. Later, one of the staff members was given oral permission to enter after the organizing team made repeated entreaties for a re-evaluation.
Visa Trouble, or Political Interference?
Ostensibly the visas were canceled because, according to the authorities, it was not necessary to bring in expatriate staff to fill the roles. Hong Kong public figures have criticized the decision, claiming that it was actually a result of political pressure from Beijing.
Shen Yun’s artists include practitioners of Falun Gong, a spiritual practice banned and persecuted in China, and its performances include artistic representations of Chinese citizens standing up to end the persecution. Supporters say the sensitivity of the subject for mainland Chinese authorities is behind the refusal.
